Buenos Aires celebrates culinary heritage with Week of Taverns

Buenos Aires is set to celebrate its culinary heritage with the "Semana de los Bodegones Porteños" (Week of Buenos Aires Taverns) from August 24 to 28. This city-wide event will feature over 100 traditional establishments offering special discounts and promotions, inviting locals and tourists to explore the city's gastronomic identity.

An initiative by the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, through BA Capital Gastronómica and in collaboration with the Association of Hotels, Restaurants, Cafés, and Confectioneries (AHRCC), the week aims to showcase the unique format of the "bodegón." These establishments are deeply linked to the city's identity, often characterized by home-style cooking, generous portions, and a familial atmosphere, reflecting the immigrant influences that shaped Buenos Aires.

This year's event introduces the "Pasaporte Bodegón Porteño" (Buenos Aires Tavern Passport), a digital game designed to enhance the experience. Participants can scan QR codes at each venue to access the passport, complete challenges, and collect stamps as they visit different taverns. This gamified approach seeks to engage visitors in a new way, encouraging them to discover and enjoy this enduring tradition.

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Bodegones are part of the porteña identity and, at the same time, a fundamental link in the porteña gastronomic chain. Promoting them means supporting those who produce, work, and invest, generating more movement and economic development in every neighborhood of the City.

"Bodegones are part of the porteña identity and, at the same time, a fundamental link in the porteña gastronomic chain," stated Hernán Lombardi, Minister of Economic Development of the GCBA. "Promoting them means supporting those who produce, work, and invest, generating more movement and economic development in every neighborhood of the City."

Historically, bodegones emerged from the late 19th and early 20th-century immigrant waves, serving as community gathering spots. Their menus often blend Spanish, Italian, and criollo influences, mirroring the city's diverse cultural tapestry. The event will showcase both historic bodegones and "neobodegones" that offer contemporary interpretations of traditional fare.

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This edition has something special: we are incorporating gamification into the initiative, with a digital experience that will allow porteños and tourists to experience bodegones in a different way. Through games and challenges, we want more people to visit them, discover them, and enjoy a porteña tradition that is also being renewed.