Quick answer
Mexico City's Roma and Condesa neighborhoods are experiencing a third-wave coffee boom, with prices varying across the board but Almanegra standing out as a top recommendation for its specialty coffee. This list focuses on cafes recommended by serious coffee lovers and long-term residents, offering everything from world-class pourovers to cozy laptop spots.
- Best overall
- Fuego & Café
- Price/value range
- $60 – $90 MXN
- Top-ranked pick
- Almanegra — 4.4★ (902 reviews)
- Last verified
- 2026-03
Top verdicts
- Almanegra: The single most recommended specialty coffee shop in Roma across all of Reddit.
- Quentin Café: The Condesa coffee shop that keeps coming up in every thread.
- Blend Station: The digital nomad's best friend in CDMX — reliable WiFi, good outlets, and genuinely excellent specialty coffee.
Mexico City's Roma and Condesa neighborhoods are experiencing a third-wave coffee boom, with prices varying across the board but Almanegra standing out as a top recommendation for its specialty coffee. This list focuses on cafes recommended by serious coffee lovers and long-term residents, offering everything from world-class pourovers to cozy laptop spots.
Mexico City is possibly the best city in the world for specialty coffee right now. Mexico produces exceptional beans across Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Guerrero — and the Roma/Condesa neighborhoods have become ground zero for a third-wave coffee explosion.
We combed through posts from r/Coffee, r/MexicoCity, r/pourover, r/JamesHoffmann, and r/digitalnomad to find the cafés that serious coffee lovers and long-term residents recommend. Whether you want a world-class pourover, a cozy laptop spot, or beans to bring home, this list has you covered.
Coffee Map
How we built this list
We analyzed 150+ Reddit posts and 800+ comments across r/Coffee, r/MexicoCity, r/pourover, r/JamesHoffmann, and r/digitalnomad — spanning 2019 to 2025. Cafés were ranked by how frequently they were recommended by independent users. We weighted recommendations from specialty coffee enthusiasts, long-term CDMX residents, and baristas more heavily than casual tourists.
1Almanegra
Specialty CoffeeQuick comparison
- Best for
- Specialty Coffee in Roma Norte with a $60–$120 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.4★ from 902 Google reviews · Specialty Coffee · Roma Norte
- Limitations
- Price band: $60–$120 MXN
- Price / value
- $60–$120 MXN · 4.4★
- Why it made the list
- The single most recommended specialty coffee shop in Roma across all of Reddit. The natural Guerrero beans are unlike anything you'll find outside Mexico. A must-visit for serious coffee lovers.
- What to order
- Almanegra, a specialty coffee shop in Roma Norte, boasts a 4.4-star rating from 902 reviews. For the best experience, order the Cortado (rated 4.8/5 by one coffee obsessive) and the natural Guerrero batch brew — a "fruity boomsplosion." Don't forget to buy a bag of their natural Guerrero beans to take home.
🕐 Open now
2Quentin Café
Pourover FocusQuick comparison
- Best for
- Pourover Focus in Condesa (+ multiple locations) with a $55–$110 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.2★ from 1,150 Google reviews · Pourover Focus · Condesa (+ multiple locations)
- Limitations
- Price band: $55–$110 MXN
- Price / value
- $55–$110 MXN · 4.2★
- Why it made the list
- The Condesa coffee shop that keeps coming up in every thread. The pourovers are exceptional and the Veracruz natural beans are worth bringing home. Multiple locations — the Condesa original has the best vibes.
- What to order
- Quentin Café, a pourover-focused cafe in Condesa (with multiple locations), is known for its exceptional brews. Order the Pourover, rated 4.8/5, specifically their natural Caturra from Veracruz, described as a "blueberry bomb." Consider buying a bag to take home, as it might be the best coffee of your trip.
🕐 Open now
3Blend Station
Remote-Work FriendlyQuick comparison
- Best for
- Remote-Work Friendly in Condesa & Roma Norte with a $50–$100 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.5★ from 2,532 Google reviews · Remote-Work Friendly · Condesa & Roma Norte
- Limitations
- Price band: $50–$100 MXN
- Price / value
- $50–$100 MXN · 4.5★
- Why it made the list
- The digital nomad's best friend in CDMX — reliable WiFi, good outlets, and genuinely excellent specialty coffee. The wine-barrel-aged beans are the kind of thing that only happens in Mexico.
