Our next-to-last day in Uruguay was spent mostly saying goodbye. A walk along La Rambla, one last morning pastry and espresso at Pausat (where we said goodbye to Antonella, our favorite barista), enjoying a panoramic view of Montevideo from the top of City Hall, and discovering a former pasta factory turned restaurant.
Goodbye, Pausat
Our favorite spot for morning pastries and espresso isn’t open in the morning on weekends, so today was our last day to visit. We said goodbye to Antonella, who has been wonderful every time we visit. She gave us the recommendation to go to City Hall for the panoramic views!
If you visit Montevideo, and are near the border of Centro and Ciudad Vieja, definitely stop in to Pausat. They serve breakfast and brunch as well as terrific made-in-house pastries and delicious espresso drinks.
Mirador Panorámico
At the top of City Hall is Mirador Panorámico, an observation deck on the 22nd floor (23rd for us yanks) of City Hall. There’s also a small café and gift shop. The observation deck is protected by plexiglass, so please excuse the reflections in the photos. I did the best I could to avoid them.
Fresh Pasta at La Sin Rival
La Sin Rival, only a block from our hotel (but somehow we’ve missed trying it until now) used to be a pasta factory before adding on a full service restaurant. You can still by fresh pasta from the counter as well. The dining room is nice, and the service was excellent. They have a prix fixe menu that includes an entree, drink, and dessert for 850 pesos (about $21 USD). They brought us an amuse-bouche when we sat down – it was a very tasty savory tart with cheese and ham – plus a basket of bread.
I had fettuccini puttanesca, which was very tasty and you could tell the pasta was freshly made. Very delicate (and delicious). Teresa had a wonderful lasagna that was quite large. We both had wine as our drink choice. For dessert, Teresa had cheesecake with raspberry sauce, and I had ice cream. Both were good. Too bad we discovered this place on our next-to-last day. We may be back for breakfast, though.
More Photos from Mirador Panorámico
Here are some regular (non-panoramic) zoomed-in photos from atop City Hall:
The farewell tour 🥹🇺🇾🫂 Nos vemos pronto 🌺
Y’all look satisfied and happy! Food looks absolutely amazing, and awesome views. City hall building that many stories? Wow!