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If you’re already in Guatemala, you likely know about all the amazing coffee shops in Antigua. This small city is a gem for many reasons, and the cafe scene is certainly one!
As I learnt at a coffee farm here, Guatemala is the 8th biggest coffee producer in the world. When you consider the huge size of the countries above it on the list (like Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and India), it’s impressive. Guatemala is tiny by comparison! It’s the biggest producer in Central America, followed by Honduras and El Salvador below.
Perhaps it’s the freshness of the locally grown coffee or simply the coffee culture in this petite yet stunning city. Either way, coffee is a big part of the tourism and the local life. A guide at the coffee farm told me he drank 12 cups a day (but has wound it back to four following ‘twitches’).
Fanatic like me (and him?) Read all my coffee guides!
Best speciality coffee shops in Antigua
In addition to the high quality of Guatemalan coffee, I attribute the chill vibe of Antigua to the fantastic coffee shops. This is a place where travellers come for adventurous volcano hikes and as a launching point between Lake Atitlan, Tikal, Semuc Champey, and other popular places on a Guatemala itinerary.
There’s heavy footfall of travellers however there isn’t LOADS to do in this small city. But once you’ve come down from the crazy Acatanango hike, you probably won’t want to do much apart from sip coffee at cute cafes. It’s the perfect place for downtime.
Here are my favourite spots for truly excellent coffee…
12 Onzas


Minimalist chic and exposed brick? It could only be a hipster coffee shop!
12 Onzas is an aesthetically pleasing cafe just a block from the main square serving every type of coffee you could possibly want.
Get global faves like flat whites and cortados or sip something regional like espresso with horchata (a sweet cinnamon drink) or cacao (drink of the ancient gods, first enjoyed in this part of the world).
Don’t miss the baked goods! From almond Toblerone cookies to pecan pie, it’s a sugar wonderland. The brunch dishes are also extra… Think gorgonzola baked eggs and French toast with poached pear, red berries, coconut and vanilla ice cream. So indulgent!
Star menu items: iced drinking chocolate with almond. Oh, and those pancakes!
Co-working potential: not bad, quite a few people were working and the Wi-Fi is strong.
Fat Cat


If we’re going off the quality of the coffee alone, Fat Cat may be the numero uno cafe in Antigua. It’s just across the road from 12 Onzas and, to be honest, you can’t go wrong with either!
They know their stuff; there are about 8 pour-over varieties and all the milk blends you could dream up.
Co-working potential: there are only a few tables and they’re all big so you’d feel you were taking up space.
Coffea Cafes Especiales


There are two branches of this coffee shop in Antigua, both with an adorable interior and the feel of someone’s cosy home.
The coffee at Coffea Cafes Especiales is some of the best in town. They serve sandwiches and desserts but it’s more somewhere for speciality coffee than food.
Venue #1 on Av 6 has a cosy coffee shop feel while the second venue is in a pretty, spacious courtyard shared with Volko Hostel.
Co-working potential: the cafe on Av 6 is small with only a couple of tables so you feel bad staying for hours, but I worked here once and the internet is speedy. The second one is outside so may lead to screen glare depending on the shade situation.

Siena Luz Coffee & Bookshop
Easily in my top 3 places in town, Siena Luz has speciality coffee but a nicer outdoor seating area than the two Antigua cafes mentioned above. The staff are really friendly and they do a mean oat milk iced latte.
As the name suggests, they also have a cute reading room onsite.
Co-working potential: good!


Fernando’s Kaffee
Located conveniently near my Spanish school, Fernando’s became my go-to for an iced latte over homework. It feels more homey and less hipster than some of the speciality coffee shops in Antigua but that might be exactly what you want.
Another convincing reason to visit Fernando’s is their chocolate factory selling all kinds of indulgent cacao products. Dare ya to leave without buying!
Co-working potential: good and very peaceful. No distractions!
El Gran Cafe
Many people will tell you that El Gran Cafe will serve the best speciality coffee in Antigua and it would be hard to quibble with them. The cortado is the star drink, or try their iced latte on a hot day.
Not only is the coffee excellent, but the cafe is an aesthetic dream: clean white walls, pretty tiled floors and wooden furniture.
Co-working potential: it’s small so a better place to grab a quick drink.
Alegria


If you love an arty and alternative vibe, Alegria is the cafe for you. When strolling by, I was instantly drawn in by the colourful vibe with hanging artwork and lots of plants. If I ever stop spending all my money on food and travel and own a house, hopefully it looks exactly like this.
The coffee was great and no one bothered me when spending a few hours reading and writing here. Another favourite!
Co-working potential: good, I think, although I didn’t try the Wi-Fi.
Ojala Cafe & Hotel

