Post: #26

PERU

AREQUIPA

Palacios Coffee - Avenida Lima 201, Vallecito - Great little coffee shop that roasts local specialty coffee several times weekly in shop. Offering espressos to pour overs to iced coffees, which are all pretty tasty. The owner is a Q Grader which is basically the sommelier of coffee - knows his stuff. It's located about a 15 minute walk southwest of Plaza de Armas in a more residential neighborhood, but well worth the little trek to get here. It's a small, cozy space with maybe a hand-full of tables, great place to take a young lady.

Honorable mention:

Chaqchao Organic Chocolates - Santa Catalina 204 - They have above-average coffee here, certainly better than Starbucks but not sure I would consider it specialty-grade. A great benefit of coming to this place is the excellent balcony they have looking the snow capped mountains, the tasty chocolates they offer, and also the craft beer bar on the other side of the business offering beers from around Peru for around 15 soles. Solid spot all-around.

Post: #27

BOLIVA

LA PAZ

Roaster's Boutique - Calle Rene Moreno E 20, San Miguel - Solid coffee roastery and bakery. They source specialty coffee from around various coffee regions of Bolivia. It is pretty good, although I don't particularly care for their espresso blend as it is a bit harsh and unbalanced in my opinion. Would be better with milk. Their pourovers are where this place shines in my opinion. Get a chemex, aeropress, or french press for 18 Bs. That is the move. You have like 4 options in terms of coffee origin for your pour over. You can get 12 oz. bags of their beans for between 90 Bs and 100 Bs. They also make nice croissants, cinnamon buns, cheesecake, and other assorted baked treats. Great date place. However, this place is quite far from city center. Hop in a shared taxi toward San Miguel from the centro for around 3 Bs each way - the ride takes about 30 minutes.

Writer's Coffee - Calle Comercio 1270, inside the Libreria Gisbert - This was a nice little find. Small place located just east of the Plaza Murillo inside of a book and stationery store. I had an espresso here which was nice and balanced. Nothing super exceptional, but compared with your other options (with exception of Roaster's Boutique) in this city, it is a gem in the rough no doubt. The café is quite cozy, and it's good place to bring a young lady and hide out from the rain for a while.

Post: #28

BOLIVIA

COCHABAMBA

Capresso - at least two locations: one inside the Yogen Fruz in Plaza Colon; the other is on Avenida Prado south of Avenida America in the Recoleta neighborhood - The espresso here is actually, surprisingly, not bad. It is smooth, well-balanced, and slightly sweet. Free wifi. I believe a single shot is 8 Bs and a double is 11 or 12 Bs. I saw some pretty hot girls in the Recoleta location, which was shocking because Bolivia is certainly not known for their women. This is a passable place to get a caffeine fix and perhaps swoop some sexy Bolivian chicks.

Post: #29

More Lima

Arabica Espresso Bar - Calle Recavarren 269, Miraflores
Cool cafe, about a 5 minute walk from Parque Kenedy. I guess there is another Arabica at Lacomar as well, but I have not been to that one yet. The place on Recavarren is small, but offers a lounge area in the back that would be good for a date. Seems to be a gringo/ex-pat hotspot. The espresso is a bit on the acidic side of things, but still very good.

Kumas Café - Calle Berlin 413, Miraflores
Small little shop just around the corner from Arabica that I found on accident. Solid espresso, very mellow and less on the bitter side than others I've had here, which suits my tastes more. They have food as well. The front entrance of the cafe features a nice comfortable outdoor lounge sitting area which is great for dates and girl watching as well.

Post: #30

(10-11-2015 10:03 PM)bootyhuntah Wrote:  LIMA

Café Verde - Av Santa Cruz 1305, Miraflores - Solid little café serving excellent espresso from various regions of Peru. They have a rotating blend for espressos without milk and a designated blend for espresso with milk drinks, plus single origin pour over options. Didn't try the food, but these guys do know coffee and it's very good. Also sell 250g bags of freshly roasted (in shop) beans for between 30 - 35 soles. They also use the only Synesso espresso machine in the country. These are high quality machines handmade in Seattle. Good date place.

Peru Pa'Ti - Armendariz 546, Miraflores - This is more like a specialty grocer/restaurant, but you can find some pretty damn good coffee here as well. Nice date option as you can get beer and food also. Their pourovers and espressos are all money, using exclusively coffees from various regions of Peru.

I was really impressed with both Cafe Verde and Peru Pa'Ti.

Cafe Verde is a legit, well-equipped and just a cool looking cafe. They have a big window for you to look into their roasting room. Very professional in their branding of their products, reminiscent of the hipster-esque cafes back in the states. The espresso I had here was one of the best I've had here so far. I went on a date here as well, it's decent option for that, but I would prefer Peru Pa'Ti or Kumas Cafe for that.

The set up is a bit confusing at Peru Pa'Ti, but as you mention it does offer more than just coffee which is a plus. The espresso here was very good, I did not have any food or beer, but if the cafe quality is any indication these will be good to.

