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After 23 years closed: After a tragedy, a legendary bar in San Telmo reopened with all its splendor - La Nacion Propiedades
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Tras 23 años cerrado: después de una tragedia, volvió a abrir un bar mítico de San Telmo con todo su esplendor
Se construyó en 1865 y cerró por 23 años luego de una tragedia; estuvo abandonado, vandalizado y casi por derrumbarse pero volvió a lucir con todo su esplendor luego de haber sido rescatado y restaurado
www.lanacion.com.ar
February 25, 2024
It was built in 1865 and closed for 23 years after a tragedy; It was abandoned, vandalized and almost collapsing but it returned to shine in all its splendor after having been rescued and restored
By Candelaria Reinoso Taccone
On the corner of Chile and Peru, in the San Telmo neighborhood, Saeta Bar opened after years with a new owner who preserved its essence.
On the corner of Chile and Perú streets, with a history dating back to 1865, a bar stood as a true classic among the inhabitants of the picturesque neighborhood of San Telmo. Frequented by colorful characters from the area, this legendary Buenos Aires cafe reopened its doors after 23 years of closure due to a tragedy. Under new management, this iconic establishment regained its splendor and transports its visitors to a bygone era of the city of Buenos Aires.
Lucas Pérez, a chef from the southern area who graduated from the Gato Dumas Institute and has his own establishment in Monte Grande, was looking for a new place to move his cafeteria. Not finding options in his neighborhood, fate presented him with an almost fortuitous opportunity . “During a weekend, while we were visiting the San Telmo fair as a family, a corner caught my attention ,” says Pérez. There was a typical building in the area, completely abandoned, almost on the verge of collapse, with vegetation growing everywhere and completely vandalized . “What intrigued me the most was a giant for sale sign. “I didn't hesitate for a second,” says the gastronomic.
Today the corner shows its original splendor.
Before the new owner acquired the property, the place exhibited clear signs of abandonment.
Buy without seeing and without knowing what you would find
After contacting the owners, he began the procedures to acquire the premises - a complicated process due to the number of successions involved. “ For a year I negotiated the price, and in February 2020 I finally finalized the purchase of the corner ,” says Pérez, who did not even know what he would find inside the premises. However, soon after the pandemic broke out, his plans had to be put on hold.As lockdown restrictions were lifted, he resumed the work of restoring the property , starting by clearing everything that was boarded up. Upon entering for the first time, he was surprised to discover the essence of what used to be a typical Buenos Aires bar , which still had its tables, chairs, coffee maker and refrigerator, despite having been closed for more than 20 years.
While he was working on the transformation of what would be his new gastronomic establishment , the people of the neighborhood could not help but stop in front of the corner and notice the reactivation of the place. “They asked me if I planned to reopen it, and they told me that it used to be a bar that was very loved by the residents of San Telmo. They even questioned me if I would keep the same name: Saeta.”
Before being a bar, a beverage store operated on this corner.
Lucas Pérez, owner of Saeta Café.
During the beginning of the renovations, a brochure for the original bar was found.
It was then that the chef, despite his experience in the field for years, began to immerse himself in the world of Notable Bars . “Despite having always dedicated myself to this, it was an aspect with which I was not very familiar. As I delved deeper into the topic, I discovered more about the history of the bar,” explains Pérez. “Originally, it was a kind of wine bar called 'The Shooting Star', and in 1962 he had opened a restaurant on the ground floor and a hostel on the first floor, all from the same owners. Back then, the bar operated 24 hours a day , with the three owners, Spanish immigrants who arrived in Argentina between 1954 and 1957, taking turns tending it. In fact, you could even order a Milanese with puree at 4 in the morning ,” Pérez says in disbelief.
The challenge of returning its soul and splendor
The entire neighborhood had a special affection for Saeta and its owners, but after almost 40 years in operation, the definitive closure occurred in 2001 , not only due to the economic crisis that affected the country, but also due to a tragic accident. “There was a gas leak in the neighborhood, which accumulated in the basement of the bar. A soda delivery man went down to the basement and when he was there an explosion occurred in which he lost his life ,” explains Pérez. “It was a very hard blow for the owners, who could not reopen the premises after that event,” he adds.
The former owners of Saeta: Celedonio García (left), Sebastián González (middle) and Mario Luis García Cabilla (right).
Through photographs, the new owner began to rebuild the bar with the intention of faithfully recreating that nostalgic atmosphere.
The idea of returning that lost treasure to the neighborhood began to take shape in his head. He contacted the former owners and began looking for photographs that showed what the place was like in its glory days , with the intention of faithfully recreating that nostalgic atmosphere . “I began to rebuild it little by little, acquiring the necessary materials and elements to capture the characteristic style of the Notable Bars of that Buenos Aires era ,” says the new owner.
The first thing was to tackle the bar area, throwing away everything that was in disrepair, from chairs to tables, and trying to salvage whatever was possible. “Luckily I managed to preserve an original piece of furniture where the bottles and penguins were kept,” Pérez mentions. The next step was to find and buy all the things that fit the aesthetics of the place. For example, old refrigerators made of wood. “I estimate I visited around eight places before I found the right one,” says Pérez.
The public telephone that worked in the bar.
Original sign found inside the restaurant.
The Saeta Café bar has now reopened
“It was hard work; I brought things from all over, I went to La Plata, Tigre, Bernal. I had to get mosaics for the floor, the classic hanging tube lights, vintage fans ... It took many hours of searching,” recalls the cook. As for the hostel rooms, he decided to demolish the walls and instead of having three shared rooms, he created three small apartments equipped to be used on Airbnb.
Once all the restoration work was completed, which involved reinforcing the structure, tearing down walls or elements that were not original to the construction, adding a bathroom and expanding the basement, he finally managed to obtain an almost exact replica of the original Saeta. “Sometimes they tell you that you spend more fixing than building from scratch. I advanced step by step, buying materials whenever I could; I kept most of the things for two years until I could install them,” he says.
Today the bar functions as a Spanish-style Buenos Aires restaurant.
The elements that were replaced due to deterioration are practically the same as those originally found, such as the Thonet-style tables.
Finally, after four years of restoration, Saeta Café was officially opened on February 8 of this year . “The reaction from the neighbors was overwhelming; There were people who came in and started crying. It was a real gamble; He was more familiar with the southern area and had not considered San Telmo, but circumstances arose unexpectedly. Sometimes an idea takes root in your mind and you just can't ignore it. Honestly, I never imagined what I would find in this process ,” Pérez concludes.
The restaurant offers a selection of classic Buenos Aires dishes with a modern twist , including empanadas, seafood casserole, pastas and stews depending on the season. Desserts are traditional such as flan and apple pie. There is also a cafeteria from early morning with alfajores, puddings and sandwiches, with options that will expand according to customer orders. Although it does not maintain the custom of opening 24 hours a week, Saeta Café opens from Tuesday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 0:00 a.m., Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 0:00 a.m. and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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