This is another cute coffee shop in Antigua that drew me in while wandering by. If you buy a coffee at Ojala, you can enjoy the boho atmosphere of the garden without paying for the hotel! It’s a sunny courtyard with huge swinging hammock chairs.
Another positive reason to visit? Their coffee is sourced from female-owned coffee farms!
Co-working potential: there aren’t really suitable tables. It’s a better spot to hang out.
Elemental

Elemental was beside my hostel (Somos which I can recommend as a lovely budget base) as well as other tourist attractions like the Santa Clara ruins.
The courtyard is a gorgeous place with a historic vibe, while the coffee equipment is state-of-the-art.
Cafes in Antigua with good food
Here are my top suggestions when you want quality food and quality coffee in Antigua…
Cafe Sol

Don’t miss Cafe Sol if it’s speciality coffee you’re after (as well as quality baked goods). When I visited, there was a group on a guided coffee tour of Antigua so it must be good!
The other convincing reason to visit is the seating overlooking the volcano. It’s just a bar with a few seats so not necessarily the comfiest or best for groups (but there are regular tables downstairs if you prefer), but the views are idyllic.
They have great breakfast and brunch options like fungi toast (I can vouch for this), omelettes, healthy oat pancakes, brioche breakfast buns, fruit bowls and banana French toast.
After 1pm, it switches to the lunch menu with bagels, quiche and snacky tapas dishes.
Co-working potential: the downstairs area may work but it was too sunny when I tried working up on the terrace.
Raiz Cafe
In a beautiful pink building on the edge of town, Raiz serves the perfect flat white with sublime coffee art and moreish cookies.
However, they also do tasty food from smoothie bowls to savoury bowls featuring beef, chicken and beans. Their aesthetic Instagram is also worth a snoop.
Union Cafe

With a beautiful interior and amazing food and coffee, Union Cafe & Juice Bar is another of my favourite coffee shops in Antigua.
The coffee is fantastic and the staff know their stuff. I asked them the difference between a cortado and macchiato (not because I was quizzing them but because I wanted to know!) and they didn’t miss a beat.
Star menu items: the falafel salad (70Q).
Co-working potential: it’s ideal!
Cafe Cafe
I ate at Cafe Cafe several times. I even had my Christmas lunch here with other students from my language school. The classic Christmas veggie crepe 😉
The prices are good: for 50Q you can get a hearty breakfast with UNLIMITED coffee. This is served in a giant French press; if you want a different drink, you can pay to upgrade.
They also have another, smaller cafe in Antigua called Cafe Cafe Mas Sano (more healthy) where they do healthy smoothie bowls and savoury Buddha bowls.
Star menu items: I liked the veggie crepe.
Co-working potential: very good.
Coffee con vistas
Here’s where to get caffeinated with the best volcano views…
Note – these aren’t great places to work with a laptop, just come for the views!
Cafe Estudio

Cafe Estudio is your best bet for views AND some of the best coffee in Antigua. The beautiful yellow terrace filled with plants is where to relax and soak up the sun with volcano vistas.

The only bad bit is there’s no shade so it’s best to visit early for your morning coffee.
Cafe Boheme

What a gem! I paid about £3 for a cheesy omelette with homemade bread while watching Fuego explore in the distance.
Cafe Boheme is where to come for good coffee, food AND views. Sadly I didn’t try the quiche because I’ve spotted a review from a self-confessed quiche fanatic saying this was the best quiche of her LIFE and breaking down the different elements. Dedication to quiche I respect!
So, all this to say, try the quiche!
Cafe Sky
Cafe Sky doesn’t serve speciality coffee so I just went with a tea. But no one visits for the quality of the drinks but the spectacular views. On a clear day, you can see from Volcán de Agua to Acatanango and Fuego erupting on the regular.

They also serve alcoholic drinks and food. Honestly, nothing looks amazing but it’s the views you go for!
Coffee tours in Antigua


One of the best things I did in Antigua was visit Finca La Azotea, a fantastic farm with a coffee museum, several restaurants (serving excellent coffee, obviously) and daily coffee tours departing on the hour.
The tour costs 50Q (£5/$6) and lasts around an hour including a tasting. I found it fascinating: we got to see the full life cycle of the bean, starting by picking our own and tasting the sweet goo between the bean and skin.
We learnt so many facts from our guide, and there are plenty more to be learned in the onsite coffee museum if you don’t get your fill!
To book a slot on the tour, drop them a message on Instagram.
Thanks for reading!
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