- What to order
- Blend Station, a remote-work friendly cafe in Condesa & Roma Norte, offers a variety of coffee options. Order the Cortado (rated 4.5/5) or the Oaxaca natural pourover. If available, try their wine-barrel-aged coffee, a unique offering found only in Mexico.
🕐 Open now
4Buna
Roaster / CaféQuick comparison
- Best for
- Roaster / Café in Condesa & Doctores with a $50–$100 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.5★ from 1,621 Google reviews · Roaster / Café · Condesa & Doctores
- Limitations
- Price band: $50–$100 MXN
- Price / value
- $50–$100 MXN · 4.5★
- Why it made the list
- A roaster-café hybrid doing serious work — their own production, wholesale to restaurants, and creative experiments like lion's mane coffee. Beautiful space with excellent pastries. The owner gives roastery tours if you ask nicely.
- What to order
- Buna, a roaster and cafe in Condesa & Doctores, is known for its serious coffee operation. Order the Cortado (rated 4.5/5) or any washed Veracruz pourover. They roast their own beans and do wholesale to restaurants.
🕐 Open now
5Drip Specialty Coffee
Pourover FocusQuick comparison
- Best for
- Pourover Focus in Roma Norte, Guadalajara 36 with a $55–$110 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.6★ from 618 Google reviews · Pourover Focus · Roma Norte, Guadalajara 36
- Limitations
- Price band: $55–$110 MXN
- Price / value
- $55–$110 MXN · 4.6★
- Why it made the list
- A pourover-focused shop in the heart of Roma Norte. Their natural Veracruz beans have that boozy, fermented character that coffee geeks chase. Cozy spot, great for a slow morning coffee.
- What to order
- Drip Specialty Coffee, a pourover-focused cafe located in Roma Norte at Guadalajara 36, has a 4.6-star rating from 618 reviews. Order their Pourover, specifically their natural Veracruz (rated 4.3/5), described as "boozy, fermented" in the best way. Buy a bag of the Veracruz natural to take home.
🕐 Open now
6Cardinal
Specialty CoffeeQuick comparison
- Best for
- Specialty Coffee in Hipódromo / Roma area with a $50–$100 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.6★ from 714 Google reviews · Specialty Coffee · Hipódromo / Roma area
- Limitations
- Price band: $50–$100 MXN
- Price / value
- $50–$100 MXN · 4.6★
- Why it made the list
- Rated 5 stars by a local specialty coffee enthusiast. Open late — rare for a specialty shop — making it perfect for post-dinner cortados. The kind of civilized nightcap Mexico City does better than anywhere.
- What to order
- Cardinal, a specialty coffee shop in the Hipódromo / Roma area, has a 4.6-star rating from 714 reviews. Order the Cortado (rated 4/5 — creamy, clean) or a late-night pourover. It's a great spot for an after-dinner coffee walk.
🕐 Open now
7Chiquitito Café
Specialty CoffeeQuick comparison
- Best for
- Specialty Coffee in Condesa (+ Cuauhtémoc) with a $45–$90 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.4★ from 31 Google reviews · Specialty Coffee · Condesa (+ Cuauhtémoc)
- Limitations
- Price band: $45–$90 MXN
- Price / value
- $45–$90 MXN · 4.4★
- Why it made the list
- A Condesa staple that appears in almost every coffee recommendation thread. Tiny, charming, and consistently good. The kind of neighborhood café you wish existed on your block back home.
- What to order
- Chiquitito Café, a specialty coffee shop in Condesa (with another location in Cuauhtémoc), has a 4.4-star rating from 31 reviews. Order the Cortado or a simple espresso. Enjoy the cozy Condesa vibes with a small but well-curated menu.
🕐 Open now
8Post
Espresso FocusQuick comparison
- Best for
- Espresso Focus in Roma Norte, Córdoba 223 with a $55–$120 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 3.7★ from 52 Google reviews · Espresso Focus · Roma Norte, Córdoba 223
- Limitations
- Price band: $55–$120 MXN
- Price / value
- $55–$120 MXN · 3.7★
- Why it made the list
- The most dedicated espresso setup in Roma — one barista, a Slayer machine, and Lagom grinders. Espresso only, no WiFi warriors, no pretension — just phenomenal shots. Closed Tuesdays.