Post: #31

(11-21-2015 03:44 PM)Designate Wrote:  

(10-11-2015 10:03 PM)bootyhuntah Wrote:  LIMA

Café Verde - Av Santa Cruz 1305, Miraflores - Solid little café serving excellent espresso from various regions of Peru. They have a rotating blend for espressos without milk and a designated blend for espresso with milk drinks, plus single origin pour over options. Didn't try the food, but these guys do know coffee and it's very good. Also sell 250g bags of freshly roasted (in shop) beans for between 30 - 35 soles. They also use the only Synesso espresso machine in the country. These are high quality machines handmade in Seattle. Good date place.

Peru Pa'Ti - Armendariz 546, Miraflores - This is more like a specialty grocer/restaurant, but you can find some pretty damn good coffee here as well. Nice date option as you can get beer and food also. Their pourovers and espressos are all money, using exclusively coffees from various regions of Peru.

I was really impressed with both Cafe Verde and Peru Pa'Ti.

Cafe Verde is a legit, well-equipped and just a cool looking cafe. They have a big window for you to look into their roasting room. Very professional in their branding of their products, reminiscent of the hipster-esque cafes back in the states. The espresso I had here was one of the best I've had here so far. I went on a date here as well, it's decent option for that, but I would prefer Peru Pa'Ti or Kumas Cafe for that.

The set up is a bit confusing at Peru Pa'Ti, but as you mention it does offer more than just coffee which is a plus. The espresso here was very good, I did not have any food or beer, but if the cafe quality is any indication these will be good to.

Thanks for your contributions, Designate. And I wouldn't lead you astray with coffee, man . I agree with you on Cafe Verde's espresso. They served me one of the best I had in Peru. So good in fact that I ordered another about 10 minutes after ordering the first, ha.

Post: #32

CHILE

SANTIAGO

Santiago is home to one of the more impressive Latin American café cultures seen thus far in the travels. This is also the first non-coffee producing country I've visited in Latin America. That being said, all the coffee is imported.

Café Cultura - Suecia 0130, Providencia (north of Av. Providencia) - One of the top 3 coffee experiences of Santiago in my opinion. Nice space on a quieter part of Suecia, great for taking a lady and having a conversation. They roast on-site on a little side room just to the right of the front main entry which can be viewed through a glass partition. Their coffee is quite good, both espresso and pour-overs. When I was there, they had a very nice lemony Ethiopian espresso and a smooth and winey Peruvian pourover which was a natural processed. Also on offer was a Brazilian and Bolivan bean on pour over. Sweet treats are pretty good as well. This makes the top three coffees in Santiago.

JustPeople - Avenida Apoquindo 5400, Las Condes - Great café that sells a "work meeting concept" with lots of space to spread out and get some work done. Also in my top 3 coffee spots in Santiago. I believe they actually have a private area in back with meeting rooms available to rent for more formal business meetings. In front, there are several free tables here with electrical outlets and a good wifi signal. The coffee is on point too - they have their own brand which I assume is roasted off-site. I think I paid 1800 CLP for an espresso which is on the higher end of cafés in Santiago, but the quality was very good. They had a Nicaraguan single origin bean on espresso when I was there and it was very fruity and acidic, in a pleasant way. Also nice sweet treats. Saw a few pretty hot chicks here wearing business attire, but they appeared to be engaged in a meeting. This is the place to come in Santiago if you're a digital nomad.

Bloom Specialty Coffee - Merced 307, Santa Lucia - This was a nice little surprise. Very tiny hole-in-the-wall spot with enough space inside for maybe 6 people to sit. These guys roast their own coffee as well, when I was there they had a Colombian bean and a Nicaraguan bean. The Nicaraguan bean was very tasty. You can also pick up a bag of their beans. Probably fits in the top 3 of my favorite coffees in Santiago also. Not a great spot to bring a girl or get work done; better if you happen to be in the area and grab something to-go.

Original Green Roasters - Rancagua 040, Providencia - Nice little spot with roaster on-site that gets very busy during lunch time. Their offerings when I was there was a Peruvian bean, a Sumatran, and a Guatemalan. All very nice on pour-over. Free wifi. Their food looked good too, but didn't indulge. You can get 250g bags of their beans for between 5500 - 7500 CLP.

Cofi - Avenida Pedro de Valvida 0180 Local No. 2, Providencia - Cozy little shop with nice coffee. Went on a date here chilling on the tables outside, which was a comfortable and chilled spot to hang out. Had a nice Guatemalan espresso here. From what I remember, reasonable prices and also got some tasty sweet treats.

Fix Café - Avenida Apoquindo 3411, Las Condes - Another hole-in-the-wall that seems to be popular with the working crowd during the day. They made a nice espresso, also a Nicaraguan single origin, offering sweet treats as well. Double espresso was 1500 CLP. Service was a little meh, but otherwise they make a very good coffee for my standards. Not really much outdoor seating here and it got a little smoky due to chain-smoking office-worker types on their break.

Forastero Café - Avenida Ricardo Cummings 54 - Another great coffee shop located a few blocks north of the Repúbilca metro stop. These guys don't roast but they offer coffees from a lot of the local roasters like Café Altura, Tosto, Kawas, Bearded, etc. Had a great espresso here for a reasonable price. I think it was around the 1200 CLP mark. This is a very hole-in-the-wall neighborhood cafe with also very good coffee.

