Saint Moritz

Opened in 1959 and still being run by the same family, the Saint Moritz sits on the corner of two busy downtown streets and seems a long way from its namesake, in fact, nobody could actually tell me why the bar is named after a Swiss ski resort.

Saint Moritz Bar

Like many Notable Bars, the Saint Moritz has seen better days. According to waiter I spoke to (who had worked there 38 years), back in the day it was full of regulars, all of whom lived nearby. In the morning it would be busy with manual workers taking a break, the office crowd would descend at lunchtime, and in the evening the smart set would arrive for the “Hora de Vermouth”. Most nights it would shut at 2 or 3am.

Saint Moritz Interior

Nowadays it’s mainly office workers who come in for lunch. The area is no longer residential and the bar has very few regulars left. Visually the Saint Moritz doesn’t have much going for it, but as a small part of Buenos Aires history it’s important that bars and cafes like this one continue to exist.

Saint Moritz Whisky Collection

Saint Moritz: Esmeralda 894
Subte: Lavalle, Line C

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