Whether you need a place to work or are just craving a decent flat white, we’ll show you where to find the best coffee in Oaxaca

Go back more years than we’d like to mention to our very first trip to Mexico, and it’s fair to say that we were somewhat culturally unaware.

Our Spanish was pretty awful, Andrew didn’t really like the taste of corn, and our coffee preferences extended to whatever the hipster-friendly East London coffee shop down the road was serving.

We knew we liked the taste of coffee and we knew that we didn’t like the taste of bad coffee, but we were far from understanding the complexities of various beans from around the world, and even less about the process of farming, producing, and delicately roasting it.

Well, fast forward nearly a decade and things have changed a tad: our Spanish is pretty decent (thank you Michel Thomas), we’ll demolish corn in all its forms, and we can distinguish the taste not only of beans from different continents, but individual countries sometimes.

And Oaxacan coffee? We looooove Oaxacan coffee.

Most of it doesn’t leave the country, and if it does, it only really goes as far as the States; we’ve never seen it sold in the UK or Europe, with roasts from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia and Brazil far more common. The state of Oaxaca’s coffee production is concentrated primarily in the verdant highlands of the Sierra Madre, notably in regions such as Pluma Hidalgo, Santa María de Lachixío, and San Juan Tequila, and production remains quite small-scale.

That’s why we made a point to enjoy as many cups as possible whilst basing ourselves in the gorgeous colonial city for more than a week.

And man, is Oaxaca’s coffee shop game strong! Almost certainly related to the city’s popularity as a base for digital nomads, all sorts of achingly cool cafes have popped up. Expect lots of poured cement, minimalistic design, distressed wood and low-light - plus tables full of travellers who have decided to take their working life on the road.

And pretty much all of them are primarily serving up locally grown, locally roasted Oaxacan coffee.

So, whether you’re just looking for a really good flat white to start your day, a mellow cold brew to cool off, or a place with decent wifi from which to get the day’s tasks done, this guide to our favourite coffee shops in Oaxaca should have you covered!

best oaxaca coffee shops

| Marito & Moglie
| La Clínica
| Muss Café
| El Volador
| Nono Café
| Origen
| Kiyo Café
/ Plan your trip with our Oaxaca guide

Marito & Moglie Café

Located in one of Oaxaca’s prettiest colonial streets, Marito & Moglie serve up some of the best coffee in Oaxaca in a very cool environment. Its location just around the corner from our Airbnb meant that this became a bit of a local for us during our eight days in the city.

Set over a relatively large space, it offers various areas to sit: the small front section where the coffee is prepared, a few tables in the back room ideal for working, and a sun-filled open-air patio.

Digital nomads will be delighted to know that the wifi here is really excellent (which is probably one of the reasons it’s difficult to get a table!). However, we’d actually put Mario & Moglie forward more as a coffee + breakfast/brunch place for travellers and locals to enjoy, rather than a place for digital nomads to colonise, due to the limited seating and its popularity. If you do plan on spending a few hours here, we’d recommend arriving early to grab yourself a space.

Their pastries are bloody good and they also do excellent brunches, but be aware that they’re a little on the pricer side.

Where | Google Maps

LA CLÍNICA

Located in one of Oaxaca’s most up-and-coming areas, is this super cool, albeit slightly confusing cultural venue.

Part coffee shop, part design store, and and part exhibition space in a really cool old medical clinic, it was not long opened when we were there but hit us with all the aesthetic vibes.

Visitors can choose to sit within the garden (which also doubles as an exhibition space) or the corner cafe itself.

Their menu is more limited than other speciality coffee shops elsewhere in the city, but they do also offer a number of teas for those that prefer their hot drinks with a little less caffeine. Also, if you’ve got a sweet-tooth, you should absolutely try one of their super decadent pastries.

When | Open 1pm to 6pm on Mondays, 11am to 7pm Wednesday to Saturday, and closed on Tuesday.

Where | Google Maps

Top Tip // They also have a couple of stylish Airbnbs - The Garden Room and The Clinic Suite

Muss Café

Located within the gorgeous Casa Antioneta (a gorgeous former colonial palace and now one of Oaxaca’s best boutique hotels), Muss Café is probably the most beautiful coffee shop in this list.

It’s an ideal spot for a morning coffee, but it’s become a super popular cafe amongst digital nomads who come for the coffee, the food and the pretty co-working space in the inner courtyard. Those in the know will also find their way up to the plant-filled rooftop terrace for spectacular views over the city (although the wifi isn’t fantastic up here), enjoyed - naturally - with one of Muss’ excellent cocktails.

