El Gato Negro, Historic café and spice shop in San Nicolás, Argentina.
El Gato Negro is a historic café and spice shop in San Nicolás featuring wooden display counters topped with Italian ash cases and Dutch bronze fixtures that cast warm light throughout the rooms. Glass jars line the walls, each holding a different spice or dried herb collected over decades of operation.
Victoriano López Robredo opened this establishment in 1928 after years working with British spice traders across Ceylon, the Philippines, and Singapore, bringing knowledge of global spice commerce back to Buenos Aires. His background shaped the location into a center for both coffee and the spice trade that continues to operate today.
The name draws from early 20th century French posters featuring black cats that fascinated the founder. Visitors observe how people gather here over coffee just as they did when writers and artists made it their regular meeting spot.
The café sits on a corner location in San Nicolás that is easy to reach on foot with good street lighting and direct access from the avenue. Visitors should expect crowding during peak hours as locals and tourists alike make this a regular stop.
A roasting facility in the basement creates specialty coffee blends on-site, including a signature cardamom infusion that keeps customers returning from across the city. Few visitors realize this hidden operation exists beneath their feet while they sit upstairs enjoying their cups.
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