Cafe Altura - 2nd Level, eastern end of La Vega market - Súper cool little cafe buried within the bowels of La Vega market on the second level. It is basically just a cafe with a bar and a few scattered tables. They've got a very nice La Marzocco GS3 espresso machine and make a damn fine coffee here - I had an espresso from the Fraijanes region of Guatemala, which was 900 CLP. Bags of beans are around 5500 CLP. A nice bonus is that you can get some very nice and cheap food from one of the more creole style eateries surrounding this place. Also you can grab some reasonably priced fruit/veg from one of the vendors on the 1st floor.

Cafeta - San Pio X 2413, Providencia - Nice little coffee shop with good coffee also. I do remember the coffee (espresso) was good, not great. 1200 CLP for an espresso. Chatted up a very cute waitress here, but she wouldn't bite for the number.

Café Pardo - Avenida Providencia 903, Providencia - Another little surprise with great coffee from Nicaragua (Santa Laura) and a nice yellow bourbon from Brazil. Espresso was 1000 CLP and a double was 1500 CLP. Smallish place inside, can't remember if the setup would be good for bringing a lady or not, but the coffee was nice.

Café Wonderful - Lastarria 90 - Small little café with nice espresso coffee (Nicaraguan), located in a very walkable and happening neighborhood during the day on a Saturday. Close to Cerro Santa Lucia and Universidad Catolica, where I saw some nice looking girls. Great spot to hang out in front in a table and game other girls or take a girl of your own.

There's easily another 10 cafés in this city that likely have very good quality coffee, but I didn't have enough time to try them all. This place gets a big thumbs up for coffee scene, even though the women I thought were just ok looks-wise. Although the ladies are very friendly, they do seem a little on the flaky/aloof side. The culture here, to me, seems a little more closed-off and exclusive than most places I've been thus far.

Post: #33

CHILE

Viña del Mar

Strawberry Café - Ariegui 444 L. 202 - Nice little spot serving pretty good coffee. They served me up a nice Colombian espresso at 1600 CLP for a double espresso. You can also grab a pourover or other similar method. Nothing noteworthy about the place specifically outside of their coffee but if you’re fiending for a proper coffee in this neck of the woods, this café will soothe your cravings.

Tonic Coffee - Calle 6 Norte 318 - Great little find. Perhaps served me the best espresso I've had in Chile to date. Was so good I ordered another immediately after. Also a Colombian bean on espresso (1300 CLP) plus they had a Guatemalan bean on pour over. This is definitely a little neighborhood café and would be a good spot to bring a lady. Also there are some nice looking girls wandering around this neighborhood during the day.

VALPARAISO

Melbourne Café - Plaza Sotomayor 33 Local 9 - These guys apparently roast their own beans. While their coffee offerings will perhaps not blow you away, compared to the other options in this town like Starbucks et. al this is not a bad option. They have several different single origins to choose from for pour over and you can grab a bag of beans to take with you. I believe the espresso I had was from Nicaragua and was around 1200 CLP. This seems to be a popular meetup spot as I had two different people ask me if I was someone else - one girl was there for a cooking class and another guy asked me about a bike tour...otherwise this town was a little dumpy for me and wouldn't recommend more than a day trip herewhich is what I did.

Post: #34

Sao Paulo

Coffee Lab VIla Madalena

Case closed. Top notch coffee, prepared any way you like it. They even serve 'tastings' for example one coffee brewed three different ways or three coffees brewed the same way or one coffee one way with filtered water vs bottled...

Good baked goods as well, quality spot.

Post: #35

getdownonit, this thread is in dire need of Brazil suggestions. Thanks for your intel.

ARGENTINA

MENDOZA

Melbourne Coffee Company - Avenida Perú 1136 - Nice little café with Australian owner(s). They had a nice Colombian espresso on when I went, and also have a list of like 6 or so single origin options for pour overs...although these options are really pricey, like worse than Australian prices. I think there were a few coffees on the pour over menu listed at over 100 pesos which is a little crazy for Argentinian standards. Otherwise, they do make a good coffee here and have quality beans and it is worth a stop for an espresso drink, no doubt. Plus the guys are quite friendly and good for a chat or giving advice on wineries or other restaurants around town.

Silla 14 - San Lorenzo 656 - This is a restaurant with a La Marzocco espresso machine, and they serve top-notch espresso. I get the feeling they are a restaurant first and a café second, but they certainly don't take any shortcuts with their coffee drinks. Definitely excellent quality, and at 26 pesos for a single shot of espresso it is worth every peso. Good spot for a date, and the place itself is a little on the fancy/classy side. Food looked good, but didn't partake. They had a blend on espresso which was superb, I will be back here to get my espresso fix before leaving this town. Also they practice the siesta here and usually shut down from 1-5 PM, so keep that in mind if you come for a visit...

Post: #36

ARGENTINA

BUENOS AIRES

Overall, Buenos Aires is certainly more of a yerba mate kinda place, but it seems the coffee scene is slowly taking hold, which makes a coffee snob like me happy.

