El Ateneo Grand Splendid
A bookstore housed in a 1919 opera house. The boxes are now reading nooks, the stage is a café and the dome has a mural. It has been named one of the world's most beautiful bookstores.
El Ateneo Grand Splendid is at 1860 Santa Fe Avenue in the Recoleta district. It was formerly the Grand Splendid theater, which opened in 1919. The tango king Carlos Gardel recorded and performed here. In the 1920s it became a cinema, where Argentina's first sound film was screened. In 2000 it was converted into a bookstore, and the theater's entire structure was preserved. These features include the dome mural by Italian painter Nazareno Orlandi, which symbolizes peace after World War I; the gilded carved decoration on the boxes and balconies; and the red curtain and stage. Today the stage is a café, where you can order a coffee or mate and sit on the original stage to look out over the whole theater. The boxes have become small reading rooms, and the basement houses the children's and music sections. The bookstore holds 120,000 books. National Geographic named it the world's most beautiful bookstore in 2019. About one million people visit each year, most of them tourists taking photos. The staff are used to this, but please keep your voice down and don't use flash or tripods. Admission is free. Hours are 09:00 to 22:00 Monday through Saturday, and 12:00 to 21:00 on Sundays. Most of the books are in Spanish, though there are some English titles, Argentina-themed picture books and works by Borges, which make good souvenirs. The bookstore is a 15-minute walk from Recoleta Cemetery, or a five-minute walk from Callao station on Subway Line D. You can stop by the nearby Café La Biela and the luxury shops on Alvear Avenue on the way. Allow 30 to 45 minutes for your visit. The best angles are the panoramic views from the upper boxes and the café on the stage.
Opening hours
Mon–Sat 09:00–22:00; Sun 12:00–21:00
Nearby sights
- Palacio de Aguas Corrientes
- Recoleta Cemetery
- Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar
- Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
- Teatro Colón
- Palace of the Argentine National Congress
- Floralis Genérica
- Obelisco de Buenos Aires