La Biela

In business over 150 years ago, it comes across that it can go for another 150 years. It is a great stop after visiting the Recoleta area : the cemetery and the Floralis Generica garden. We enjoy the atmosphere as much as the pastry and the cappuccino. With ample seating and waiters in classical uniform, times seems to stand still in this cafe, it is a place to relax, to read a book or simply to chill. We do not speak much of Spanish so the waiter even makes an special effort to show us the pastries and let us choose. It turns out to be very delicious. The cafe even offers sugar in different sizes. We think it is a stop to add to your Recoleta trip.

Authentic food, service and atmosphere! Enjoyed a good lunch; recommended the middle pages of the menu book; Chef’s special, special dishes and summer specials…. Indoor and outdoor options

Very, nice old café full with motorsport history. If you are into that, it should have a place on your to-do list.

How nice and authentic place to have traditional breakfast at when in Buenos Aires! We absolutely enjoyed the service, vibe and the amazing medialunas con cafe! We hope to go back one day!

Great outside atmosphere but the service is beyond atrocious. I’ve finished my lunch about 30 minutes ago and nobody has cleared my plate or asked if I want anything else. Just horrible. There are 10 other restaurants near here - would suggest any others over this one. The ancient waiters simply don’t care.

We had an amazing time at La Biela. The food was great and reasonably priced. I believe the $45 USD meal package includes a main dish, beverage, and dessert. The food was great, but the apple pie was DELICIOUS. The staff is awesome and hilarious and definitely enhanced our stay. The gentleman who assisted us shared knowledge on the history of the restaurant and its future. Thank you for the wonderful experience!

Good food and nice service! You can tell that this restaurant is a part of Buenos Aires history. The wait was a little long and there wasn’t necessarily anything special about the food, very traditional

We stop for lunch before heading for a tour of the Recoleta cemetery. The waiters are very attentive and make good recommendations. The location is historical and authentic.

We had a lovely breakfast here! The restaurant was huge, but gave the feel of an intimate diner. It was pretty dead in there when we arrived, so I was surprised that the service was so painfully slow, although our server was very nice. They did seem to rush us out a bit, which I thought was weird because they were providing such slow service and there were plenty of open tables for seating. We opted to have a traditional Argentine breakfast of toast with jams and sandwiches (La Biela on the menu), complete with their famed apple cream pie. The toast and sandwiches were nothing special, which you can see, but the jams were really good! The dulce de leche one is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth like me! I absolutely LOVED the apple cream pie. It was dense and not too sweet, complete with a thin glaze on the top that wasn't too sweet (and if you have coffee with it, it perfectly balances). I would definitely recommend coming here over Cafe Tortoni!

Basic but decent food - large menu selection in a touristy area. For a touristy restaurant, it was better than expected

As an Italian, very large, very friendly and open ear café. I'm hoping that we came on a sunny day, and a rainy day, and both times the place was busy. Service is great, prices are reasonable.

Came here for lunch, and we decided to sit outside. A singer was playing live music out in the park, which was nice. I got the ensalada la biela and my bf got the lomito a la biela. The salad had heart of palm, celery, apple, and shrimp with a lemon juice sauce on the side. I personally didn't like the heart of palm much, and the shrimp was just standard. The dressing also wasn't special - just tasted like lemon juice. The star of the meal was the lomito. It was sooo tender and tasty with the mushroom sauce. Pricey spot, but it's historic and touristy.

Iconic bar restaurant near the Recoleta cemetery. Lots of seating inside and out and serving all day. The service is okay, the food is mediocre but the location and ambiance is unmatched. The statues of writers Borges and Cabrera seated at a table at the entrance are Instagram worthy, as are the statues of the motor car racers outside.

This cafe located in Recoleta is near the Cemetery. Our tour guide recommended it for a quick bite. Inside - the statues inside of the restaurant greeted us to this cute cafe. I ordered an empanada and it was pretty good. Service was quick. I would come back to try other items on the menu.

This traditional cafe is located in front of the entrance of the Recoleta cemetery, and it's perfect for a break after a visit. The place is busy but very big, so we didn't have to wait to get a table. Our waiter was quite the character with a strong personality, but very efficient and professional. The food is just fine, but prices are very reasonable considering the location. Totally worth a visit when in the area.

Many indoor and outdoor seating. Many verity of foods. Sandwiches are good. Best for brunch since location is perfect to start your day in a great area to explore. Kids friendly as there is an open area / park closely. Public Parking is available. Service is amazingly quick and waters are responsive. Atmosphere is again great for groups, couples and kids.