LAB - Humboldt 1542 - If you only have time for one coffee in Buenos Aires, this should be your stop. These guys roast their beans and the end result is quite fantastic. Both espresso and pour overs are on point. There is a nice fitout in here with bar seating as well as private tables, definitely a place I would bring a girl. Also had a tasty cookie and the other goods looked appetizing. They have beans from Guatemala, Colombia, Kenya, and Brazil, and they roast different for espresso and pour over methods. I've tried their Brazil offering both on espresso and pour over, as well as their Guatemalan bean on pour over and both are very good. Bag of 250g beans costs between 140 - 150 pesos and I think their pour overs are around the 50 peso mark.

Barrio Cafetero - Reconquista 513; other location is Florida 833, both in Microcentro - Another great coffee spot. They do espressos and espresso drinks very well here and they served me up a very tasty single origin from Colombia. Fair prices, I think I paid somewhere around the 30 peso mark for a double espresso if I remember correctly. I only visited their Reconquista location, and it is a little hole in the wall shop with not much seating. So probably not great for a date, but better to just suck down an espresso at the bar or take something to go.

Negro Cueva de Café - Suipacha 637 Microcentro - Another nice little place with bar seating and also some intimate table seating, probably can seat maybe 20 people in here. They have also very nice espresso. I had a blend of an Ecuadorian bean and a Brazlian bean which was good, smooth, and balanced on the double espresso - I believe this was a house-crafted roast. You can also get a pour over but I didn't try that on my particular visit. Many people were here ordering food as well, and if you can get a table, probably it would be a good date spot. When I visited around 2PM, there were a bunch of suits in here which leads me to believe this is a popular place among the office worker crowd, considering the very central location in the Microcentro.

All Saints Café - Ciudad de La Paz 2300, Belgrano - Cool shop that actually looks very commercialized, almost like a Starbucks. This threw me at first, but once I talked to the barista about the brew bar I felt a little more comfortable. Tried an espresso here of the "organic" coffee on offer, which was a Colombian. It was good, not great. Smooth and sweet, but nothing mind blowing. What was mind-blowing, however, was this Ecuadorean Kalita Wave pour over I got for 34 pesos. One of the best pour over coffees I've had in a long while. A lot of the pour overs here come from other roasters in other countries, so you are not actually able to buy any beans from their brew bar. As far as date spots goes, this is a rather small place but I would definitely bring a girl back here.

Del Viento - Républica Arabe Siria 3037, Palermo - A very nicely designed and thought-out coffee shop (Patagonian-owned), offering more than just coffee with things like chocolates and ice creams which looked amazing, but I didn't partake. They had several varieties of beans on espresso (they use a roaster based outside of the city), somewhere around 5 or more, 2 Colombian origins, a mocha from Brazil and a couple others. With one single espresso and a double, the bill came to 70 pesos. I brought a pretty hot Brazlian chick here on an insta-date from day game, and she loved the place. So green light for date spot. Couldn't close with her as her flight back to Brazil was leaving in less than 4 hours...balls. Looking back I maybe should have gone for the hail mary love hotel option...

Ninina Bakery - Gorriti 4738, Palermo - A very fancy and pricey place (120+ pesos for a slice of cake!?), but with a very nice brew bar. Had a very tasty San Pedro Guatemala pour over here for 52 pesos. The serving was small but expertly done. If your budget is more on the "not cheap-ass backpacker" end of the spectrum, this would be an excellent place to bring a young lady as it seems their food is on point from what I could see and smell, plus you can get a beer or nice glass of wine (they had a nice wine list) as well.

Full City Coffee House - Thames 1535, Palermo - This is a cozy little shop, who roasts their own beans if I remember correctly. I got a Colombian pour over here and wasn't particularly impressed, as the coffee they used seemed quite flat and stale. I will add it to this list because a lot of people rave about this place, and maybe you will have better luck here than I did. Was a small and intimate place, so not sure if date-worthy or not.

Lattente - Thames 1891, Palermo - This is a pretty nice little shop. I stopped in here one day after I was already highly caffeinated, so I didn't actually order anything from here. However, they were fully stocked with LAB beans, and I saw some nice looking cappuccinos coming off the line. So, based on my visual assessment, I would feel confident adding it to this list. Seemed like there were a bunch of people on dates or social meetings, so I would bring a girl here probably if I ever came back to try the coffee.

Post: #37

Nice thread, Recently I've been wanting to stop spending $4 on Starbucks Ice coffee during my 2pm pick me up. I started looking into sucking/eating coffee beans. Any downside to doing this? Figure I would pop 4-5 beans in my mouth and let the bitter taste wake me up somewhat. Any health issues behind this? I leaning towards a Medium to light roasted bean. Less oily. Is there sweet tasting bean I can get?

Post: #38

BRAZIL

CURITIBA

I have a feeling that coffee holds a very special place in Brazilian lives. Being the number one coffee producer in the world (by a long shot), this shouldn't really be a surprise. In Curitiba, there isn't much English spoken, so make sure you bring a little Portuguese as you will need it here as very people speak conversational English.

