Bar Britanico Pano by tgrq on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

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Bar Británico

San Telmo, ARGENTINA
In operation since 1928 close to repair and new manager. Re-open TODAY.

Located opposite Parque Lezama, which is mooted to be the site of the initial founding of Buenos Aires, El Británico overlooks a statue of Pedro de Mendoza, the Spanish soldier and explorer who had a settlement here in 1536, marking the spot of the first founding of the city.
This cafe opened in 1929 under the name of "La Cosechera" until the premise was rented by the 3 "Gallegos" (immigrants from Spain) Jose Minones, Manolo Pose and Jose Trillo. It was renamed "Bar Britanico" in honor of English ex-soldiers from World War II living in Buenos Aires that used to get together in the place. Back then they started operating 24 hours around the clock or "always open". It was a great success and made bohemians, taxi drivers, artists, gangs of Tangueros and night life friends who visited the place their regulars for the rest of their lives. Some years ago it was declared by the city of Buenos Aires as one of its "Bares Notables".
With a name like El Británico - the British one - you'd expect this cerveceria (a café selling beer) to be the target of hostility during the Falklands/Malvinas War on 1982, when Britain and Argentina were locked in mortal combat in the South Atlantic. Ostensibly, El Británico changed its name for the duration of the conflict to "BAR TANICO", but reverted back to its original name after hostilities ceased, unlike other Buenos Aires landmarks.

Far too bright to be a great, insalubrious pub or bar, El Británico is the place to go if you enjoy being watched. This part of San Telmo being a quiet, residential neighbourhood, a fair distance from the hustle and bustle of downtown Buenos Aires, the regulars openly stare at strangers. Being stared at by the locals would be good if this place were crawling with totty, but it's full of people with a café-mentality and a few sexy women, but nothing special.