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The Gibraltar, Perú 895, San Telmo, Buenos Aires

A solid English Pub in San Telmo makes a Londoner feel at home

Aug 26, 2009 Tracey Chandler

The Gibraltar in San Telmo is, for anyone from the UK, as close to a traditional British pub as possible in Buenos Aires and perhaps across South American as a whole.

Inside this little expat haven on Perú 895, the place is full of dark wood furniture, large comfortable sofas, familiar beer labels on draft and that all important TV screen that shows the sports channels whenever there’s a demand for it.

Premiership Football in The Gibraltar, San Telmo

Indeed on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, catching the premiership live through the courtesy of FOX programming, is nothing but sheer pleasure. Rarely is this comfortable, little haven busy within these times as most Argentines tend to watch the football in the comfort of their own homes and the likelihood of finding hundreds of Brits wandering around the city in search for a suitable screen is almost nil.

British Pub Food in Buenos Aires' Expat Hangout in San Telmo

The food menu is also a very comforting site to see after months of travel or time living abroad. Tasty British menu delights include:

Steak and Ale Pie with Chips, Vegetables and Gravy
Battered Cod and Chips
Chicken Curry with Rice, served with a portion of Naan Bread

The curry’s not the best in the world and the fish is never going to live up to the likes of those newspaper-wrapped take-aways, particularly when a bottle of vinegar is missing from the table. However, when the thought of another medialuna, factura, alfajor or empanada is about to become just a little too much to bear in Argentina’s bustling capital city, The Gibraltar’s hot offerings appear like the best thing since sliced bread.

Nightlife Atmosphere in The Gibraltar, San Telmo

Of an evening too, the bar is packed. It is exceptionally popular with both Argentines and foreigners alike. The music is varied, the atmosphere is warm and lively and the prices are extremely reasonable. A cold, well poured pint with a group of friends after work and sometimes fool the wandering traveller into thinking that they are in fact back home on British soil.

In fact, the style of the flirting that goes on in The Gibraltar (whether it’s an Argentine trying to schmooze or a happy, little expat) is also, strangely, very British. Reminiscent of the bars along the Angel / Islington strip of Upper Street in London, the cheesy lines are endearing and comic to say the least.

The Bangalore (sister pub) in Palermo as an alternative to The Gibraltar

As an alternative, if San Telmo is a neighbourhood that is slightly beyond reach or seems a little too far to travel, their sister pub, ‘Bangalore’ which (obvious from its title) houses an Indian restaurant above, is located in Palermo (Humboldt 1416). The curries are better and there is a gorgeous open fire that would make a Yorkshireman feel more than homesick.

The copyright of the article The Gibraltar, Perú 895, San Telmo, Buenos Aires in South America Travel is owned by Tracey Chandler. Permission to republish The Gibraltar, Perú 895, San Telmo, Buenos Aires in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The Gibraltar