La Roma is perhapsย the coolest neighborhood in Mexico City. This is not only because of its beautiful architecture but because it is a culturally growing quarter of this huge metropolis, evidenced, in part, by theย specialty coffee shops ย popping up here. It is really interesting to experience specialty coffee in a coffee-producing country, whereย you can find many different processes done by the nation’sย farmers. Mexican baristas and roasters have a more direct connection toย producers and can easily go visit farms and learn in greater depth, as well as offer vital feedback to the farmers. The cafe ownersย and baristas recommended here are doing a great job of trying to showย customers the greater potential of coffee here in Mexico.
Buna 42
The owners of Bunaย are behind three great, different places to drink coffee in Mexico City, and one of these is Buna 42. This is the only place in Mexico with a Modbar, and the cafe also boastsย a V60 drip station and four cold brew towers. They also do milkshakes with different delicious ice creams from Taller Nomada, and sell beer in the summer. If you’re looking forย a delicious breakfast or lunch, the food menu will not disappoint.
In their coffee shops you will find different coffees from all over Mexico. The Buna team roastsย nearby,ย and makes an effort toย negotiate directly with the producers of their coffees.ย One of their roasters recently won second place at the Mexican Roasting Championship. Buna is one of the coffee companies doing a great job in Mexicoโs Third Wave coffee scene.
Dosis Cafe
The owners of this cute coffee shop were inspired by the coffee culture in San Franciscoโspecificallyย Four Barrel Coffee. They fell so in love with the coffeeย there that they foundedย this stunning cultural spot in La Roma. Dosis Cafe is not only a coffee shop, you see.ย In the back, the spaceย features everything fromย dancing toย yoga lessonsย to aย โDrink and Drawโ event, where you can pay to draw a nudeย model and enjoyย some drinks.
Dosisย has a beautiful La Marzocco Strada EE and serves Mexican coffee from multiple local roasters. This is a place where you can really relax and drink coffeeโtrulyย comfortable, with beautiful design.
Casa Cardinal
Even though it is a veryย new coffee shop, Cardinal is one of the most popularย coffee spots in the cityโthey are just doing things right.ย Home of the Mexican AeroPress Championship runner-up Shak Zapata, Cardinal is a place where you can always go and have a nice conversation with the baristas and drink a tasty cup of coffee. They use Mexican beans from different roasteries like Once Once Coffee Roasters, Cafรฉ Shunuc, ย and Cafรฉ Sublimeโa roastery based in Guadalajara owned by Jorge Sotomayor and former Barista Champion of Mexico,ย Fabrizio Senciรณn.
The baristas at Cardinal have a La Marzocco Linea Classic and use Kalitas, V60s, Chemex, and AeroPress for their manual brews. They have a particularย love for natural processed beans, and carry a good selection of such, either from Nayarit, Atoyac de รlvarez in Guerrero, Finca Santa Rosa in Chiapas, or Finca Chelรญn in Oaxaca. And, of course, they also have honey processed beans andย fully washed coffees from different farms, regions, and producers in Mexico as well.
Cucurucho
This place is the newest of three Cucuruchos. They have a La Marzocco Strada EP and a pour-overย drip station where their amazing beans are brewed. They only use Mexican coffees at Cucurucho. You will be able to find natural Maragogype variety beans from Chiapas, or try their house blend, which is from Oaxaca and Chiapas.
Thisย is a place where you can have a sit outside and enjoy the sun, the beautiful view, and a nice cup of coffeeโalthough it is more a take-away kind of coffee shop, without a lot of seating. Theย Cucurucho teamย isย currentlyย building outย their newest project, called “Casa del Fuego” (House of Fire), whichย will be a public roastery/cafe. If it’s half as beautiful as this cafe, it will be well worth a visit.
Photos byย Humberto Lizcano. Top photo by Ximena Rubio.
