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Buenos Aires, Argentina > Buenos Aires restaurants > Pride Cafe Pride CafeBalcarce 869 (@ Pasaje Giuffra); Tel. +(011.54.11) 4300.6435
Just two blocks away from the busy intersection of Paseo Colón and Independéncia, hidden just one block off Defensa sits Pride Cafe, a cornerstone of the small but rapidly growing gay community in Buenos Aires. Self described as “Queer coffee, Home-made cakes, Pastry and Special Sandwiches,”the owner’s home kitchen actually doubles as the café kitchen, lending true meaning to their advertisements of comida casera (homemade food). More than just a gay-friendly restaurant, the owners of Pride Cafe sought to create a place for the gay and straight community to intermingle and relax. This eatery serves as a hub of information for local gay and straight nightlife, restaurants, travel, and more; piles of promotional cards for a wide array of establishments serving both communities lye scattered about the café. At Pride, industrial chic meets the old-world charm of San Telmo; surrounded by tranquil cobblestones, the cool and shiny outdoor metal tables and matching chairs sit on top a contracty red tiled sidewalk that leads right up from the street andinto the café. A large, heavy brushed metal frame sliding glass door, flanked by full-length windows on both sides, ushers guests inside. The café is luminous; during the day light floods in the large windows, and at night the restaurant is lit with funky and arty light globes hanging in trios from the ceiling. The walls glow bright white, with silver and metal accents scattered about. Unlike the sleek metal furniture outside, tables inside are made of darkly stained wood and matching chairs are upholstered in a comfy beige pleather. Orange accents have been subtly worked into the café décor, from the bar wall to the bouquets of fresh flowers to the back of the clipboard menus. Magazines are stacked on tables and chairs around the restaurant, everything from fashion mags to risqué rags such as Gente, Vogue, Vanity Gay, and Genre. Homemade food served with a modern flair on square ceramic plates is what Pride Café is all about; including Argentine standard coffees and teas ($4-6AR/cup), as well as a long list of cocktails and wines around $10AR. Drinks are quaintly served on small dark wooden European breakfast trays that complement the tables and chairs inside. Their pseudo-American breakfast menu offers muffins and breakfast sandwiches, or a list of homemade cakes for the sweet tooth, including a delicious lemon cheesecake ($6AR). Their larger entrees include salads served in deep square bowls for around $9-12ARG, or brusquetas (toasted sandwiches) with a variety of toppings for about the same price. To accommodate the many students from the nearby Universidad del Cine that stop over for a cup of coffee durning a break from becoming Argentina’s next crop of directors, Pride Cafe serves small and large picada plates with a variety of meats and cheeses to snack on. From the sophisticated plush armchairs to the tattooed waiters, Pride Cafe provides a diverse and safe environment to express oneself, from the young to the old, men or women, gay or straight. Wifi service with prepaid cards. —Pride Cafe review by Jennifer Roglà
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