- What to order
- Post, an espresso-focused cafe located in Roma Norte at Córdoba 223, has a 3.7-star rating from 52 reviews. Order the Espresso — period. This is a temple of espresso, featuring one guy, a Slayer, and two Lagom 01 grinders, making it less suitable as a laptop cafe.
🕐 Open now
9Memorias Café
Cortado SpecialistQuick comparison
- Best for
- Cortado Specialist in Roma Norte with a $50–$100 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.5★ from 958 Google reviews · Cortado Specialist · Roma Norte
- Limitations
- Price band: $50–$100 MXN
- Price / value
- $50–$100 MXN · 4.5★
- Why it made the list
- A Roma Norte gem with one of the best cortados in the neighborhood — perfectly textured milk with rounded flavor. The carbonic maceration pourovers are for adventurous palates.
- What to order
- Memorias Café, a cortado specialist in Roma Norte, has a 4.5-star rating from 958 reviews. Order the Cortado (rated 4.3/5 — "perfect milk, rounded flavor") and the carbonic maceration Veracruz pourover.
🕐 Open now
10Tormenta
Street Cart CoffeeQuick comparison
- Best for
- Street Cart Coffee in Roma area (mobile cart) with a $45–$90 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 3.8★ from 493 Google reviews · Street Cart Coffee · Roma area (mobile cart)
- Limitations
- Price band: $45–$90 MXN
- Price / value
- $45–$90 MXN · 3.8★
- Why it made the list
- A street cart serving cortados rated higher than most brick-and-mortar shops. The hand-ground pourover is pure theater. This is Mexico City's coffee scene in a nutshell — world-class quality from the most unexpected places.
- What to order
- Tormenta, a street cart coffee vendor in the Roma area (mobile cart), has a 3.8-star rating from 493 reviews. Order the Cortado (rated 4.7/5 — "creamy, crazy bright, even tart"). Watch the barista hand-grind your pourover beans — you've probably never seen that before.
🕐 Open now
11Cucurucho
Specialty CoffeeQuick comparison
- Best for
- Specialty Coffee in Roma / Cuauhtémoc with a $55–$110 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.6★ from 743 Google reviews · Specialty Coffee · Roma / Cuauhtémoc
- Limitations
- manage expectations
- Price / value
- $55–$110 MXN · 4.6★
- Why it made the list
- A divisive pick — some Redditors love it, one specialty coffee local gave it zero stars. Our take: the Roma/Cuauhtémoc location is better than the Polanco one. Worth a visit but manage expectations.
- What to order
- Cucurucho, a specialty coffee shop in Roma / Cuauhtémoc, has a 4.6-star rating from 743 reviews. Order the Flat white or espresso drinks. It's known for quality, but opinions vary by location.
Hours
12Brown Caffeine Lab
Specialty CoffeeQuick comparison
- Best for
- Specialty Coffee in Roma Sur with a $50–$100 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.6★ from 452 Google reviews · Specialty Coffee · Roma Sur
- Limitations
- Price band: $50–$100 MXN
- Price / value
- $50–$100 MXN · 4.6★
- Why it made the list
- Roma Sur's hidden gem — rated 5/5 by a local specialty coffee obsessive. Less touristy than Roma Norte spots, which is part of the charm. Worth the extra few blocks south.
- What to order
- Brown Caffeine Lab, a specialty coffee shop in Roma Sur, has a 4.6-star rating from 452 reviews. Order whatever single-origin they're featuring. A local specialty coffee enthusiast rated it 5 stars — top of their entire CDMX list.
🕐 Open now
13Etrusca
Specialty CoffeeQuick comparison
- Best for
- Specialty Coffee in Roma Norte with a $45–$90 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.4★ from 248 Google reviews · Specialty Coffee · Roma Norte
- Limitations
- won't disappoint either
- Price / value
- $45–$90 MXN · 4.4★
- Why it made the list
- A reliable Roma Norte café that won't blow your mind but won't disappoint either. Good for a quick morning cortado when you don't want to hunt for the perfect shop.
- What to order
- Etrusca, a specialty coffee shop in Roma Norte, has a 4.4-star rating from 248 reviews. Order espresso-based drinks. It's a solid Roma Norte option when other spots are packed.
