The Guatemala & Mexico BLOG

Owners Oscar and Martin were on a little break from running the Crouch End shop at the beginning of January. After spending a bit of time with family in Colombia they spent two weeks in Central America and Southern Mexico.

Here is Martin’s blog with some top tips to get some coffee locally, close to origin!

Antigua Guatemala

Our first recommendation is in Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala’s capital in colonial times,  situated in a valley surrounded by volcanos (some of them very active).

The town itself is compact, the streets covered with cobbled stones and aligned with colonial architecture. A great place to wind down for a few days.

Plenty of coffee shops varying in quality cater for locals, tourists and expats.

The one that stood out to us was 12 Onzas a block and a half away from the Plaza Mayor. The place opens up from the street with two large doors. You get easily drown in. We found the staff very knowledgeable and happy to advise.

We settled a Bourbon filter from the Concepcion Buena Vista farm not too far away as well as a little cortado on the side which we drank in the beautiful courtyard to the side of the café.

San Cristobal de las Casas

A couple of days and an interesting border crossing later we found ourselves in San Cristobal in the state of Chiapas, Mexico’s coffee country. Here we visited Cafeología’s café. Cafeología is the institute dedicated to research, education and development of coffee in Mexico and Latin America. The café is beautifully designed and is located in an old building in the centre of San Cristobal. We drank an espresso produced by Mariano Vargas in Costa Rica (a farm Cafeología is involved in) and had a washed bourbon and caturra pour over locally produced by Samaria Lopez in Chiapas. Both brewed exceptionally by Alejandro Hernandez.

Oaxaca

Next we headed to Oaxaca a fantastic city in Mexico’s cultural and culinary heartland. We found Muss Café next to then Museo Textil de Oaxaca (worth a visit). It is part of Casa Antonieta a boutique hotel (we didn’t stay here) but it has an amazing roof terrace. Muss Café has access from the street. It’s dark but cosy inside with a decent sized bar and some tables on the side. Barista @LibertadAndree is very much on top of her game and served us some great coffees with some excellent latte art. We can also recommend their breakfast bowls.

Martin and Oscar visited:

12 Onzas - 4a Calle Ote. 5, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala

Cafeología - Real de Guadalupe 13, Zona Centro, 29200 San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chis., Mexico

Muss Café - Miguel Hidalgo 911, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico