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Searching for the perfect cup of Colombian coffee has been one of my goals ever since moving to the country. Living in a small coffee harvesting town in the mountains of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, I’m obviously drinking the best coffee in the world every single day, right?
Wrong.
Unfortunately for me and everyone else visiting the country, the best Colombian coffee doesn’t usually stay in Colombia. All the sacks of coffee that I see being loaded on jeeps and large trucks is shipped out of town to be exported to other countries under co-ops such as Juan Valdez.
What does that leave me? A cup full of barely drinkable bitter brown water.
But there is hope. After traveling to at least 30 different towns in the Colombian coffee growing axis, mainly located in the departments of Quindío, Caldas, and Risaralda, I’ve managed to stumble upon a select few cafés that are owned by or serve premium products from local growers. These cafés don’t exist in every town (they’re usually in more touristy places) but they all make an exquisite cup of coffee with the finest quality beans harvested from local farms.
Colombian Coffee Terms
First, a simple guide to drinking coffee in this region of Colombia. Of course you’ll find coffee brewed with alternative methods such as a Chemex or siphon, some great cappuccinos and lattes, often with liquor or additional flavors, but in this part of Colombia, the locals usually drink three simple cups:
- Tinto: a small cup of black coffee. Doesn’t get any simpler than this.
- Pintadito (café con leche): the same small cup of black coffee, but with milk.
- Café montañero: a black coffee with a special local twist – it’s mixed with aguapanela (a sugarcane drink).
My Top Picks for Colombian Coffee
Now, what about these amazing Colombian coffees I’ve found?
In every town I visit, I ask a local where I can find the best coffee in town. Preferably, if it’s owned directly by one of the local farmers or one serving a premium locally-produced brand. It’s not as easy to find as you’d think and I’m usually stuck with the bitter brown water.
Out of the 30 or so towns, I’ve been fortunate enough to find just a handful of places that have met my high standards for Colombian coffee. Each barista in these places takes their coffee very seriously, is extremely knowledgable about what they’re serving, and genuinely cares about your experience.
How do I judge? For the purest flavor, I always ask for a coffee brewed with an alternative method, such as a Chemex or French press. If that’s not available, I go with an americano. My third choice is a cappuccino or latte, but only as a last resort.
Below is my list of the best coffees I’ve personally tried in the Coffee Region (not in any specific order). What the list DOESN’T include are coffee plantation tours. If you take a coffee tour, you’re pretty much guaranteed to get a great cup of coffee – no sugar necessary. Also, I don’t include any specialty coffees you can buy in stores. I prefer to go directly to the source.
Café San Alberto (Buenavista, Quindío)
This is the cream of the crop. Café San Alberto, located just outside the tiny town of Buenavista in Quindío, not only has the best coffee in Colombia, they have the best views for drinking that coffee.
We tried the coffee prepared in a Chemex and immediately upon tasting it we knew this was coffee heaven. If you’re interested, you can organize your own private coffee experience, complete with a walk through their plantation and a tasting session.
Café La Floresta (Pijao, Quindío)
La Floresta offers specialty coffee at a very low price in the non-touristy town of Pijao. It’s located in a tiny little place just off the main plaza. We tried their honey coffee prepared in a Chemex and absolutely loved it.
Café Jesús Martín (Salento, Quindío)
In touristy Salento, Café Jesús Martín serves one of the best coffees I’ve had in Colombia. It’s located just off the main plaza in a small traditional house decorated with antiques. On several visits, I’ve tried almost all of the different coffees and each time was blown away by the quality and flavor.
Obviously the alternative methods are worth trying. They really bring out the pure flavor of their coffee. If you like your coffee sweet, try the Café Angela. It’s black coffee with a perfect amount of foam sitting on top of condensed milk. Mix it up into a nice golden brown color and enjoy. Café Jesús Martín also runs an excellent coffee tour.
