Generosa Pâtisserie: A dream journey from Paris to Buenos Aires

After completing several diplomas at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Graciela Datterati and her son, Santiago Soloaga, created Generosa Pâtisserie in Buenos Aires: a family venture shaped by French expertise, Argentinian ingredients and months of research in pursuit of the quality and precision they wanted to achieve.

There is something deeply generous about cooking for others. Preparing, sharing and uniting people around a table: for Graciela Datterati, that idea has always carried the name of her grandmother, Generosa. Originally from Galicia, she could frequently be found cooking and had great pleasure in sharing. Years later, her name became Generosa Pâtisserie, the family project imagined by Graciela and her son Santiago in Buenos Aires, where they bring French pâtisserie and boulangerie to life using Argentinian ingredients, while remaining faithful to the expertise they acquired at Le Cordon Bleu Paris.

The story began in 1998, in one of Paula Méndez Carreras’s first restaurants in Buenos Aires. Impressed by the food, Graciela asked where she had learnt to cook like that. Paula simply replied: “Le Cordon Bleu Paris.”

The answer stayed with her. In 2002, during a trip to Paris, Graciela had the opportunity to discover French pâtisserie and boulangerie first hand. She was captivated by their precision, elegance and the depth of skill behind every product. The idea of training professionally began to take shape.

It would be several more years before she could make that dream a reality. In 2019, Graciela finally joined Le Cordon Bleu Paris to study the Diplôme de Pâtisserie. She went on to complete the Diplôme de Boulangerie in 2020, followed by the Diplôme de Cuisine in 2021.

Her passion eventually inspired her son, Santiago Soloaga. At the time, he was studying architecture but decided to change direction completely. He completed the Diplôme de Cuisine with Internship Pathway in 2023, followed by the Diploma in Gastronomy, Nutrition and Food Trends and the Diplôme de Boulangerie in 2025.

It was during their years in Paris that mother and son began to imagine a shared project in Buenos Aires. They wanted to create a venue inspired by French tearooms, while keeping it warm, lively and deeply rooted in family.

For two years, they searched for the right location for the project. They eventually found it in Villa Devoto: a building dating back to 1929, which they fully renovated to include a boulangerie laboratory, a space for pastry, a kitchen dedicated to savoury dishes and a tearoom where guests could relax.

For Graciela and Santiago, however, recreating in Buenos Aires the quality they had learnt to achieve in Paris could not simply mean following the same recipes. They had to understand the local ingredients, adjust their methods and, at times, start again from scratch.

Santiago spent almost four months looking for a suitable fat to replace the dry butter used in France for laminated yeast dough. The brioche, croissants and pains au chocolat also required nearly four months of testing before they achieved exactly the texture, lamination and flavour they were looking for.

That same attention to detail can be found throughout the menu. The quiche, now one of Generosa’s most successful products, is based on the quiche Lorraine recipe learnt at the institute. From there, they developed new versions employing a range of culinary techniques, including caramelised onion, leek and four cheeses.

The pâtisserie also carries memories of Paris. The Petit Gâteau Generosa is based on the entremets Graciela presented for one of her examinations. On that day, Chef Martelli told her: “Your entremets is very good.” It was a simple comment, but one she never forgot, and it now lives on in one of the patisserie’s signature creations.

Nine months after opening, Generosa Pâtisserie now brings together both sides of the family’s expertise: Graciela focuses mainly on pâtisserie, while Santiago works on boulangerie. Together, they create a dialogue between French savoir-faire and Argentinian ingredients, without ever losing sight of what lies at the heart of the project: the joy of cooking, sharing and welcoming others. In many ways, it is their way of remaining true to the name of their patisserie and expressing that same generosity through every plate they serve.

From the cuisine of a Galician grandmother to the kitchens of Le Cordon Bleu Paris, and from Paris to Villa Devoto, Generosa tells the story of a passion handed down from one generation to the next. A passion first sparked by an alumna, pursued by Graciela and ultimately transformed, with Santiago, into a family adventure.