El Ateneo Grand Splendid
El Ateneo Grand Splendid
El Ateneo Grand Splendid
4.5
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 9:00 PM
About
Situated in an old theater, El Ateneo is one of the most popular bookstores in Buenos Aires.
Duration: < 1 hour
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience El Ateneo Grand Splendid
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Recoleta
Characterized by the French-style mansions which are the legacy of its aristocratic past, Recoleta is the true “Paris of the South.” Walking around this neighborhood is an experience like no other in Buenos Aires: its streets are lined with elegant apartment buildings, exclusive boutiques, and former mansions turned into high-end hotels and embassies, which exude an alluring air of sophistication and class. You'll also find a rich cultural scene centered on the National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Library, and the Recoleta Cultural Center; as well as some great shopping spots, like the Buenos Aires Design Mall with an artists' fair set up in Plaza Francia every weekend.
How to get there
- Facultad de Medicina • 7 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
3,810 within 3 miles
Attractions
1,022 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Dave48838Greenville, Michigan658 contributionsUnique experience.This must be the most elegant and unusual book store in the world. Located in a converted theater, the store has three floors with thousands of books. The stage is a coffe shop the the private boxes are available for reading, relaxing, and people watching. Things appear to be well organized but this is an assumption as there were no english titles that I could find. It's worth a quick peek, even if you are not in the market for a book.Visited November 2023Traveled with friendsWritten December 13, 2023
- product-of-canadaToronto, Canada2,492 contributionsWalked from Tango de Mayo to see this placeWe incorporated exercise to see this place, sprint walking from our hotel (Tango de Mayo) which is by Congreso Nacional. I'm not into books or reading per se, but this place is amazing! It is worth it for the view, and pics. This place is #1 on the TA list, which surprises me in some regards (because there are so many fabulous places to see in BA), but at the same time this place is awesome.Visited January 2024Traveled with familyWritten February 17, 2024
- windswept361Sudbury, Canada272 contributionsA truly beautiful bookstoreLike the majority of the people in El Ateneo Grand Splendid we went there to see the architecture. It truly was beautiful and worth the effort to visit. Take the stairs or elevator to the second balcony level for the best views. There is a cafe at the original theatre stage for those that desire beverages or food.Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten March 23, 2024
- ddayjenNew South Wales, Australia50 contributionsLives up to the hypeIt’s an amazing experience to walk into this former theatre and see it transformed into a bookstore. The original features of the theatre have been well-maintained and preserved. It’s a beautiful building. (And I wish I was fluent in Spanish so that I could’ve looked through all of the books. We did pick up a dual language cookbook!)Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten March 23, 2024
- SnowyShastaPortland, Oregon2,329 contributionsUnique and beautiful, even for a non-book loverI love to read so knew that this had to be a stop for us during our time in Buenos Aires. My husband is not as much of a book lover, and I didn't tell him what made this bookstore "splendid" but as soon as we exited the stairwells and walked to the overview of the main floor and stage area, he understood. The store is in a former opera house, and took great advantage of the beautiful architecture and decorations. We didn't buy any books, although I looked at a few (but all the ones I saw were in Spanish, which I don't read well enough to need a book in). This is really more of a draw for the views rather than the shopping for most, but it was definitely worth seeing.Visited January 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 5, 2024
- Robert PBogota, Colombia181 contributionsAmazing Bookstore & Must See BA SiteGreat if you love books; pretty dang great if you don’t. This is a huge bookstore. Yes… shelves, books, coffee, people reading, etc. but this is the OVER-THE-TOP setting for a bookstore. It’s an old theater and they’ve preserved it well before filling it with a gazillion books. Multiple stories. Lots of photo opportunities and things see. Architecture is very old school, classy big city theater. Good size cafe place. Just know that this is a Top 10 site in BA and that comes with lots of visitors… including camera-clad tourist from the big buses. If you want to buy a book… not your only option in BA (in fact there are chain sites of El Ateneo throughout the city), but is the only place to buy a book while walking all fancy like down a marble staircase pretending you’re royalty while butchering a British or French accept.Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 7, 2024
- Alexander TCebu Island, Philippines648 contributionsInteresting BookstoreWe were told that this was the best bookstore in the world sometime ago in 2019? The actual structure of this bookstore is based on an old opera house! However, there are only a few English selections as most of the books were written in Spanish. In the basement they were selling CDs and the old Long play albums! You can take an elevator or stairs to the 2nd floor and 1st floor. They also sell some souvenirs which were quite cheap compared to the other tourist areas!Visited April 2024Traveled with friendsWritten April 15, 2024
- Skeney57Sydney, Australia24,595 contributionsRead Spanish, Anyone?I love my bookshops and this one is the most ornate & over the top one I've ever seen. I struggled to find a book in English but what do you expect in South America? The wife was happy as she was worried about excess baggage charges! The building is a former Theatre that dates back to 1919 and is pretty impressive and great to see it retained & used in such a novel way. Also has an in-house cafe for the coffee lovers.Visited February 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 10, 2024
- Kevin SPontypridd, United Kingdom6,970 contributionsA wonderful surprise of a buildingA wonderful surprise of a building. Yes you might have read in advance that it is an old theatre converted to a bookstore but that doesn't prepare you for the authenticity that remains. Quite amazing, free to enter and obviously a wonderful selection of books. .Visited April 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 25, 2024
- MimiFan926Oakland, California194 contributionsBeautiful historic building-turned bookstoreBeautiful historic building that has turned into a bookstore. We were there on a weekend, so it was very crowded, and there was no a/c. They were working on the stage/cafe area, so also no place to rest. I did not see an English book section, but assume they had everything you could want to read!Visited April 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 18, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
23,381 reviews
Excellent
17,348
Very good
5,064
Average
797
Poor
118
Terrible
54
Ari T
Seattle, WA67 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
Beautiful and worth a look around even of you're not looking to buy. In a main area and easy enough to get or walk to, it has a cafe on the old stage if you want to spend a bit more time as well. One of the coolest bookstores anywhere for sure!
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TanDi09
Florence, Italy49 contributions
Dec 2019
We've decided to visit El Ateneo after the end of a day tour of Buenos Aires with the top landmarks and neighbourhoods of this enchanting city. This book shop should be included in the day tours of Buenos Aires. It is really one of the most splendid sites there and should not be missed!
Written January 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shifra w
toronto4,651 contributions
Jan 2020
I am of an age, blush, where I remember this type of gorgeous old movie theater. I loved the stage, the curtain, and the gold leaf embellishments--it brought back lovely memories of my youth in New York.
It is nice to see this theater preserved and repurposed as a huge bookstore.
The ticket booth now has a display of candy for sale.
We were on a tour which included flights with very limited luggage allowances, so though I am a published author and love books, I could not purchase any to take with me.
It is nice to see this theater preserved and repurposed as a huge bookstore.
The ticket booth now has a display of candy for sale.
We were on a tour which included flights with very limited luggage allowances, so though I am a published author and love books, I could not purchase any to take with me.
Written January 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dbottomley
UK167 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
Beautiful building becomes book shop but is primarily a tourist attraction. Difficult to get around the place as there are hoards of tourists taking photographs, very few having any interest in books! Cafe at the back sells very watery lemonade and has poor service. You should probably have a look but wouldn’t linger.
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kdeli
Agia Paraskevi, Greece1,666 contributions
Oct 2019
When you are talking about place for bying books, your mind goes to a bookstore.
But when you are talkinng about a bookstore you can not imagine The El Ateneo Grand Splendid. There are too many different titles and kinds of books, CDs, DVDs. But the special one is that this building,at the beginning was a theater that renovated to a bookstore with 4 levels.The stage operates as a cafeteria-patisserie and you can also have a snack.
It ia a nice experience.
But when you are talkinng about a bookstore you can not imagine The El Ateneo Grand Splendid. There are too many different titles and kinds of books, CDs, DVDs. But the special one is that this building,at the beginning was a theater that renovated to a bookstore with 4 levels.The stage operates as a cafeteria-patisserie and you can also have a snack.
