Hidden behind a
broken down metal blind is a very little coffeehouse, located in the entrails
of busy San Isidro shopping district. Its name is Cien amores and it can be
found at 338 Martín y Omar street, San Isidro. It is quite new and not very
well known, and it offers lunch as well as coffee and tea. Brunch is a popular
option as well, and this is what I had when I went there.
The brunch was
abundant and varied. It included a cup of tea or coffee, an orange juice, some
small toasted sandwiches, and an assortment of little cakes and pastries. Also,
there were some scrambled eggs and a slice of cake of the consumer’s choice.
Everything but the sandwiches was fresh and recently baked: they were too small
and a bit dry, and already lukewarm when they got to the table. The beverage
was not enough to wash down all the food, so one had to be careful and ration
the amount drunk per sip or else face a dry throat leading to a loss of
appetite. Nevertheless, this fact was outweighed by the quality of most of the
food, which was delicious.
The main disadvantage of the
place is its size. It is a very small coffeehouse; in fact, there is only room
for tables in the street, in the open air. While this doesn’t sound bad for a
spring afternoon, customers have to tolerate the weather conditions whatever
they are, with the possibility of the wind freezing both their food and
themselves. In fact, the scrambled eggs I had got ice-cold in a matter of a few
minutes, and I never learned from experience that my croissants had been warm. Moreover,
as it is located in the city center, people were constantly passing by,
interrupting what little privacy could be had. On the other hand, as there is
so little room inside, the kitchen is in full sight, which is an advantage for
all who are worried about the cooking process. As well as this and to add to
its picturesque air, the place is decorated in pastel tones of red, pink and
brown, which make it feel cozy but fresh at the same time.
One of the
least encountered qualities in restaurants in Argentina is good service. Restaurant
owners seem to have forgotten that the key to customers coming back is their
satisfaction, which is greatly enhanced through good service. Nonetheless, the
owners of Cien amores show their knowledge of this by the looks of the staff. The
waitress was very kind and polite, one of the most solicitous ones I have
encountered recently, and also very cheerful. When called, she took very little
time to approach the table, and when I asked if I could order a different brand
of tea, instead of going for the easy and lazy “we don’t have any other” that
many of her colleagues would have answered, she returned from the kitchen with
a wide range of varieties of tea to choose from.
As can be seen
from the described elements above, having brunch at this stowed away
coffeehouse was quite a good experience. The food was really good and the
service was what it should always be. It is not a place to go in winter – or else
customers will have to ask the waitress, upon leaving, to thaw them from their
seats. Therefore, the owners should consider moving to a bigger location in
order to offer the option of eating indoors. All in all, for everything stated
so far, I award Cien amores four out of five stars.
