Cafés in Medellín for Great Coffee

During our month in Medellín, we visited our fair share of cafés. Here is a quick overview of some of the places we visited (in alphabetical order)

Amor Perfecto (in Mercado del Rio)

Tucked in the corner of Mercado del Rio, this quaint location of the chain coffee establishment offers comfortable seating with windows peering outside at those who pass by. Having a choice of how our coffee was prepared, we chose the aeropress and were not disappointed.

We also shared a cheese stick (palito de queso) along with our coffee.The atmosphere is charming and there are options to purchase coffee and coffee accessories to take home. In addition, there are alcoholic coffee drinks available.

Café al Alma (Mercado del Rio)

Tucked into another a corner of Mercado del Rio, this is one of many locations of this café, with the most well known spot in El Poblado. Their American style breakfast, sandwiches, snacks and baked goods plays second fiddle to their coffee.

With experienced baristas preparing coffee using different methods (traditional espresso, Chemex, Siphon, Aeropress, etc.), the finished product was amongst the most delicious we’ve had in Medellín. We enjoyed a scrumptious croissant and a fresh juice along with our coffee.

Cariñito Mio Café (Ciudad del Río)

Located near the Medellín Museum of Modern Art, this deliberately cute café has a large inviting patio covered by an enormous umbrella. Inside, there is more seating including a second floor loft. The menu includes a variety of sandwiches and salads as well as pastries.

Although the prices may be a tad high, the atmosphere and quality of coffee brought us back to this café on more than one occasion.

Café Pergamino (El Poblado)

With its flagship location in El Poblado, this café brews some of the best coffee we tried in Medellín, while not burning a hole in our pockets. The large patio offers an excellent place to converse with friends, work quietly or simply people watch in the busy Poblado neighbourhood. 

The café offers multiple options to prepare your java fix including chemex, french press and aeropress. You are given an option of what bean you would like and after they are freshly ground, the staff brings it to you to smell prior to brewing. In addition, the almond croissants are incredibly delicious. Pergamino coffee is also available in other cafés, such as a popular chain, De Lolita, which we were able to try in the Mayorca Megaplaza in Envigado.

Café Revolucion (Laureles)

Located right in the heart of Laureles, Café Revolucion is a tiny café offering breakfast, as well as paninis, baked goods and smoothies. While less than ten people can sit comfortably inside, there is a patio outside which offers more space to catch up on some work or to socialize with friends.

This café is popular with expats, as the baristas all speak perfect English. During our visit, I indulged in a french press coffee, while Shaleen enjoyed a fresh smoothie. This is definitely a place to check out in Laureles.

Café Velvet (El Poblado)

We were attracted to this café because of its aesthetically pleasing decor, highlighted by a well-lit, large, living wall. As a café touted as having a ‘Belgian accent’, we visited Café Velvet along with two of our Belgian friends. Perhaps because we did not order chocolate from their menu, the “Belgian accent’ was not readily apparent.

We had our coffee filtered in a french press, while our friends enjoyed cappuccinos. Although the coffee was good, Shaleen’s croissant did not meet her expectations (compared to the other cafes on this list). Overall, Café Velvet has friendly staff and is a decent option to converse with friends over coffee or catch up on some work.

El Café de Otraparte (Envigado)

Hidden behind Casa Museo Otraparte, this café has a wonderful outdoor space bordering a small pond filled with live fish. It’s a wonderful, quiet oasis to enjoy a cup of coffee while meeting friends or just spending time alone with a book or some work. 

Along with coffee, there are a wide variety of sandwiches, tapas and desserts to choose from as well as drinks such as beer and wine. We enjoyed iced coffee and some small open faced roast beef appetizer sandwiches, which were delicious. There was a group enjoying a free coffee cupping class inside as well. It is an excellent escape from the hustle and bustle of Medellín and a must-go for coffee lovers.

Reposteria Astor (Centro)

Since 1930, El Astor has been known for its amazing cakes and sundaes. With locations all over Medellín, we visited the downtown spot on Calle Junin and enjoyed an iced coffee and sundae.

The mouthwatering selection of chocolates and pastries in the front counter display would certainly appease anyone with a sweet tooth

Toucan Café (El Poblado)

In an “all-in-one” kind of building, Toucan hosts a Spanish school upstairs, a tour desk to book a wide variety of experiences in the Medellín area and a café serving coffee and treats, while also offering language exchanges every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. 

While the espresso-based drinks have a slightly higher than average price tag, they do not disappoint in flavour. While studying Spanish at the Toucan school for one week, I couldn’t help but indulge my caffeine craving at Toucan every day.