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Pick Up The Fork

A Serious Eater's Guide to Buenos Aires and Beyond

Smeterling: Recoleta’s Sweetest Gem

Posted on August 27, 2012 15 Comments

The Buenos Aires sweets scene just doesn’t really do it for me. Always a bit dry and heavy-handed on the dulce de leche, it’s never been too hard to pass on postre and just say no… Until I visited Smeterling, a modern boutique bakery wonderland, created by and for lovers of the art of pastry. One of the best sweet experiences I’ve had in this city, Smeterling will hook even the savoriest of salado eaters into an absolute goloso.

It’s hard to pass by Smeterling and not eye F the window. The sensual display of sweets just stare at you, luring you in with their sexual chocolate.  Inviting a gorda into a delectable pastelería is quite the dangerous move, especially into a sleek shop that combines design with high-end pastries: cakes and mini cakes, cookies, macarons, alfajors, whoopie cookies, cake pops, cheesecakes, mousses, and one of a kind specialities you’ll only find at Smeterling.

A rising star in the BA sweet scene, owner and pastry goddess Isabel Vermal is actually new to the professional pastry chef world. Always a lover of baking, she studied Industrial Design and worked for years as a big shot at major technology companies. So, it was only natural that she ditch the tech thing and enter the land of sweets. Toward the end of 2010 she opened Smeterling (which means butterfly in German) in order to bring a high-end patisserie to the neighborhood. And boy, did she deliver.

Colorful macarons displayed in great glass jars.

Photo from Feels Like Chocolate

My favorite of the day, maybe my favorite of my life? LA SMETERLING. It’s like an angel put a bunch of rich, chocolate happiness in a mixer, dipped it in more chocolate, and out came this mini cake nirvana. It has a biscuit-like cookie base, insides are filled with chocolate mousse, insides of that are filled with white chocolate, and the whole thing is covered with a chocolate shell. Yeah, your muffin just grew two tops bigger after reading the description. This mini cake doesn’t come cheap, but it’s obvious the ingredients are first class, and the taste is seriously unreal, that it’s worth it to spend a few extra pesos.

This coconut cake is one of a kind – I’ve never seen, nor tasted, anything like this white bosomy mound of royal cakeness.

And the frosting-ness insides.

15 pesos for a cupcake might be steep, is any cupcake worth that much? I don’t know because I didn’t try them, but they sure do look pretty.

These strawberries look pretty too.

Unlike other bakeries in the neighborhood, Smeterling makes most of their products to go – there is a small two person table plus a bar to sit, but it’s not the type of café you’d go to meet up with friends. It’s more of the type of place for real dulce admirers, grab a seat at the bar, sip on Illy coffee or Twinnings tea, and watch the pastry chefs hard at work in the open kitchen.

In addition to creating all the edible goodies, this gourmet cooking shop also sells other products like cook books, kitchen utensils and baking accessories.

Full of innovation, Isabel is always in the kitchen, testing out new recipes and planning out Smeterling’s menu months in advance. I even got a sneak peek of her Mother’s Day project: German springerle cookies. Delicate and feminine, these cameo-esque cookies are rolled out and embroidered with beautifully designed molds. And they taste great too. I also got to see some of the cakes they make for special occasions, like this Louis Vuitton inspired purse-cake and the Jimmy Choo shoe-cake – 100% EATable.

Smeterling Patisserie & Boutique
Uruguay 1308
Tel. 5294-6070
Mon – Sat 10am – 8pm
Sun 11am – 8pm

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ2sRkGrtIg&w=560&h=315]

Author: ForkYou

EAT IT:

Comments

Filed Under: Baking Bitch, Cheap Eats, Favorite Hits, Featured, Food Porn, Products, PUTF, Raunchy Restaurant Review, Recoleta, This Is Why You're Fat Tagged With: best bakery buenos aires, best sweets buenos aires, cake buenos aires, mejores postres buenos aires, Recoleta, recoleta shop, Smeterling, Smeterling Patisserie & Boutique

Comments

  1. Lolololo says

    December 9, 2012 at 5:20 pm

    It’s like a hoe!

    Reply
  2. It's just me says

    September 8, 2012 at 11:15 pm

    I went there after reading your article here; it must have been an off day for them. I had a cake with a chocolate covered coffee flavored mouse … there was a liquor that was supposed to be a mild accent taste. It could not have been worse. I was with a group of 6 and after tasting it, I made each person also take a bite. I couldn’t get anyone to eat it.
    The designs of her desserts are beautiful though! Looking at them from outside the window – it does look really amazing.
    But other than looks …. I can’t say it a “must see” or must taste. Sorry. However, you were absolutely right about the steaks along the river – YUM!

    Reply
    • forkyou says

      September 9, 2012 at 1:13 pm

      What a bummer! And so strange, I’ve only heard positive things from others about Smeterling. I don’t like sweets, and am super picky, and the cake I had (The Smeterling) was fantastic.

      Reply
  3. Ivana says

    September 3, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    I’m in love with this place! Feel like going to Recoleta right now (and come back home running to burn all those calories after eating!)

    Reply
  4. Tabby pm says

    August 31, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    wow all in that store looks delicious…guilty pleasure

    Reply
  5. Delicity Jones says

    August 30, 2012 at 3:12 pm

    You’re a smeterling.

    Reply
  6. NOLAchef says

    August 30, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    loving the crazy meringue on the second cupcakes!!

    Reply
    • forkyou says

      September 3, 2012 at 5:20 pm

      it reminds me of Ursula http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100210193760/villains/images/c/c9/URSULA.jpg

      Reply
      • NOLAchef says

        September 3, 2012 at 5:24 pm

        TOTALLY!!!

        Reply
  7. Alvaro says

    August 30, 2012 at 1:11 am

    Those cakes are like the best!!!
    You gotta buy the ready-to-make cupcake box sets! the flour mix is really good, and the muffin you get from it are so delicious!!!

    Reply
    • forkyou says

      September 3, 2012 at 5:18 pm

      I didn’t realize it was a pre-package cupcake mix – totally going to buy it.

      Reply
  8. María Matheu says

    August 30, 2012 at 12:28 am

    Allie, you’re a hoot. I really like reading your posts. Thanks for scouting out the local scene for the rest of the local foodies.

    Reply
    • forkyou says

      September 3, 2012 at 5:17 pm

      Thanks for reading! Glad you are enjoying

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 13 coisas que quero fazer em Buenos Aires em 2013 « Buenos Aires, queridos. says:
    December 28, 2012 at 1:57 pm

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  2. This Is Why You’re Fat: August Edition | Pick Up The Fork says:
    September 3, 2012 at 12:36 pm

    […] Pick Up The Fork Buenos Aires, I'm still hungry. A food lover's food blog with Buenos Aires restaurant reviews, recipes and overall silliness Skip to content HomeAboutA/S/L? About me.Humble BraggingRestaurant GuideGrocery Guide ← Smeterling: Recoleta’s Sweetest Gem […]

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