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Buenos Aires, Argentina > Buenos Aires restaurants > Café Montserrat Café MontserratSan José 524 (@ Venezuela); Tel. +(011.54.11) 4381-2588
Café Montserrat combines rusty red brick charm with bistro chic. By day it operates as a bustling café serving tea and coffee to a steady flow of newspaper-readers and caters to a roaring local lunchtime trade. By night it takes on a more bar-like quality, coming alive to the tune of jazz bands and tango singers in an assortment of live acts. Located on San José, straddled by monster avenidas Belgrano and Independencia, Café Montserrat is one of a small cluster of higher-end restaurants and leather shops in this otherwise quiet neighbourhood. The café itself sets just the right balance between cosy and comforting and up to date trendy. Its simple wooden tabled layout is offset by intelligent lighting that highlights the assortment of local artwork on the walls - all available for sale. There is a tempting selection of newspapers and magazines on offer to while away the hours and a subtly placed television screen will both satisfy the needs of any sports fans and be ignored perfectly happily by other clientele. Without being a completely no frills approach, the menu is definitely of the “stick to what you know best” school of thought, offering simple well-cooked dishes. Alongside the typical selection of sandwiches, minutas and picadas (boards of cold meats and cheeses), there is also a daily lunchtime special, typically a meat and vegetable dish. It is well-recommended and is priced around the $8AR mark. Lunchtimes see a steady succession of specials ordered by loud, laughing tables of locals served by smiling waitresses scurrying about carrying bread baskets and bottles of house wine. Evenings tend to draw an older crowd and cater to a variety of tastes. A busy programme of live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights ranges from tango singers and jazz musicians to book presentations and art exhibits. Some of these may include entrance fees between $5-10AR and a full list of upcoming events is available at the bar. Evening reservations in advance are advisable as the space is rarely anything but packed. —Café Montserrat review by Tessa Pettman
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