Since people eat at around 9 pm and later here in Uruguay, everyone goes to cafes at around 4 pm to have tea, coffee and some snacks and sweets. We have been going to cafes often too. And I’ve found a cafe in South America that’s almost better than Starbucks! It’s an Argentinian company called Havanna. This company is known for their alfajores which can be found in almost every grocery store that I’ve been to so far in Argentina and Uruguay.
Our first time to a Havanna Cafe was in Mendoza Argentina. This is where we tried their classic alfajores, which is the ones wrapped in gold paper. It was here that I tried a Havanna Frappe for the first time. You can order them without coffee, which is what I did and it was so good. Like a chocolate milkshake.
Though by the way, I have to say that it is good but not better than my favorite Starbucks’ green tea Frappuccino 🙂 There are Starbucks cafes in Argentina and Uruguay and I popped into two different Starbucks in Argentina and they don’t sell green tea Frappuccinos here! Instead, they have dulce de leche Frappuccinos. Probably catering to their South American customers.
Each drink you order whether coffee, frappes (chocolate and fruits) or tea comes with a little chocolate covered cookie pictured below with the maracuya y durazno (passion fruit and peach) frappe I had in Buenos Aires while visiting the San Telmo Sunday market.
When you order a drink, there is an option to get an alfajor or havannet (a cone shaped alfajor) for a cheaper price than getting it without a drink.Â
In a Havanna in Montevideo, I had their Havanna Blend. This tea is amazing with something like a vanilla aftertaste. And smells really good! It came with a little glass of carbonated water. I’ve noticed in every cafe in South America, when you order a coffee or tea, they give you carbonated water.
What’s your favorite cafe? Leave a comment below!
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