The Boliche Bessonart gaucho, hosted by Augusto and Geraldina Bessonart, seems to be taken from Don Segundo Sombra (most popular gaucho novel, written in San Antonio de Areco province of Buenos Aires).


With its structure of old grocery store more than 200 years old and its particular atmosphere where families and young people, day trip tourists and arequeros: they are mingling and crowding together amongst the various generations in different hours along the full day and night.


estancia pampa gaucho bar


From the outside you can see that the building has a certain inclination on the walls and when you are entering you can notice the original ceiling and two restored rooms that have been in restoration work for two years.


picada gaucho areco


There is no much choices here but your can make a gastronomic tour having cheese chopped, salami and prosciutto, raw ham and cheese sandwiches, empanadas and “Fernet with Pepsi”: the specialty of the Boliche Bessonart gaucho: more than half of the soda bottle is pour into a long glass and the rest of the soda bottle is filled with the Fernet Branca, then the liquid in the bottle is mixed and served slightly poured into the long glass many different times till you empty the bottle. At the end you are drinking almost two full glasses.


fernet gaucho bar estancia


On the sidewalk there are some stakes: on weekends and holidays some Gauchos tie their horse and unsaddle for a quick drink and continue their tour to the countryside or Estancias.


On one wall is framed the poem “Be hospitable” written by Ricardo Güiraldes in his Estancia La Porteña, many different advertising posts of “Fiesta de la Tradición”, really old photos of local gauchos and there is a wide display of what the original general store was selling here: beer, vino, soap, oil, alpargatas, brooms, brushes.

There is still two big wooden refrigerator running made locally in Argentina by the Di Tella family factory: Siam.


local gauchos at the bar


It seems that everyone here have read the Ricardo Güiraldes poem “Be hospitable”. It is certain that the traveler is served like a king. And when you go you will be carrying “the gift of their brotherhood which improves the man.”

Extracted from the article written by Silvina Beccar Varela in the La Nación Argentina newspaper


You can feel the atmosphere of this old gaucho bar and some others by contacting: Tour from Buenos Aires to San Antonio de Areco Town & Estancia


counter of gaucho pampa bar