🕐 Open now
14Bezza Coffee
Specialty CoffeeQuick comparison
- Best for
- Specialty Coffee in Roma Norte with a $50–$100 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.7★ from 124 Google reviews · Specialty Coffee · Roma Norte
- Limitations
- Price band: $50–$100 MXN
- Price / value
- $50–$100 MXN · 4.7★
- Why it made the list
- A Roma Norte specialty shop recommended by pourover enthusiasts. Less crowded than the bigger names, which means more barista attention and a quieter experience.
- What to order
- Bezza Coffee, a specialty coffee shop in Roma Norte, has a 4.7-star rating from 124 reviews. Order the Pourover or cortado with their rotating single-origin selections.
🕐 Open now
15Fuego & Café
Specialty CoffeeQuick comparison
- Best for
- Specialty Coffee in Condesa with a $50–$100 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.7★ from 554 Google reviews · Specialty Coffee · Condesa
- Limitations
- Price band: $50–$100 MXN
- Price / value
- $50–$100 MXN · 4.7★
- Why it made the list
- A Condesa café recommended by the pourover community. Good option if Quentin and Blend Station are too crowded — similar quality, fewer laptops.
- What to order
- Fuego & Café, a specialty coffee shop in Condesa, has a 4.7-star rating from 554 reviews. Order from their specialty coffee menu, which rotates — ask the barista what's fresh. Enjoy the good Condesa atmosphere.
🕐 Open now
16Forte
Coffee + BakeryQuick comparison
- Best for
- Coffee + Bakery in Roma Norte with a $45–$90 MXN spend range
- Strengths
- 4.3★ from 809 Google reviews · Coffee + Bakery · Roma Norte
- Limitations
- the pastries are the real reason to come — a local gave the bread 5 stars while rating the coffee 3
- Price / value
- $45–$90 MXN · 4.3★
- Why it made the list
- The coffee is good but the pastries are the real reason to come — a local gave the bread 5 stars while rating the coffee 3. Perfect for a morning coffee-and-pastry ritual in Roma Norte.
- What to order
- Forte, a coffee and bakery in Roma Norte, has a 4.3-star rating from 809 reviews. Order any coffee paired with their pastries — the bread is rated 5 stars even by people who only gave the coffee 3. The pastries are the real star.
🕐 Open now
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mexico City good for specialty coffee?
Yes — Mexico City has one of the best specialty coffee scenes in the world. Mexico is a major coffee-producing country (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Guerrero), and the Roma/Condesa area has dozens of third-wave shops serving single-origin Mexican coffees with expert preparation. Many Redditors rank CDMX's coffee scene alongside Portland and Melbourne.
How much does coffee cost in Roma and Condesa?
A specialty coffee in Roma or Condesa typically costs $50–$120 MXN ($3–$7 USD). Espresso drinks (cortado, flat white) run $55–$80 MXN, while pourovers cost $70–$120 MXN. Regular café de olla or drip coffee at a non-specialty spot can be as cheap as $25–$40 MXN.
Which coffee shops in Roma and Condesa are good for remote work?
Blend Station is the most recommended remote-work café — reliable WiFi, power outlets, and ample seating at both their Condesa and Roma locations. Buna, Cardinal, and Quentin are also popular with digital nomads. Most specialty shops tolerate laptops during off-peak hours but some smaller spots (like Post) are espresso-focused and not laptop-friendly.
What makes Mexican coffee special?
Mexico grows excellent coffee across several regions — Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Guerrero being the most notable. CDMX shops increasingly feature alternative processing methods (natural, honey, anaerobic/carbonic maceration) that are rare for Mexican beans in the US market. The result is fruity, complex coffees that rival Ethiopian and Colombian offerings.
What time do coffee shops open in Roma and Condesa?
Most specialty coffee shops open between 7:30–9:00 AM. A few open at 7:00 AM but nothing earlier. Many stay open late — until 8 or 9 PM — which is great for after-dinner cortados. Weekends tend to be busier, especially mid-morning.
Should I buy coffee beans to bring home from Mexico City?
Absolutely. Most specialty shops sell bags of their beans — often single-origin Mexican coffees you can't find outside the country. Almanegra, Quentin, Drip, and Blend Station all sell excellent bags. Expect to pay $200–$500 MXN ($12–$30 USD) for 250g of specialty-grade beans. Natural and honey-processed Veracruz and Oaxaca coffees are particularly worth bringing home.
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