Three generations of porteños have enjoyed a morning cup of coffee or a light lunch and a drink at Café Los Galgos. The space was part of a family home, then became a pharmacy until 1930, when a Spanish immigrant opened an “almacén y despacho de bebidas,” a cross between a grocery store and bar.

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Loa Galgos was given a new lease on life in 2016, when a young energetic couple in their mid-thirties acquired and recycled the almost derelict café. They tried to maintain as many original features as they possibly could and replace what they couldn’t with something as close to the original as possible. They did a fantastic job. The café is located on a corner, so the windows on two walls let in lots of natural light. I loved the fileteado details on the window panes and the marquee. The original bar is so beautiful. The greyhound theme –galgo is Spanish for greyhound-  is subtly included everywhere.

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The previous owners, the Ramos family, lived above the shop. The current owners are planning to recondition that space and it use it for poetry readings, book presentations and the like.

The food deserves a special mention. The current owners are old hat at this, they owned one of the most successful closed-door restaurants in the city before embarking on this project.  They added a parrilla, or grill, that runs along the back wall and brought new life to a tired menu. I started with the most delicious and creamiest of coffees, which came with some tiny heavenly cookies. Then, I had a tostado, a ham and cheese toasted sandwich. My husband chose the pork sandwich, which was cooked for 8 hours. It was perfectly delicious. The food as well as the cocktail menu were revamped but still kept porteño traditions, like the vermú con ingredientes, a Campari or Cinzano-based drink accompanied by cheeses and cold cuts.

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Los Galgos has become one of my favourite cafes in Buenos Aires. I can’t wait to g aback.

Avenida Callao 501