3 Best Restaurants in Montevideo, Uruguay

The bookshop is classic, with floor to ceiling books, and a nifty rolling platform to browse the upper shelves. The café, though, is airy and serves innovative dishes such as beet and goat cheese pie, and grilled polenta and veggie gratin, along with fresh baked breads and sinfully delicious desserts. If the weather is unkind, dine inside, but the sunny, vine-covered outdoor patio is the place to be.

While the polished wood and wicker interior is attractive, it's the food that draws diners here. The meat, seafood, pasta, and risotto dishes are all carefully prepared, so everyone at your table will be happy. The busy bar has an extensive cocktail list and the wine list features both local and Argentine labels. The desserts are yummy, too, if a bit on the sweet side.

The painted white brick helps make the café bigger than it is, but the food and vibe are so good that size hardly matters. Open for lunch on Thursday through Sunday, and breakfast on the weekend, Sometimes serves up super sandwiches, such as brisket, pulled pork or avocado, salads and other dishes with international influences, along with freshly baked breads and great coffee. Tasty veggie options can be made vegan.