Pretty decent, no-frills cafe next to the Recoleta Cemetery. It's obvious they play up to the tourist foot traffic a bit, but the menu was still decent and not exorbitantly priced. The coffee I had was pretty good. The croissant was maybe average, nothing special. The big draw is definitely the location, and they have plenty of seating both indoors and outside. Not a must-do in my opinion, but also a convenient option before venturing into the cemetery or other neighborhoods beyond this area.

We saw so many great reviews of this place and decided to try it out. It was my first time trying tea with milk and sugar and I now understand why so many people drink it like that. The service was excellent and I definitely recommend it for anyone in the area.

Food: 5 Customer Service: 5 Location: 5 Cleanliness: 5 This gem is situated in the heart of Buenos Aires Argentina downtown area, and is a very well known traditional Argentina spot. We visited this cafe last month while we was visiting the local area, and spot in for a small breakfast snack. We decided to try their local coffee and their croissants. The coffee was very strong and tasted truly amazing. The croissants were served warm and was just perfect for a light morning snack. Our waiter was very courtesy and helpful, as he could tell that we were tourist. The cafe offers indoor and outdoor seating for their customers. The cafe also had Wi-Fi for their customers, so you check your emails or just surf the internet. The restrooms are male and female and was very clean and well maintained.  This was a great experience and I would highly recommend!

This place is cursi for the locals touristy for the tourists and very necessary to visit at least once in your visit to Buenos Aires. The waiters have that classic old-school aplomb serving you with absolute graciousness, and a terrific memory. You'll notice argentine waiters that are professional rarely, if ever write anything down in the order especially if there's a lot of you at the table. Here it's fresh squeezed orange juice, delicious coffee, and the medialunas that are the divas. You'll always find a local gents hanging out having a little coffee by themselves and of course you won't miss the Jorge Luis Borges and Bioy Casares statues that are ubiquitous at the entrance of this classic old coffee house. Love it or hate it La biela has been here forever and seems it will never ever Dade . So long live La Biela

Straightforward cafe. Quick and courteous service. Reasonably priced. Very busy in the morning for breakfast, but has an ample menu for all day dining, with salads, pizzas, meats, and more. Ample sitting inside with interesting old schools "racing" themed stuff. Pleasant outside sitting facing the park. Was staying in a nearby hotel and had ham pizza and malbec glass of wine for dinner, cant complain. Good option when you are kinda hungry but wanna do a no frill meal.

La Biela was an institution of a cafeteria that we of course had to stop by while in Buenos Aires. The atmosphere is amazing and we got a table outside. We were a little hungry so we got 3 croissants and each of got a cafe con leche. The coffee was incredible and they came with cute like individually wrapped biscuits which were delicious! The croissants we got came with sugary glaze and they were just absolutely decadent. The experience we had here really fit the bill for spending the day in La Recoleta for sure! But I say this all to say that La Biela knows they are famous and are definitely overcharging a little (cafe con leche and medialunas in Argentina are definitely not hard to come by...) so take it with a grain of salt. But if you want the atmosphere and vibes this is the place!

Café La Biela is less than a 10 minute walk from Cemeterio de la Ricoleta where Eva Peron is buried. It's popular with locals and tourists alike and is known as a 'traditional' Buenos Aires café and is known to be the oldest in the city. The wait persons have all probably worked there for a long time so service can be a little slow but if you're not in a hurry they will eventually get to you. We watched 2 groups leave because they felt they had waited long enough! The food is local. We had what I would call an empanada platter with 2 empanadas and side salads or cold cuts. It along with some Argentinian white wine was tasty and refreshing after wandering around the cemetery for a couple of hours. Great local place - go for the experience.

Extremely overpriced restaurant for mediocre food. I ordered a mushroom omelette with tomatoes and avocado on the side, and a lemonade. The mushroom were out of a can, the omelette was more like scrambled eggs and lacked flavor. And the bill for this - 9,000 pesos, $45. Do not recommend, it's a complete tourist trap.

Stopped by for lunch. Ordered beef and chicken empanadas. Both were outstanding. Ambiance was warm and lively. My server was a little slow, however was helpful while deciding what to order as my Spanish is limited. Definitely recommend. Pastries looked delicious as well.

We go to Buenos Aires every year - eight times and counting and La Biela is our favorite breakfast spot. The patio is very nice; the service is prompt, professional and the food is fantastic. Yes there are cheaper places but it is still cheap compared to US or European prices and bring your appetite!

