El Ateneo (bookstore & cafe)
Simply put, if you like books and bookstores, El Ateneo - Santa Fe will take your breath away. This theater, built 1919, was also radio station, a movie theater, and a live music venue. Its current incarnation preserves the look of a sumptuous theater; the main selection of books are in the orchestra section, while the music, dvd, and specialized book sections are up front and in the upper floors. Perhaps the most beautiful details of El Ateneo are the theater stage turned into a fancy coffee shop, and the intact theater boxes, which make for perfectly serene reading spots.
Address
Av. Santa Fe 1860
Buenos Aires,
CABA
C1123
Near: Av. Callao
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Magnifique
El Ateneo is one of those places you have to go, even if it's just for a picture. It's a bookstore built in a former theatre. The place is fantastic! Extremely beautiful with paintings and ornamented details. I couldn't believe it when I got inside. Besides all its beauty, the bookstore have many hard-to-find books and some of them with a below the average price! (I found a Taschen duo of huge and thick books about Impressionism for only 400 pesos - so cheap! Unfortunately I didn't buy because of my extra luggage) El Ateneo have a cafe too. PS: Just make sure you visit the right El Ateneo bookstore, the one that is at Avenida Santa Fe