There is no better way to hone in on the real vibe of a place than to pop into a local coffee shop. Whether there to grab a latte and a quick bite to eat on the way to work or squatting at a corner table to get some work done, locals congregate at their local coffee shop. In recent years, with the boom of third-wave coffee roasting, this has become even more common.
Not only can you get a great feel for a city and its people by visiting your local coffee shop, you can also get some great souvenirs to take home with you. This is why we make it a priority when visiting any new city or country, to do our due diligence and find the go-to local spot to pick up a fresh bag of beans to take home with us.
Almanegra in Mexico City’s Colonia Roma was one such go-to place. Just a few block from our AirBnB, this hip, hole-in the wall was a great place to get your morning cup, or a mid-day pick-me-up.
Another great spot in CDMX is the even-more-hole-in-the-wall shop, Café Avellaneda. At this bustling shop on a side street of CDMX’s vibrant Coyoacán neighborhood (home of Frida Kahlo), you’ll find only a hand full of of seats (mostly bar seats) and a great selection of roasts, as well as some interesting specialty house drinks.
Even the heat can’t keep us away from a good latte! You’ll find Cogito Coffee in a few locations throughout Croatia (and even one in Philadelphia?) but we were drawn to the Zadar and Zagreb locations (with a special affinity for the Zagreb shop). Not only do they serve a great latte, but they also sell adorable cold brew bottles for those hot days.
Then there are those locations whose weather just requires a nice cup of coffee. Despite the (relatively) nice weather we experienced in Iceland (60 and sunny!?), nothing beat a nice hot latte from resident Reykjavik Roasters on a cold morning
While there is something to be said for the simple home-brewed cup of coffee, nothing quite beats discovering a new-to-you coffee shop on your travels. Grabbing a cup of coffee or a latte and simply blending in with the scene, taking in the locals going about their days, is one of the great pleasures of travel. And at the end of your trip, with any luck, you’ll have a suitcase full of fresh coffee beans to bring home. What’s better than that?