Buenos Aires People

 PALERMO

Bartola

Every weekend Bartola´s inviting pink and blue patio chairs are filled to the brim with chatty locals and foreigners.
The colourful exterior may be responsible for attracting the crowds, but the friendly staff, jugs of the best lemonade in town and all-round buena onda keep them coming time and time again. Arrive with an appetite and know dead a juicy hamburger with caramelised onion or a pillow-soft ciabatta sandwich stuffed with grilled chicken, rocket, guacamole and cream cheese. Lighter appetites will be satisfied by a dazzling array of fresh salads. If this pot is full, try the new addition to the Bartola family across the street (though these days both are likely to have a queue out the door).
Gurruchaga 1795, y Costa Rica (4833 6522/ www.facebook.com/bartolabsas).
Bus 39, 41, 67, 93, 152. Open noon-midnight daily. Credit MC, V. Map H3.
Other location Gurruchaga 1806, Palermo (4831 3079).

Boulangerie Cocu

Brie and Brocoli quiche, baguettes, and brioche: the owners of this French bakery and cafe have brought a petit paris to Palermo. But there´s no Gallic ponce here: just good, honest food ( try the campesino sandwich - a crunchy baguette loaded with chicken, cheese, sundried tomatoes, grilled almonds and baba ganoush) and minimalist, whitewashed decor that lends the place a laid-back, beach-style vibe.

Malabia 1510, y Gorriti (4831 4675/www.boulangeriecocu.com). Bus 15, 39.

Open 9am-8pm Mon-Fri; 10am-8pm Sat, Sun. No credit cards. Map G2.

Coco Marie 

Baked sweets and bikinis have never got along so well, at least not until swimsuit and lingerie boutique Coco Marie transformed its back patio into a secret garden-like cafe. Surrounded by high, ivy-covered walls, it´s the perfect oasis to retreat to after a day of shopping. Sip an apple, coconut and almond smoothie with a home-made pastry. Or if you still haven´t shopped till you-ve dropped, grab an Illy coffe to go at the front of the boutique.

Armenia 1764, entre El Salvador y Costa Rica (4833 0950). Bus 15, 151, 168. Open 11 am-8pm daily. Credit AmEx, MC, V. Map G2.

Decata

Since opening Decata has become a refuge for palermites bored of the kitschy-cute cafes typical of the zona. Here, it´s all slick, modern and Manhattan. As nice as the interior is, with its black-and-white tiled floor and exposed brick walls, it´s the rooftop terrace that´s the real star of this show.