Lucca Cafés Especiais - Alameda Pres. Taunay, 40 - Batel - If you only have one place to visit in Curitiba, this should be your stop. I have to say that this place is perhaps the most impressive coffee shop I've visited in all of my Latin American travels for many reasons. They have specialty (90+ rated) coffees from all around Brazil, and when I visited, there was a menu of 33 different coffees to choose from (in bags to take home). They use a Marzocco Strada, which is a top of the line espresso machine that makes amazing espressos, and their pourover bar is unreal. The place is also massive and there are many places to sit and hang out and get some work done, with free wifi. They have a summery beer that is made in-house with 7% of their brewed coffee (didn't like it but it's still an interesting production), and a very impressive craft beer list of beers around Curitiba, Brazil, and for some reason Brooklyn Brewery (from USA) starting around 10 reais. A double espresso costs 7 reais, single espresso 5, and you can get 250g bags of their freshly roasted beans from 21 reais. I would say this is a great date spot because of the many seating options, beer list, plus food on offer. World class café and it's well-known in Curitiba. Also this is within walking distance from Vicente Machado, which is a street with some fun nightlife options. Good pre-game spot if nothing else.

Four Beans Coffee Co. - Alameda Augusto Stellfeld, 795 - Centro - This is a hole in the wall with no actual seating. It is a small space which focuses more on their wholesale roasting business, but also offers coffees to go or drink just outside on the small counter outside of where you order your coffee. They offer somehwhere around 6 or more coffees, all Brazilian. I tried the Bourbon on pourover which was very sweet with a nice soft acidity in addition to one of the espressos. Pourovers and espressos are all 5 reais. You can buy 250g bags of their beans from between 25 - 45 reais. Not a date place but great for grabbing something from here on the go.

Supernova Coffee Roasters - R. Cel. Dulcídio, 540 - Batel - This is a nice little find. Probably my 3rd favorite coffee of Curitiba. These guys recently opened onto the coffee scene in Curitiba within the last month or so. As far as I know, they are the only shop here offering imported coffees, as well as local offerings from Paraná and elsewhere in Brazil. I had a very tasty Ethiopian coffee on pouvrover, which was around the 7 reais mark. Wasn't a big fan of their espresso (bean was single origin form north of Paraná) as it was overly acidic and a little harsh on the palate. Otherwise, I like the space here and I would bring a girl here and sit out front to do some people watching.

Rause Café e Vinho - Alameda Dr. Carlos de Carvalho, 696 - Centro - Another very good coffee place, perhaps my 4th favorite place to get a good coffee in Curitiba. It's a small and cozy shop, did go on a date here, probably not the best date place but they do have wine too which is a nice balance. You can try from three different offerings here in terms of coffee. I tried the 3 flight of espressos, which is a blind tasting, and you have to guess which coffee you are trying based on the tasting notes. They use coffee roasted for them by Four Beans Roasters, a local roaster.

Black Coffee - Rua Comendador Araujo, 268 - Centro, w/in Omar Shopping Center - A nice little place situated inside of a little shopping mall. I had a very nice Brazilian single origin pour over here. Was a nice place and would bring a girl here if I ever came back. Nothing noteworthy, but if you are in the area, you can get a good coffee here.

Post: #39

BRAZIL

CURITIBA (CONT'D)

Café Municipal - Across from the Municipal Market in the centro on Rua Gen. Carneiro - Centro - This is a nice café with a good espresso from Lucca (They had a blend from Minas Gerais when I went there). Double espresso is 4.90 reais which is a good deal. A nice stop after doing some grocery shopping across the street at Munipal market. Good place for a shopping date without a doubt.

MON Café - inside Oscar Niemeyer Museum - It is rare that a museum has good coffee, but this place is certainly serving as the exception. They use a Lucca espresso blend specifically created for this café. Nice place with good seating and tasty sweet treats menu. I recommend the carioca which is basically a double espresso with water, which equates to a strong americano. Also, this museum is actually very cool - they have some very impressive art exhibits - one of the better museums of Latin America I would say. Highly recommend this museum as a date place - the café is a great place to either start it or end it.

Café do Mercado - Inside Mercado Municipal on Rua Gen. Carneiro - Another pretty great little coffee shop/store with very nice specialty coffee from all around Brazil. They seem to always be roasting in here, and you can pick up an espresso or freshly roasted specialty beans from around Brazil for a reasonable price. Just check when the beans were roasted to make sure you're getting something fresh if you want to get some beans. They also have a nice selection of coffee gear and equipment like hand grinders, V60s, filters, digital scales, etc. Worth a stop to get caffeinated during your mercado shopping trip.

Red Velvet Café - Rua XV de Novembro 1424 - Centro - Small and cozy little place popular with the young college crowd as there is a university nearby. These guys also use a Lucca espresso blend, and as you would expect, the espresso is good. They have tasty sweet treats like red velvet cupcakes and carrot cake, but it's a small place and I wouldn't recommend this place unless you plan to hit on young college students or just need a quick espresso. Didn't really see anyone here older than 20 years old.