It ia a nice experience.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emanpee
Sydney, Australia2,731 contributions
Feb 2020
To say a bookshop is also a tourist attraction may not sound reasonable, but this place is special. Once a theatre for live performances, then a cinema, and now in its current retail form, it is a place that has been tastefully renovated to maintain the theatre feel. It is amazing. With a cafe on the old stage, and theatre switchboard backstage still intact, walking around the various floors allows imagination to go crazy with the thoughts of people attending events here. If you didn't know about it, would be easy to walk past. Highly recommend a visit here, even if not wanting to browse the book shelves.
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Agustina
Buenos Aires, Argentina5 contributions
Feb 2020
This bookstore his one of my favorites, you can read books by sitting in the chairs or in the halls or directly buy them. There is a café in the inside, where you could also take a book and read it there, even if you have not buy it yet. This place used to be a theatre, but now is a library. I highly recomend this atraction.
Written February 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kat_ontherun
San Diego, CA62 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
One of a kind building holding many floors of books, music & movies. Wonderful place to spend an hour unless you’re browsing the shelves, then you’ll need more time. Most materials are in Spanish but there were titles and the Spanish and English editions were side by side. There are many photo opportunities, some merchandise, children’s games, even a cafe where you can relax. A fun place to visit.
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
alplan
Vancouver, Canada142 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
Beautiful interior but very busy as its actually a shop full of locals and tourists. You can wander freely on the floors and there is a little cafe where the stage used to be. Its abit out of the main touristy area and to be honest am not sure if it was worth the trek, think my visit to the Teatro Colon was better!
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trekkieboots
Dublin, Ireland759 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
This is a must visit if in BA. It is a beautiful space that use to be an old theatre and now turned into a bookshop with a cafe. It has retained all its old features. The cafe is situated on the stage area behind the red curtains and serves light snacks, cakes, tea and coffee. This is such a beautiful space and its great to see that the original features were all kept and converted. Its worth popping in for a coffee just to see the architecture!
Written November 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andréia Duarte
Barra Do Corda, MA
É preciso pagar para entrar na El Ateneo Grand Splendid ?!
Written December 21, 2020
Quem esteve no carnaval, sabe dizer se ela funciona normalmente?
Written January 19, 2020
Sim. Lá na Argentina não existe carnaval.
Written January 19, 2020
Qual o email ou site para pesquisar e comprar livros na Livraria Ateneo El Grand Splendid em Buenos Aires?
Written October 13, 2019
NSROCHA. Just to supplement my prior answer a couple of blocks ahead El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookshop you will find Librería Santa Fe located at 2200 Santa Fe Ave. This bookshop specialised in English editions. Regards
Written June 18, 2019
Oi,
Alguém sabe me dizer se em Buenos Aires tem uber?
Written May 2, 2019
Ola. Estive em Buenos Aires em abril. Uber lá não estava legalizado, segundo me informou um taxista. Tentei pegar uma vez mas o motorista parecia ser inexperiente e cancelou estando na mesma rua um quarteirão antes. Depois aceitou novamente e tornou a cancelar. Um outro parou na rua errada e não consegui contacta-lo. Usei Cabify duas vezes. E o taxi dependendo da hora fica quase igual e até mais barato.
Written June 2, 2019
hola! estarà abierto el dia de pascua?
Written April 13, 2019
Jessica S
Valinhos, SP
Hi! I have a doubt. Will El Ateneo Gran Splendid be open on December 25th?
Written November 8, 2018
I wouldn’t count on that. It’s a national holiday
Written November 8, 2018
Abre todos os dias? Qual horario de funcionamento?
Written September 9, 2018
Acho que a maior certeza que você pode ter é olhando pelo Google. Existem alguns feriados nacionais que podem acabar influenciando o horário de funcionamento do local... Desculpe não poder ajudar mais.
Written September 9, 2018
Showing results 1-10 of 22
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing