Defensa 695 (on corner of Chile), San Telmo

If you want to have an extremely authentic Buenos Aires experience, try whiling away an afternoon or evening having coffee, drinks, or a meal in one of the city’s famous “notable cafes and bars”. A few years ago, a city government commission drew up a fairly comprehensive list of 53 notable bars and cafes and awarded them this special status due to either their historical, cultural or architectural importance to the city of Buenos Aires. Many of these establishments have been in operation since the nineteenth century, and upon entering one of them you are quickly transported back to the city’s aristocratic roots.

One picturesque member of this exclusive club of bars and cafes is Bar Seddon, a San Telmo hang-out spot that was converted into a bar from a nineteenth-century pharmacy.

A bar that takes you into the elegant past of Buenos Aires

If you stand still for a moment in Bar Seddon, you can almost pretend that you are in a salon among intellectuals, philosophers, and young lovers from a Buenos Aires of many years ago. The musty yellow lighting casts an antique glow over the mahogany wooden bar, which shines with the additional luster of candles distributed throughout the bar. Bar Seddon is nothing short of breath-taking in its décor, which consists of intriguing statues of Roman goddess-like figures, big windows for gazing out into the street, and an original old black-and-white checkered tile floor (anyone for chess?).

The bar has two stories with plenty of wooden tables and comfortable seats where you can share a bottle of wine and spend hours talking, listening to the bar’s music selection (usually either Silvio Rodriguez or Pink Floyd), or enjoying a live musical performance on certain nights of the week.

[Photo Credit: Paula Moya]

Wet your whistle or appease your appetite

During the day the bar is open for lunch, and it’s a great place to relax with a coffee and pick up a magazine or a copy of the English-language Argentimes newspaper at the bar. On any night of the week at Bar Seddon you can find an eclectic mix of clientèle, ranging from grungy European backpackers to students from all over the world to porteños seeking a little bit of laid-back San Telmo tranquility.

On Wednesday nights the bar features live bossa nova acoustic guitar and vocals, and on Saturday nights you can’t miss a rock/funk band that makes you wonder whether you’re in Buenos Aires or New York City. Also, if you are looking for a place to hold a meeting of any kind, you might want to come to Bar Seddon during the late afternoon to enjoy the warmth, good coffee, and relaxed atmosphere. Or, if you like a drink or two, one little known secret is that Seddon has a great “Happy Hour” from 6pm to 9pm every day: two drinks for the price of one. Bottoms up!

If your belly is rumbling, you’ve also come to the right place. Bar Seddon’s got a great chef who whips up traditional porteña dishes such as costillitas de cerdo (pork ribs), bife de chorizo con pure de zapallo y hojas verdes (beef strip steak with pumpkin puree and fresh greens), homemade pizzas, soups, pastas, and minutas (usually milanesa sandwiches made from either meat, soy, or eggplant).

Bar Seddon – a second home in San Telmo

Seddon is one of those bars where you come once and you just keep coming, whether it’s the music, the food, the atmosphere, or the people that traps you. As for the service, it’s more than personal. If you take a minute to talk to whoever is serving you, you will meet a truly genuine person who makes you feel at home. The family who owns Bar Seddon works hard to keep the place clean, friendly, and enjoyable for everyone.

They are promising new deals in the future for backpackers who are staying at hostels to get a free drink with their meals. Also, they are looking into having ‘world’ specialty nights, such as German or French night, to vary up their cooking and give Bar Seddon a more international appeal.

So grab your date for a candlelit dinner, bring your friends to see a beautiful renovation of a historic building, or simply cozy up to the bar with a magazine and a glass of wine and chat with the smiling bartender while you listen to some Latin tunes. Whatever mood you are in, whoever you are with, Bar Seddon is always a good place to feel the rhythm of San Telmo and imagine the Buenos Aires of a hundred years ago: all with a good bottle of Malbec red wine to liven up the conversation, of course.

Bar Seddon: The Verdict

• Overall bar rating: (4/5) Great service – they treat you like a friend from the start and are knowledgeably helpful with the menu options, fantastic atmosphere – full of warmth & energy, an excellent place to meet people (especially on weekend nights), good food and music, and all found in a beautiful old location.
• Buenos Aires Authenticity Factor: (4/5) Based in a lovely former 19th century pharmacy building, so the surroundings are very authentic, though Bar Seddon has not always been based here – it moved fairly recently from calle 25 de Mayo. However, it definitely brought with it a real sense of Buenos Aires nostalgia, for the cafe bar culture of days gone by.
• Value: (3/5) Drinks, especially cocktails, will run a little expensive here, as they do at most fashionable bars in San Telmo. The food, however, is not at all overpriced.

Buenos Aires Argentina Guide Special Tip

Head out to Bar Seddon on a Wednesday night for a special treat if the bossa nova guitarist is on the microphone, or a Saturday night to rock out to funk and rock tunes. Call ahead to check about live music on 4342-3700.