"The Boedo corner where the sándwich de pavita was invented in the 1940s — a protected bar notable that still earns its century."
About Café Margot
Café Margot has stood on the corner of Avenida Boedo and San Ignacio since 1904, when Genoese builder Lorenzo Berisso put a café on the ground floor of his new building. Over the decades the address has been a confectionery, a pasta factory and a restaurant; today it is one of the City of Buenos Aires' officially protected bares notables, recognised by the Boedo historical board as a neighbourhood landmark.
It belongs to the same lineage of porteño institutions as Café Tortoni downtown — marble, dark wood and Thonet chairs — but Margot is Boedo's own, the café of the neighbourhood's tango and literary history rather than a tourist procession.
The Kitchen
The dish that made the corner famous is the sándwich de pavita — turkey in escabeche, invented here in the 1940s by then-owners María and Gabino Torres, served on house bread with tomato, lettuce and the diner's choice of garnish. It was good enough that Juan Domingo Perón is said to have had his motorcade pull over in the 1950s to eat one.
Beyond the sandwich, Margot does what a good bodegón does: picadas of ham and salami from the bar, fried and grilled empanadas, daily plates like albóndigas, homemade pasta, and a homemade apple strudel with cream. Expect to pay roughly AR$8,000–15,000 per person; it is cash only.
The Room
The main salon has exposed brick walls and ceilings, antique lamps, wooden Thonet tables and a long timber bar lined with siphons, old bottles, hanging hams and jars of olives. A smaller back room repeats the look. It is open and busy from morning until the small hours, equally suited to a solo coffee with the paper or a late-night cortado.
This is atmosphere you cannot manufacture — a room that has kept its early-twentieth-century bones while the neighbourhood changed around it.
Best for Solo Dining
Margot is a natural for solo dining: a marble table, a turkey sandwich and a coffee make a perfect unhurried hour. Its low-key romance and history also suit an unpretentious first date, and the warm, all-ages room works for a casual birthday lunch.
Not for
Not for a formal business dinner or anyone after modern fine dining — this is a cash-only historic café, not a tasting-menu room.
Frequently Asked
Why is Café Margot famous?
Café Margot is the Boedo corner where the sándwich de pavita — the pickled-turkey sandwich — was invented in the 1940s. Open since 1904 and now a protected bar notable of Buenos Aires, it counted Juan Domingo Perón among its visitors.
What should I order at Café Margot?
Order the sándwich de pavita, the dish that made the place. Add a picada of ham and salami, fried or grilled empanadas, and finish with the homemade apple strudel and a cortado.
Where is Café Margot?
It sits on the corner of Avenida Boedo and San Ignacio, at Av. Boedo 857 in the Boedo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, open daily from morning until late.
Is Café Margot expensive?
No. It is an affordable historic café and bodegón — expect roughly AR$8,000–15,000 per person for a sandwich or daily plate with a drink. It is cash only.
Do I need a reservation?
No. Café Margot does not take reservations; it is a walk-in café open continuously through the day.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Café Margot
No bookings. Open daily, morning until late; cash only.
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Practical Information
AddressAv. Boedo 857, Boedo
NeighbourhoodBoedo
CuisineArgentine café / bodegón
PriceCafé / bodegón fare; roughly AR$8,000–15,000 per person. Cash only.
Dress CodeCasual
SeatingTwo salons & bar
ReservationNo reservations — walk in
