La Pharmacie - Charcas 3494, Palermo

I have been given a work assignment with a twenty-four hour deadline, so am laptop-bound for the foreseeable short-sighted future. I am all set up to engross myself in the work: on my bed, door closed to distractions, computer on lap and coffee supply at hand, when the internet cuts out. The globe icon in the corner of my screen turns to menacing red cross. At exactly the same time the ceiling fan above me ceases to churn its relentless cycle sound. This can only mean two things: there is a power cut, and it's time to decamp to La Pharmecie.

If I were to name anywhere as my regular or local this would be it. La Pharmecie is closely convenient to where I live, has great corner cafe people-watching potential and opens all day every day. The wifi also works as well as can be expected, so it's an easy option for online working when cabin fever rears its ugly head at home. Service is relaxed (i.e. slow) so there is no fear of being rushed out mid-flow.

medialunas

The main draw of La Pharmacie for me, however, is its medialunas (small sweet croissants). The smell wafts from the depths of the back kitchen where they are freshly made alongside other pastries and empanadas. Many a time I have ordered medialunas to take away from the counter which allows a glimpse into the kitchen, only to watch enviously as the staff put together empanadas, swiftly twisting the doughy edges, barely looking at their expert fingers while they do so.

But returning to the all important medialunas; they are fluffy, flaky, light, puffs of butteriness, soft in the middle, sugar glazed and glistening on the outside. Delicious. The coffee is passable (I have yet to find outstanding coffee in Buenos Aires and did resort to importing my own ground beans from England), merely the supporting act to the excellent mini croissants that it accompanies. Once tried, all other medialunas - of which there are excessive quantities in Argentina - pale weakly in comparison. Better still, when the electricity is working, I get them to take-away for a lazy breakfast at home.