When I moved to Buenos Aires in 2010 I worked two blocks from Congress. Every day I passed this decaying old cafe, covered in black mesh to keep chunks of building from falling on pedestrians below. It was so depressing to see such a stunning piece of history left to rot.
Luckily, citizens fought back in defense of El Molino. It was expropriated and a law was passed to restore and protect this piece of history.
History: Confitería El Molino has been operating in this location since 1916, owned by Italian confectioner Cayetano Brenna. He purchased three buildings and hired Italian architect Francisco Gianotti to unite them under one art nouveau facade.
The cafe is stunning and also huge. On our tour they said they produced 5,000 medialunas per day! 🤯 There are three basements and also residential apartments (that will now serve as cultural centers and expositions). It has taken years to restore every piece of stained glass and patrimony.
How to visit: The cafe is not open to the public but they host weekly tours that are free of charge. They open spots every Friday but they fill in minutes! To get notified of tours each week follow @delmolinook and join their broadcast channel!