Post: #40

BRAZIL

SAO PAULO

Massive city with some nice coffee options. My favorites are below, although I will add a few others that I was unable to try as they were closed while I was there over the Carnaval holiday.

Torra Clara - Rua Oscar Freire, 2286 - Pinheiros - Tiny little shop with very tasty espresso and pour overs. As the name suggests, these guys specialize in lighter roast coffees and had three on offer when I went. You can buy bags of their beans also. It is a small place, but date-worthy if you don't mind the cozy factor. I recommend a pour over on a V60 along with one of their salty cheese waffles. Solid choice.

Por um Punhado de Dólares - R. Nestor Pestana, 115 - Consolação - Probably had one of the best pour overs here that I've tried in a Brazil. They offered the 2015 Cup of Excellence with was a coffee from the Bahia region. Simply incredible. It is a pretty hipster place. However, if good coffee is what you seek, this is definitely a place that will not disappoint. There was good seating here which opened up to the street. Respectable date spot.

Sofa Café - R. Bianchi Bertoldi, 130 - A nice and stylish place in Pinheiros that has pretty good coffee. If you are in the area, I would recommend checking it out. You can of course sit on sofas, which can make for a comfortable setup for enjoying your favorite hot beverage of choice. I got a very nice yellow bourbon pour over here on the V60 which was highly tasty. Recommended.

Honorable Mentions:

These are some places that I did not personally try, but have solid intel suggesting they are great.

Coffee Lab - Rua Fradique Coutinho, 1340 - Pinheiros - As another forum member has suggested, this place is supposed to have great coffee and roast in-house.

Little Coffee Shop - R. Lisboa, 357 - Pinheiros - From everything I've heard about this place, nothing sounded bad. Other than of course that this place is a tiny little hole in the wall.

Post: #41

When it comes to coffee, Colombia is one of the best places to go. But unlike the author of this thread, I've gotten a bit deeper into the whole coffe culture and quality. Since I'm from Colombia, I've had the chance to find out the best spots to drink fresh and tasty cups.

If you want the true experience, don't go to the mall's coffee shop or a generic hipster store... Go to the source.

In Colombia, we have a region called "the coffe triangle". Lots of small traditional farm that have been cultivating coffe for the past 5 generations. There, you will not only see the whole process (from the picking to the sun bathing and roasting), but you will also have the chance to buy and consume freshly brewed and picked coffee beans.

The place to go is quindio. There you will find several of farms like such. If you want a fun and coffee related experience, go to "el parque del cafe", a theme park focused on coffee.

Post: #42

(03-07-2016 03:10 PM)joecolombia Wrote:  When it comes to coffee, Colombia is one of the best places to go. But unlike the author of this thread, I've gotten a bit deeper into the whole coffe culture and quality. Since I'm from Colombia, I've had the chance to find out the best spots to drink fresh and tasty cups.

If you want the true experience, don't go to the mall's coffee shop or a generic hipster store... Go to the source.

In Colombia, we have a region called "the coffe triangle". Lots of small traditional farm that have been cultivating coffe for the past 5 generations. There, you will not only see the whole process (from the picking to the sun bathing and roasting), but you will also have the chance to buy and consume freshly brewed and picked coffee beans.

The place to go is quindio. There you will find several of farms like such. If you want a fun and coffee related experience, go to "el parque del cafe", a theme park focused on coffee.

Saying you know anything about my experience with SPECIALTY coffee is bold to say the least. If you actually did know something about coffee (other than just being from a coffee producing country, where sadly enough, the people drink awful quality tinto that doesn't have anything to do with good coffee), you would know that going to the source is generally NOT a great place to drink good coffee for several reasons. While I agree with you that Quindío does produce great coffee, the average Joe isn't going to be able to get their hands on the quality stuff. The stuff you get from places like Parque de Café is NOT good quality specialty coffee, for the record. But thanks for trying anyway.

Post: #43

Good thread, OP.

(03-07-2016 01:21 PM)bootyhuntah Wrote:  BRAZIL

SAO PAULO
Sofa Café - R. Bianchi Bertoldi, 130 - A nice and stylish place in Pinheiros that has pretty good coffee. If you are in the area, I would recommend checking it out. You can of course sit on sofas, which can make for a comfortable setup for enjoying your favorite hot beverage of choice. I got a very nice yellow bourbon pour over here on the V60 which was highly tasty. Recommended.

Honorable Mentions:
Coffee Lab - Rua Fradique Coutinho, 1340 - Pinheiros - As another forum member has suggested, this place is supposed to have great coffee and roast in-house.

These are my favorites although Coffee Lab is quite expensive.

Preto Café, also in the neighbourhood, is pretty good too and they have a pay what you want business model which is cool.

Lately I've getting more and more into making good pour over coffee at home, though. Game changers for me:
- Grinding the beans before every pour (rather than buying ground coffee or grinding it in batches)
- Pre-wetting the filter and filter holder
- Using a porcelain rather than plastic filter holder (Hario style)
- Not allowing the water to reach boiling point - I used to let it boil and then let it cool a bit before the pour, but for some reason it tastes different to me if it hasn't boiled at all. Placebo?

