Café Olimpo

Most staff in the majority of the Notable Bars I’ve visited have been happy to chat about the history of the bar, tell me what makes it notable and in most cases, wax lyrical about how things were better in the old days. Café Olimpo in Villa Luro takes that one step further and provides you with a fairly hefty written history to read.

Now, I must confess that I didn’t read the whole thing, but I did grasp that the reason that the walls are covered in automobile parts is that the area was home to several car factories back in the day – we also saw a sign for the Automotive Museum not too far away in Monte Castro.

We also learn that the bar was home to the first TV Set in the area so in the early 60s was packed every night with locals eager to watch early versions of Bailando Por Un Sueño. The mind boggles. The TV is still there, but from what we could see, the crowds aren’t. We were the only clients in the 30 minutes we spent there.

Like so many of the more far-flung bars on the Notable list the Olimpo has a real sense of community, a real sensation that it plays (or more often, played) and important role in the local neighbourhood. Over the years it has brought people together and given them somewhere to meet and talk, both very important things for Argentines.

Café Olimpo: Irigoyen 1491, Villa Luro
Colectivos: 106, 108, 109

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