I love cakes. I ate my way through bakeries in Paris. Tried the best San Francisco has to offer…read more And searched far and wide in all the cities I have been, and that's a lot. Smeterling's beats them all to a pulp. The individual cake portions are so immaculately prepared you won't want to touch it. The flavors are just velvety smooth in your mouth and the staff are very welcoming! We even got free macarons from the baker who just popped the shells out of the oven - right in front of you. I would fly 20hrs to Buenos Aires again in a heartbeat for Smeterling's.

Some of the best, most elaborate, better tasting, better looking cakes in Buenos Aires. There is a…read morevery small seating area inside. Do NOT go with a large party. There's probably no more than 3-4 seats. This is mostly a cake shop.

I tried their pain au chocolat and was disappointed. While flaky, they were dry and not tasty. I've…read morebeen to Paris many times, so I know what a good pain of chocolat is. I didn't dine in, but the interior looks nice and warm. Maybe the other pastries are better.

From the owner: panaderia francesa organicaread more

This is not real gelato! They fool you into thinking it is…read morefresh made in the little tin pots. However once you open the lid, there's actually ice cream in giant plastic tubs. You're paying high prices for commercial low grade gelato. Very deceptive

Persicco consistently makes lists summarizing the best helado in Buenos Aires. This sleek chain is…read morepart of the Freddo/Un Alta Volta family (each of these businesses having had the same principals, not necessarily at the same time). That being the case, I wasn't very impressed by the classic dulce de leche flavor. It was rich and sweet, a little too soft, but mostly just didn't have enough dulce de leche smokiness. Some of their other flavors were excellent. Try the Tramontana - with streaks of dulce de leche in a vanilla base, and chocolate-covered biscuit balls the size of almonds scattered throughout. I rarely go for fruity flavors, but the Merengatta was also terrific, extremely creamy (could it be mascarpone-based?) and swirled with fresh, bright-tasting strawberry. The doorknob to the ground floor restroom had broken off, so I felt like I was going to fall to my death when going up the spiral staircase to the other restrooms. Shoddy construction aside, the space is very bright and clean. Worth a visit? It shouldn't be first on your helado tour - especially considering that they're noticeably more expensive than other heladerias. But if you come across a Persicco branch while walking the city (and you probably will), definitely go in and try some of their signature flavors.