This is good:




Since I bought the grinder I've tried a handful of brazilian brands. My current favorite is Korin's organic medium-dark roast (~R$60/kg):

Post: #44

(03-07-2016 03:10 PM)joecolombia Wrote:  When it comes to coffee, Colombia is one of the best places to go. But unlike the author of this thread, I've gotten a bit deeper into the whole coffe culture and quality. Since I'm from Colombia, I've had the chance to find out the best spots to drink fresh and tasty cups.

If you want the true experience, don't go to the mall's coffee shop or a generic hipster store... Go to the source.

In Colombia, we have a region called "the coffe triangle". Lots of small traditional farm that have been cultivating coffe for the past 5 generations. There, you will not only see the whole process (from the picking to the sun bathing and roasting), but you will also have the chance to buy and consume freshly brewed and picked coffee beans.

The place to go is quindio. There you will find several of farms like such. If you want a fun and coffee related experience, go to "el parque del cafe", a theme park focused on coffee.

This is entirely unnecessary. Passive aggressive language like "but unlike the author of this thread" has no room here. Many of us already know about the coffee zone. What you suggested isn't as novel as you thought. If you have read any of his posts, Bootyhuntah has proven time and time again that he is a connoisseur in the coffee game. If you don't like his suggestions or would recommend an alternative approach, I'm sure he wouldn't be opposed to a reasonable discourse explaining why. Many of us here appreciate this thread. Keep on dropping gems bootyhuntah

Post: #45

(03-07-2016 04:39 PM)Ringo Wrote:  Good thread, OP.

(03-07-2016 01:21 PM)bootyhuntah Wrote:  BRAZIL

SAO PAULO
Sofa Café - R. Bianchi Bertoldi, 130 - A nice and stylish place in Pinheiros that has pretty good coffee. If you are in the area, I would recommend checking it out. You can of course sit on sofas, which can make for a comfortable setup for enjoying your favorite hot beverage of choice. I got a very nice yellow bourbon pour over here on the V60 which was highly tasty. Recommended.

Honorable Mentions:
Coffee Lab - Rua Fradique Coutinho, 1340 - Pinheiros - As another forum member has suggested, this place is supposed to have great coffee and roast in-house.

These are my favorites although Coffee Lab is quite expensive.

Preto Café, also in the neighbourhood, is pretty good too and they have a pay what you want business model which is cool.

Lately I've getting more and more into making good pour over coffee at home, though. Game changers for me:
- Grinding the beans before every pour (rather than buying ground coffee or grinding it in batches)
- Pre-wetting the filter and filter holder
- Using a porcelain rather than plastic filter holder (Hario style)
- Not allowing the water to reach boiling point - I used to let it boil and then let it cool a bit before the pour, but for some reason it tastes different to me if it hasn't boiled at all. Placebo?

This is good:




Since I bought the grinder I've tried a handful of brazilian brands. My current favorite is Korin's organic medium-dark roast (~R$60/kg):

Ringo,

Pourovers are nice. Good call. And yes grinding just before brewing is súper important. This is commonly overlooked. Those ceramic filter cones work well. You just have to make sure the grind setting is right and you have a filter that fits. What kind of grinder did you get? I have a manual ceramic burr grinder, the Porlex mini. While it is an OK travel grinder, I'd say that is doesn't function great for methods like the ceramic filter cone because it doesn't create uniformity of partlce size distribution, which is important for that method to ensure even extraction.

If you are spending R$60 on 1kg of beans now, may I suggest you check out one of the more expensive "specialty" roasters in SP? In Curitiba, I was getting 250g beans that cost me R$39 for the top shelf premium line of beans from my favorite roaster. They also had 250g bags for R$22 for still very high quality. What is great about this, is you can get coffee with a roast date stamped on the bag, which is important, because after 2 weeks or so of this roast date, the coffee basically loses its taste and it goes flat. Yes coffee is very volatile. And it is tough to go through 1kg of beans in 2 weeks, even for a small family.

So anyway, using a bag of coffee with 250g, I usually make a coffee that has about 18g of coffee and about 250ml of water - yes I'm a nerd and use a digital scale. That being said, each coffee costs me R$2.90 which I don't think is bad considering that you can pay that or more for a terrible espresso in a crappy café. This is not factoring the cost of a grinder or coffee maker which over a period of one year would cost less than R1.00 per coffee per day - I paid $R87 for Clever and R$199 for grinder. R$2.80 for the beans and $R0.10 for the #102 Melitta paper filter per cup. I use the small version of the Clever Coffee Dripper now which makes very nice coffee by the way.

Clever Coffee Dripper

Disculpa for not meeting up in SP. I was only there during Carnaval with my girl and I wasn't able to make it back a 2nd time after that. Keep the coffee experimenting going. Chicks dig good coffee...

Post: #46

(03-07-2016 07:06 PM)bootyhuntah Wrote:  Ringo,

Pourovers are nice. Good call. And yes grinding just before brewing is súper important. This is commonly overlooked. Those ceramic filter cones work well. You just have to make sure the grind setting is right and you have a filter that fits. What kind of grinder did you get? I have a manual ceramic burr grinder, the Porlex mini. While it is an OK travel grinder, I'd say that is doesn't function great for methods like the ceramic filter cone because it doesn't create uniformity of partlce size distribution, which is important for that method to ensure even extraction.