Located right next to the Recoleta Cemetery, this place is definitely popular for its touristy aspect. This was the first place I went to when I arrived in Buenos due to its convenience and I really wish I didn't. This place is definitely overpriced after attending other restaurants. My boyfriend and I got a bottle of wine which was okay priced but we also got the meat and cheese platter and that cost more than almost all the steaks I had in Buenos. If only I knew better. The saving grace of it is that it has a lot of seating outside to enjoy the day right next to the gigantic gumtree near the cemetery. I would save your money and appetite and eat somewhere else though going forward.

Really good food. Nice outdoor seating area and friendly and fast service. I had the loin sandwich with tomato and egg. Highly recommend

We were made aware of this restaurant while on private tour in Buenos Aires via an introduction by our guide. We ended up back here to grab a quick snack after walking around the city. ATMOSPHERE: They're located near the Recoleta Cemetery. As you enter, you're greeted by a table occupied by life-like statues of two men who used to frequent the place, Argentine writer Adolfo Bioy Casares and his writer friend Jorge Luis Borges, both of whom wrote a book together and whose photos adorn the restaurant's walls. The inside decor is dated, a bit like an old European eatery crammed with dark-stained wood low tops but still classy at the same time. A fairly large outdoor terrace sports an equal amount of seats as well, with partial protection from a big tree. But according to the menu, food costs a bit more to eat out rather than in. Odd! MENU: Tons of different selections but we were looking for something sweet or coffee-based. DESSERT: Café Vienés - $10. This is their version of an affogato which came in a tall glass and consumed like a milkshake. The creamy coffee flavors totally hit the spot! Lemon Meringue Pie - $7 for a nice-sized slice. The crust was moist and buttery, the filling creamy and lemony. SERVICE: Our male server was great. Very professional and attentive. OVERALL: A bit pricey but everything was tasty!

Yelp Challenge 2016: 88/116. My only question is: Why is La Biela categorized as a "dive bar"? It's anything but that! Located conveniently across from the Recoleta Cemetery (where Evita rests in peace) and the beautiful St. Pillar church and cloisters of 1732... it's a nice place to enjoy the beautiful weather and passerby. If you'd like to be seated outside, there's a large patio with a shady view of the enormous rubber tree. There are aggressive pigeons, so watch your food- they'll fly right onto the table when someone leaves for the restroom! There's a 10% extra charge for outdoor seating, but hey, you're probably on vacation so why not? We ordered a few drinks, local specialties, Frenet & Coke and Gancia Batido along with a ham, cheese, cracker and olive plate. Frenet is an Italian digestif made with herbs and spices. It smells like Jaegermeister but tastes lighter. Gancia is also Italian, a sparkling wine that often mixed with citrus juices or Sprite. I have to agree with Yelper Alice G's assessment that it does feel a bit like a Parisian café, and I think that it's purposely done that way. Nice thing is, there's no Parisian diesel exhaust. La Biela is at the end of a street, so you get pedestrian watching as a bonus. There are sculptures of two famous gentlemen inside the front door and it's fun to get your picture taken with them. La Biela is known to have been a popular gathering place for politicians, artists and writers. The two gentlemen were authors Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares. They came here for lively discussions and for inspiration. It's a bit on the expensive side, but you are paying for the beauty of the scenery and people. I would revisit La Biela if I get a chance to go back and luxuriate Porteño style in Buenos Aires.

Cafe La Biela is a place of cultural interest, both in terms of its history and the number of occasionally famous locals and tourists that have hung out here. It's centrally located in Recoleta overlooking the Plaza Juan XXIII, and a sort walk from the famous cemetery and the weekend market. Our tour guide provided a walk by when we first arrived in Buenos Aires. We returned the next day mid-morning for coffee and pastries outside. It was warm and sunny, and it was great to just hang out and watch fellow customers, the well dressed traditional waiters, and the tourist trying to hold up the tree. We returned for Lunch on our last day in the City. It was a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon. We sat inside by the open window and savored our final vacation minutes as we were professionally looked after almost one last time. We enjoyed the food and our company, even after 3 close weeks together. :) One more thing! We couldn't leave without paying homage (and taking a couple pictures) to the likenesses of Argentine writer Adolfo Bioy Casares and his writer friend Jorge Luis Borges who hung out here and wrote a book together using pictures that are located behind the bar.

A café notable in Buenos Aires. In the center of the most famous part of town right next to the recoleta cemetery there since 1860. It's a great spot for traditional service and classic argentine food. Can best the view and service. Great covid protocols. But the food is pricy for what you get. Not amazing at all but lovely enough.

