Postcards from Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Restaurante Sociedad Rural Argentina

Unobtrusively standing amidst many other doorways on the pedestrian street, at Florida 460 (tel: [54-11] 4324-4794), is one of the truly fascinating restaurants of old Buenos Aires. The French Rococo building dates from the mid-1800s, and its members have maintained its impressive grandeur over the subsequent 150+ years. Although Frommer's Buenos Aires suggests that this building is normally closed to visitors, we saw a posted menu for the public to pursue and read it with interest. A very pleasant young lady standing by the front door asked whether we wished to enter the restaurant. We agreed, but were surprised that she not only opened the door for us (and then ensured that it was locked after us), but then proceeded to lead the way. The reason soon became apparent, because after ascending a long stairway, she led us through various rooms and hallways, finally entering the restaurant.

The building apparently once served as a grand meeting place for members of the Sociedad Rural Argentina (which now has other large properties in the city). Since farming supplied the life blood of 19th-century Argentina, this Society of the country's most wealthy oligarchs was surely one of the country's important organizations. Although now open to the public, the restaurant felt like private club for members only.

Upon entering the building, we had to circumvent a custodian precariously perched on a ladder on old stone stairs. I was glad not to be doing his job.

I paused briefly at the top of the first stairs to look back, toward the pedestrian street. We were in a different world.

There are stairs, and there are Belle Epoque stairs.

At the top of the tall stairwell, a stained glass window lies across the roof, admitting light to the various levels.

We were then led through various meeting rooms, bars and the like while wending our way to the restaurant.

At last, the somewhat more modernized restaurant itself appeared. Not surprisingly, there were not many patrons that afternoon. After all, who can find the place? While the very appearance of the building suggests that the prices will be impossible, they were reasonable.

Our meal was no more expensive than those in numerous other establishments with table cloths and cloth napkins, but the food was special. The cold buffet by itself would have satisfied many people for a substantial lunch, and the wide selection of hot dishes was perfect. Since fine yet affordable Argentine wine is available everywhere, it does not add appreciably to the bill in North American terms. (My memory might be faulty, but I think it was cash only--or I possibly misunderstood.)

Nothing suggests that this lovely bar has been used for decades, but it is highly polished, almost seeming to be a room in a museum. Presumably it is poised to resume its former duties at a moment's notice.