The Oldest Argentine Restaurant in Paris
About Café El Sur
Welcome to Café El Sur, a corner of Argentina right in Paris. Founded with passion and dedicated to the Argentine gastronomic tradition, our restaurant is an invitation to discover the authentic flavors of South America. Our Argentinian and Latin American team, brings a unique culinary expertise, creating an immersive experience for our guests. We believe in authenticity, quality, and excellence in service. Committed to sustainability and connecting with the local community, we offer a cuisine rich in taste and history. Join us for an unforgettable experience.
Our Story
Café El Sur was founded in May 2002 by Gonzalo Cruz and was passionately led until 2016 by Oscar Naranjo. Recognized as one of the oldest Argentine restaurants in Paris, Café El Sur has always been and will remain a privileged meeting place. Initially designed as a restaurant and Argentine product shop, it offers a selection of typical dishes, notably choice of meats, and sells various products like yerba mate, chimichurri, dulce de leche, and alfajores. From the beginning, Café El Sur was a great success and managed to build a significant clientele. It gave birth to the “Colectivo El Sur”, bringing together around forty Latin American artists whose works were regularly exhibited on the restaurant’s walls. Between 2003 and 2006, the France Culture program “Travaux Publics”, hosted by the journalist Jean Lebrun, was broadcasted live from our establishment from Monday to Wednesday. Café El Sur also organized numerous concerts, debates, and even tango classes. It presented films and organized the first Latin American Short Film Festival in Paris. In 2016, the restaurant closed for three months, from July to October, for renovation works. A new “bistro” concept was born, while preserving the initial spirit of the “meeting place”. In 2018, Iván Salas, who had already collaborated with us, returned to the restaurant, bringing new dynamism to Café El Sur’s operation.
In March 2020, the arrival of covid-19 in our city forced us to close our doors until May 2020, and then again from October 2020 to May 2021.
In August 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, we opened the Gusto Argentino shop, offering typical products from our native Argentina.
From July 2021, the idea of launching a new renovation and renewal project for Café El Sur with Gusto Argentino emerged, under the project name +45. We embarked on a new path, making changes and transformations to further enrich our processes, standards, culture, and service, both for Café El Sur and for our shop Gusto Argentino.
In May 2022, we celebrated our 20th anniversary with major events, including a live concert from our great friend and composer Coti, along with our clients and our team.
In November 2022, the Football World Cup began, and in December, Argentina won the World Cup. The entire El Sur team celebrated this event as a big family, with our valued customers.
This year, we continue to accumulate unforgettable moments.
We invite you to join us and continue to write this story that has already lasted for more than 20 years…
Nos valeurs
Our Values
Authenticity
Traditional Argentine dishes, prepared by expert chefs.
Atmosphere
A warm and welcoming setting, for an immersive experience.
Quality
Fresh and top-quality ingredients for each dish.
Variety
A wide choice of dishes and wines for all tastes.
Location
Located in the heart of Paris, and easily accessible
Tradition
The oldest Argentine restaurant in Paris, rich in history.