Great atmosphere; not so great food. I ordered the ravioli with meat sauce and it almost had a chemical taste to it. My food came out in less than 5 minutes and I left like I could have made a better quality meal at home. I also ordered an empanada and was disappointed - the outer portion was soft and still doughy. I would recommend this place to sit on the patio and enjoy a cup of coffee, but would not come back to eat here (especially with the price point).

This is by far one of my favorite "happy places" in the world. I live in NY (food heaven) and I'm used to having plenty of food options, but few places warm my stomach and heart like this one. Ive been to BA about a dozen times and this is one of my mandatory stops every time. If food is one of your top 3 happiness-inducing things in life, do yourself a favor and get the Revuelto Gramajo (a combination of french fries, ham and eggs), but make sure to order it "babette" (pronouced "ba-beh") so that the eggs are over easy; then you can mix it all together. Of utmost importance is that you pair it with a Cafe Vienes (iced coffee with vanilla ice cream). Remember me when you feel you have entered heaven. Also, sitting outside during a summer day is really something, especially with that huge tree of close to 200 years. The extra price you pay for outdoor sitting is worth it!

The service in this restaurant was really good. We had breakfast and it was normal food. The waiter was nice and there was a lot of locals around to observe. About 3 hours after our visit we realized our credit card was missing. We hopped into a cab and went back to the restaurant. The waiter recognized us at once and got with the cashier to get our card back to us. Very nice exchange. It's good to know there is good in the world still!

Great cafe for quick bite and drinks. Conveniently located on the corner across from the Recoleta cemetery. Has indoor and outdoor seating which abutts a nice park/plaza. This particular part of down does give me the Parisian feel. We got lucky with a good waiter who spoke enough English to understand what we wanted. Think a lot of folks are expecting this to be a great dining experience which it is not. Like I said, it's a great cafe to hang out before/after visiting the nearby sites and just chill with a drink and some simple sandwiches.

An institution in Buenos Aires, La Biela is located by the oft-visited Recoleta Cemetary. Its claim to fame is less about the food than the history and its famous visitors, but I can attest to the great quality of service. The staff are attentive and quick and will ensure you have a good stay. This is a good place to refresh yourselves with a coffee and a few medialunas before heading out to the bustling city again.

Table of 5 and we tried a LOT of items on the menu! The apple crepe and French fries/scrambled eggs/ and ham dish was my favorite! Service was impeccable and sitting outside people watching on a warm Spring day was AMAZING! Extra money applied to ticket for outdoor dishes but totally worth it!

Best sidewalk cafe in Paris...err... I mean Buenos Aires. Where the heck am I anyway? Who knew Buenos Aires, and particularly the Recoleta District was so PARISIAN! This is a spectacular sidewalk cafe, nestled under a huge ancient gum tree along the park. Grab a table on the patio, order some drinks, and let the magical Buenos Aires world around you unfold. We frequented La Biela maybe three times during our stay as it was close to the hotel and everything in the Recoleta! We nursed beers, Fernets, Sparkling waters, had pastries, watched Tango performances, and really enjoyed the life size sculptures of people scattered inside and out of this establishment! Grab a seat, you won't want to leave anytime soon!

Old classic restaurant dating back into 1900. Great choice of entrees and freT coffee. Loved the setting and it is right across recoleta cemetery.

One of the two historic coffee places in Buenos Aires. There is a line but worth the wait. You can skip the wait with a seat at the bar area. Great coffee, delicious desserts, and fantastic people watching. A must.

I really like the bread of "miga" in Argentina, and it is classic in each one of the restaurants I have been in. It is VERY thin bread, about 1mm of thickness, and I am not joking. Why I love it? Because of my diet, I have to eat every two or three hours and I am always trying low carb recipes. This bread was toasted so it was just delicious for me. Ham and cheese included. Prices are higher if you sit outside. It is crazy. The taste of the burger was okay but I am the kind of cook that prefer to season the patty of the burger well so it wont taste blue. It is okay. Just don't sit outside. It is expensive though.

Great location but that's about it. Food is overpriced and underwhelming. We had the Americana breakfast and it was just ok. The only thing I can recommend is the hot chocolate. If you're going just sit outside and enjoy a drink. Skip the food

Even though La Biela has a great reputation, I found the café really boring and with no atmosphere. There was a lot of elderly and very chic people. The service was bad : the waiter didn't speak a word of English and we had to ask him several the same thing. Furthermore, he bring us three different bills and the amount we had to pay was wrong.

