Cafe Margot

There’s something familiar about Boedo’s Cafe Margot. The brick-vaulted roof, the black and white tiled floor, the dark wooded tables and chairs. It all seems like I’ve seen it before. When the menu is given to me it all falls into place. The same beige pages tucked between two wooden sheets, the same way of selling a sandwich in 15 different ways, tweaking the filling slightly with each different option, we’re in the Notable Bar chain.

This is now the fourth bar I’ve been to which is clearly owned by the same people as El Federal, La Poesia and Bar Cao. You get the same bowl of unshelled peanuts with your beer, and the same placemat when you order food. There’s something little unsettling about the fact that these Notable Bars, listed for their originality and uniqueness have become somewhat homogenized.

That being said, there are a couple of individual quirks in the Margot. A sign on the wall proudly claims that the Sandwich de Pavita (Turkey Sandwich) was invented here in the 1940s. Because nobody, ever in the world, had thought to put a slice of turkey between 2 slices of bread before the 1940s. I did order a Sandwich de Pavita and it was pretty good, we’re clearly in the company of greatness here.

All things considered though, I liked Margot. It may seem familiar but whatever the owners are doing to their bars, they are trying to keep the original look and feel of the Notable bars alive. No tasteless modern remodelling, loud music or waiters in costumes here. The waitress seems to know most of the regulars and the place has a nice homey, buzzy feel. I could see it becoming a regular haunt if I lived nearby.

Cafe Margot: Av Boedo 857
Subte: Boedo, Line E

This page is part of a series examining the Notable Bars of Buenos Aires.