Café Brasilero is Montevideo's oldest café, operating since 1877 in the heart of the Ciudad Vieja. The dark wood interior, marble counters, old mirrors, and a general atmosphere of unhurried bohemianism have changed little over the decades. It was famously frequented by Eduardo Galeano, whose table near the window became something of a literary shrine after his death.
The coffee is strong and the medialunas (croissants) are reliably good. Come for breakfast or a mid-morning break from walking the old city. The Brasilero represents something increasingly rare — a city café with genuine history that hasn't been sanitised for tourists.