I've been using this KRUPS grinder for the past 3 months - no complaints so far, plus it's quick to grind and to clean up.

Quote:If you are spending R$60 on 1kg of beans now, may I suggest you check out one of the more expensive "specialty" roasters in SP? In Curitiba, I was getting 250g beans that cost me R$39 for the top shelf premium line of beans from my favorite roaster. They also had 250g bags for R$22 for still very high quality. What is great about this, is you can get coffee with a roast date stamped on the bag, which is important, because after 2 weeks or so of this roast date, the coffee basically loses its taste and it goes flat. Yes coffee is very volatile. And it is tough to go through 1kg of beans in 2 weeks, even for a small family.

So anyway, using a bag of coffee with 250g, I usually make a coffee that has about 18g of coffee and about 250ml of water - yes I'm a nerd and use a digital scale. That being said, each coffee costs me R$2.90 which I don't think is bad considering that you can pay that or more for a terrible espresso in a crappy café. This is not factoring the cost of a grinder or coffee maker which over a period of one year would cost less than R1.00 per coffee per day - I paid $R87 for Clever and R$199 for grinder. R$2.80 for the beans and $R0.10 for the #102 Melitta paper filter per cup. I use the small version of the Clever Coffee Dripper now which makes very nice coffee by the way.

I like your math and thanks for sharing the ground:water ratio, I've been experimenting with different measures so I'll try yours too.

I usually make coffee at home only on weekends, but then I'll drink cups and cups all day long.

The Korin bags are 500g and usually I'll go through one every 3-4 weeks. I used the price per kilo just to make it easier.

Do you have any brands or roasters from Brazil that you could recommend? I'd love to check them out.

Quote:Disculpa for not meeting up in SP. I was only there during Carnaval with my girl and I wasn't able to make it back a 2nd time after that.

Don't worry about it, most members had conflicting schedules so we cancelled it - will reschedule eventually. Are you heading back to SP any time soon?

Post: #47

As I said, check out some of the suggestions like Torra Clara, Por Um Punhedo de Dólares, and maybe Coffee Lab. I'm not sure what their respective prices for beans are but maybe you can ask them about it the next time you are in the area. The real key with making good coffee at home is finding a local roaster as opposed to a "brand" as the brands tend to be very stale, sometimes sitting months or even years in the same bag after it was roasted. This means coffee of this variety will inevitably all taste the same - like misery.

FYI, my favorite roasters in Curitiba are Lucca and Four Beans but I don't think they have any distribution in SP. Though I could be wrong about that. Probably won't be back in SP for a long while but if I am there again I will definitely hit you up.

Post: #48

Brasilia:

Objeto Encontrado, Asa Norte

Cool coffeeshop with a more social vibe, including liquor so a good date or game spot. Not open in the morning, but open til late evening. Coffee itself is the best I found in Brasilia though I didn't check out any other coffeeshops so no surprise there

Post: #49

BRAZIL

RIO DE JANEIRO

Kraft Café and Bistro - R. Aníbal de Mendonça, 55 - Ipanema - Small little space serving Brazilian beans roasted freshly and in-house and brewed to perfection. Probably my favorite coffee of Rio. Aussie-owned and operated. You can get Aussie classics like long blacks and flat whites here, score. The food looked decent but I didn't try. They also have healthy food options and a tap of house-brewed Kombucha. I would hesitate to call this a date place just because of how cozy it is and how little space is available for seating. Although, if you can get a seat on the sidewalk, go for it.

Curto Café - Av. Erasmo Braga (Inside the Garagem Menezes Côrtes, 2nd Level), Sobreloja 47 - Centro - Great concept and very busy coffee shop in the centro. This is definitely THE space for espresso in the Centro. It is a place that runs on a donation-basis; that being said, you can pay what you like in a little contribution jar off to the left side of the main brewing bar. There are two lines for ordering: one on the left for black espressos and one on the right for milky coffees like cappuccinos. The espresso is actually quite good and made by skilled baristas. You can also buy bags of their beans for home brewing. There aren't many tables, so most people just stand around here and socialize in little groups. Not sure if this is a date-worthy place, unless you're interested in taking a more spiritual chick who is in tune with the karmic universe. Then she would probably love this place.

Sófa Café - Av. Nossa Sra. de Copacabana, 300 - Copacabana - This is a chain of cafés that also has other locations in São Paulo. Nice espresso. A good place to get your coffee fix, and also bring a girl as it has a well-designed fitout with space between tables to relax and do your thing. They also do pour overs here but I didn't try one. Although based on my experience at their SP location I would say it is also a recommended choice.


Welp that concludes my Latin American coffee guide. This is the last stop on my Latin American tour. Wow, what an incredible 14 months. I still strongly encourage any other RooshVers to contribute and add to this list as you see fit. Happy caffeinating, gents.

Post: #50

Thanks for sharing and starting this thread. I'll be down in South America later this year and I plan on reporting back on a few of these spots, as well as, hopefully, adding some of my own.