Ocaso Coffee House (Salento, Quindío)
Next to the church on the plaza is Ocaso Coffee House. Run by Finca El Ocaso, they have a good selection of coffees as well as alternative methods available. We had a delicious coffee brewed in a Chemex and took home a few bags of beans. Service is excellent and the baristas are knowledgable.
Mirador San Antonio (La Celia, Risaralda)
High above the town of La Celia is Mirador San Antonio, with spectacular views of the town and surrounding areas. There are very few places with a better setting to drink a cup of hot brew.
They serve excellent coffee from a small family-owned coffee farm as well as delicious desserts and a full menu. They also do an in-depth coffee tour.
Flor de Apía (Apía, Risaralda)
Not too far away in Apía is Flor de Apía. This specialty coffee bar is located on the northwest corner of the plaza. Marisol and I shared a Chemex for two and then tried an americano and a cold brew latte. Everything was excellent. They even have a good selection of cakes as well as several other drink options. You also get their coffee at Jasant on Plaza de Bolívar in Pereira.
CoffeecolBean Roastery (Filandia, Quindío)
CoffeecolBean Roastery in Filandia sources specialty coffee from small organic lots in the region. We had a V60 demonstration and enjoyed our coffee very much.
Café Don Danilo (Marsella, Risaralda)
Cozy Café Don Danilo in Marsella makes special coffees with honey and other flavors, as well as with alternative methods. There’s also a small hostel attached. It’s located near the plaza.
El Café de Carlos (Calarcá, Quindío)
The ground floor of the historic Téllez House in Calarcá is occupied by El Café de Carlos, which serves up some of the finest coffee in town. Their specialty coffee brand is La Elba. They also have a full menu as well as delicious desserts.
Café Cumbarco (Sevilla, Valle del Cauca)
In the town of Sevilla, try Café Cumbarco right on the main plaza. They serve excellent coffee out of a kiosk and have a few tables you can sit at. They don’t offer alternative methods, so we ordered an americano.
Café Palomino (Sevilla, Valle del Cauca)
In the town of Sevilla, Café Palomino is a beautiful place with a terrace overlooking a coffee plantation. It doesn’t look like more than a traditional home from the outside, but once you pass through the doors, the atmosphere is immediately transformed into a coffee wonderland.
There’s both the outdoor terrace with a playground, fountain, and seating with a view of the coffee plantation as well as an indoor dining room. We enjoyed a cup of americano outside on the terrace.
Stick around until after dark and the scene gets even better. The terrace was all lit up, which greatly added to the atmosphere. No matter the time of day, it’s a great place to enjoy a fantastic cup of Colombian coffee. There’s even a trail through their coffee plantation in the back!
La Ruana Café Tertulia (Circasia, Quindío)
The absolute highlight of our trips to Circasia has always been La Ruana Café Tertulia. It’s located in an old home a block from the plaza and has a great atmosphere. Besides outdoor seating in the garden, there are a few rooms all decorated with antiques.
On our first visit, Marisol and I each had a cappuccino flavored with liquor and shared a café campesino (coffee with aguapanela). On our second visit, I had a cappuccino and Marisol had a mojito, which they also do very well.
Café El Caney (Belén de Umbría, Risaralda)
This entry wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention a café in my hometown of Belén de Umbría. The best place by far is Café El Caney, located on the plaza by the firehouse. In addition to great coffee, they have delicious cakes as well as good sandwiches and breakfasts.
It’s the only place in town where you can get coffee prepared by alternative methods. We usually get a Chemex, which includes a demonstration at the table. The coffee comes from a finca near Belén de Umbría called El Caney, and the owner is sometimes around to talk about his coffee.
Final Notes on Colombian Coffee
I hope you have a chance to visit Colombia and try some of these fantastic Colombian coffees. I’m sure other places like these exist in other towns, but so far these are the best in my opinion. If I find any more great places in different towns, I’ll be sure to add them here. And if you discover a coffee worth adding to this list, let me know and I’ll go check it out for myself.