This was the worst meal I had in Buenos Aires and it was such a shame since there was so much good food everywhere. Situated close to the Recoleta Cemetery, this was more or less a tourist trap, especially given its outdoor seating to enjoy the warmer days (but you also get charged extra for it! - note the menu will show "indoor" and "outdoor" prices for all of its offerings). We opted for the empanadas set, which came with a salad, a beverage and a dessert. The empanadas were OK, nothing special. But the salad... Didn't even know this can even qualify as such. I got a bowl of lettuce, topped off with a bunch of celery bits, apple and pineapple chunks and walnuts... and no dressing. I couldn't even process the atrocity that was put in front of me. Came as a full sized portion, too. Such a waste. Others in our group ordered grilled chicken and it seemed as if their food went onto the same grill that cooked fish, as all their dishes arrived reeking. Overpriced and not worth it. Avoid.

Excellent Argentine comfort food. Ate her twice during my stay in Buenos Aires. In Recoleta tourist area, but prices reasonable. Ravioli quite good, just lacking salt. Solid numbers of locals eating here as well. Waiter patient with my limited Spanish. Ate out on sidewalk one day , beautiful , definitely a European feel.

I really enjoyed this place!! The food is yummy and the ambiance is full of locals talking and being chic. Like a cafe in France. Yes you see older people but... They were really cool older people. :) I went twice during my stay in Buenos Aires. If you order everything at once you get one receipt. However if you order more you get multiple receipts must be an old system but still pretty cool.

Best part of this meal was the setting. Our waiter was 2nd best thing. Both friendly and helpful. I hate traveling abroad having no 2nd language. Here, as well as most places I've been in Buenos Aires are understanding and try hard to be helpful. I digress. Outdoor dining overlooking Plazoleta Juan XXIII, and near the cemetery was the perfect setting for lunch after the long flight from Chicago, via Miami. The food was adequate at best. Certainly not bad enough to ruin the experience. Doubt I'll return, but not disappointed I went.

One of my poorest experiences while in BA. We sat outside and ordered two coffees and an omelette for breakfast. Coffee was terrible, food not so great, and service abysmal. Silverware was visibly dirty, we asked for a change that never arrived. There was a mistake in the bill, and instead of correcting it, the waiter argued with me for a while. I eventually agreed to pay the extra, left no tip and will never go back.

Nice old time vibe Cafe close to the cemetery. The plastic statues of people eating were a little creepy, but not too off putting. Food is so-so and you definitely pay a bit more for the location. I had the biela, which came with a surprisingly sweet piece of apple pie. Fine place if you need something by the cemetery.

Very nice place, with Jorge Luis Borges and colleage Cesare at a table near the entrance, but.. unfriendly service and terrible food. The fish seemed to come out of the freezer and heated by micro wave. The worst dinner I had in Argentina.

If you're at the Recoleta itself, this is the place to come back to life after your visit to the cemetery. A classic that has been there almost forever. Sit outside under the tree that is even older. A classic confiteria.

This is my most favorite coffee shop in the entire world. Beautiful corner paneled woodwork, racing photos from the 1920s and 30s, wood trim tables with granite tops, waiters wearing clean white shirts with bowties and dark green aprons and black trousers. They wear sleevestraps! Its a distinct crowd with a lovely ambience and a huge respect for the older patrons. As an older man myself, its the sort of place I would go to every day, if I lived in Recoleta. It has a wonderful homey feeling. A cup of coffee comes well-made, cheap, and also arrives with a mineral water and a pastry. $1 coffee included pastry and a mineral water. I could spend hours just sitting, reading, sipping coffee, and people-watching. There is a unique ambience to this place unlike any coffee shop you'd find elsewhere. Its a cultured place with a lot of history, all original. If you take the time to visit the tomb of Eva Peron, you must also take the time to walk across the plaza to visit this coffee shop.

Service was pretty dismal and the food was very basic, especially for the price. Would not suggest ever visiting.

I should have read the reviews before trying this place. Is the worst place I've tried in BA so far. I ordered a filet with mushrooms, it was over cooked even though I ask medium rare. It was hard, mushrooms where can mushrooms and potatoes where frozen one, you could taste the freezer burn on the potatoes. On top of that, very, very, expensive for what you get. This is definitely a tourist place, but for Un knowledgeable tourist.

Food was super bland and just not good. Slow service as well. We are American and we're told this was the best cafe in the neighborhood by our tour guides. Terrible.

While away the afternoon at this BA institution and watch the tourists and locals converse for hours over an Imperial beer or a cafe con leche. Give the food a miss and tuck into the potato chips served with the beer.