Top 3 Bakeries in Buenos Aires

Back in September 2009, Planet Joy gave us a rundown of their top 12 bakeries in Buenos Aires. Today I want to highlight my top 3. Buenos Aires is filled with incredible bakeries that are not mentioned in this post or in the Planeta Joy article. I will be highlighting those which I have experienced personally and that I find noteworthy. Panaderias are the go to spot for baguettes, to medialunas, to delicate cookies, basically the place Argentine's go for their carb fix.

La Vicente Lopez - Av. Maipú 701, Vicente López
La Vicente Lopez is located in the Zona Norte of Buenos Aires, just outside the Capital Federal in the neighborhood of the same name. Having opened over a century ago, they are an institution. They currently operate a restaurant adjacent to their bakery, which has become just as famous as the bakery itself to the residents of Zona Norte.

Vivace - Federico Lacroze 1786, Belgrano - Tel: 4772-6251
Famous for its traditional jewish cooking and assorted flavored rolls, Vivace is a staple of the lower Belgrano area. This panaderia also serves is also a great café-restaurant for a quick lunch or a serving of guefilte fish, as well as having a terrific delivery service in addition to their take-away counter.

La Argentina ? Av. Cabildo esq. Céspedes / Av. Cramer esq. Sucre / Amenabar esq Olaguer y Feliú, Belgrano
La Argentina is the fastest growning chain of panaderías in Capital Federal at the moment. Starting out with only two locations in Belgrano R, they now have expanded to different locations such as La Imprenta and Nuñez. Some of their locations operate as cafes or confiteria, while most are still take away bakeries. Known for their creative displays, you always end up buying more than originally planned.

A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
The distinction between a confiteria and a panaderia is that confiterias produce a wider assortment of cakes and sweets than panaderias. Also, confiteria may have an inhouse café?s. Nevertheless, if a cafe is what you are looking for, minus the sweets, you should ask for a barcito or a cafecito. These places will usually serve a short order menu for lunch.

Most panaderias in Buenos Aires are small local businesses, usually family run. Bigger chains such as La Argentina, are quite recent.
Which is your favorite panaderia?

Photos courtesy of Nutridieta and VicentVercher.