Do be aware that the courtyard and rooftop are only accessible after 10am, when the hotel’s guests finish their breakfasts. Before that time, the front of house area of Muss Cafe only has a handful of tables, making it a better option to pop in for a quick coffee to start the day’s explorations in the historical centre of Oaxaca.

They source all their organic coffee from the cloud forests of Finca Las Nieves.

The only real downside - at least for a pair of Brits - is the obsession with asking for tips, even if just grabbing a takeaway or having a very quick espresso at the counter.

When | 7.30am to 9.30pm Monday to Saturday, and 8am to 3pm on Sundays

Where | Google Maps

nono café

'Nos vemos en la esquina'

This tiny little coffee shop, located in a 100-year-old building on the corner of one of the city’s most street art heavy calles, serves up an exceptional flat white in a modern minimalist environment.

They offer a variety of speciality coffees (we didn’t have time to try the pour overs but others rave about them), alongside a handful of simple food options and tasty treats.

The staff are super friendly, and very happy to speak to the story of their coffee beans, all of which are Oaxacan. There’s also a few interesting architecture and design books to peruse.

Whilst it was a little on the small side for us to work in (we tend to feel uncomfortable about taking up a table when a café only has a handful), it seemed to a popular place for locals and tourists alike to get a few hours in behind the laptop.

When | Tuesday to Sunday from 7.30am to 4pm.

Where | Google Maps

Kiyo Café

We were seeking solace from the harsh midday sun on the day we stumbled across Kiyo, a cool little find of poured concrete and knowledgeable staff that served up one of the best cold brews that we’ve ever had (and certainly the best we had in Mexico), alongside a pretty wide selection of speciality coffees.

Their bean selection varies, but in addition to a locally-sourced option, you can also choose from beans from elsewhere in Mexico and as far away as Ethiopia.

Although the design is very much in-keeping with other third wave coffee shops in Oaxaca, Kiyo’s small space veers more towards an industrial aesthetic, and also serves as a trendy boutique, with curated collections from local artists and creatives.

We did see a couple of people working from here, but given they have very limited number of tables, we’d recommend not setting up for the entire day.

Unbeknownst to us at the time, the owner’s behind Kiyo also have a lifestyle clothing brand, and offer a small number of beautiful boutique-style rooms that can be rented on Airbnb (with breakfast at the café, of course).

When | Open 9am to 7pm everyday except Sundays, when it shuts at 5pm

Where | Google Maps

Café El Volador

This cute little coffee shop is located in the area we’ve labelled 'the northern quarter' - see our guide on the best things to do in Oaxaca to understand what they hell we’re talking about.

It really is teeny tiny but left a big impression on us - not simply for the excellent coffee, but also the friendly and knowledgeable baristas.

We absolutely love learning about the background of the beans we’re about to drink, and the girls that work here were to explain their story, as well as the roasting process that happens right there in the shop!

We both needed a hit of espresso on a day of wandering around and photographing, so opted for a couple of delicious cortados, but they they also offer a handful of traditional (and not so traditional) options like the café de olla and Arabic coffee, which we can imagine would be lovely on a chilly morning!

Note that they only serve espresso-based drinks (that is, no filter coffee).

We didn’t try it, but the local chocolate they sell is supposedly excellent too.

As mentioned, El Volador is small, with only a couple of tables inside and the odd chair outside, so not one to plan for hours at (and definitely not somewhere you can work).

Afterward, make sure to check out the ceramics at Cooperativa 1050°

When | 8am to 9pm everyday

Where | Google Maps

Origen

A stalwart of the city’s gastronomic scene (serving up sustainable, locally sourced Oaxacan-inspired dishes with a fine dining twist), Origen is more of a restaurant than a coffee shop. However, the interiors and the excellent espresso-based coffees mean that this establishment is more than deserving of a place on this list!

As one might expect, this is not somewhere that you can come and work, and for those just interested in a cup of coffee, we’d recommend visiting during the lulls between meals.

When | 1pm to 5pm, then again 7pm to 11pm everyday

Where | Google Maps

Other OAXACA Coffee Shops We didn’t have time to visit

Sagrado Filemón (maps) I Located not too far from Nono, we were unfortunately coffee-ed out by the time we passed by the highly-rated Sagrado Filemón. It is however a gorgeous colonial space, and they roast their own Oaxacan beans.

Cafébre (maps) | Bored of the minimalist, designs-focussed coffee shops that have become so ubiquitous? Consider visiting Cafébre. Located in a big old colonial building it’s got plenty of workspace, decent wifi and those old school traveller vibes that rarely pass for cool these days.

Pan con Madre (maps) | If you love to pair your morning coffee with a sweet treat, you absolutely need to check out Pan Con Madre. A delightful mix of cafe and bakery, they make all their bread and pastries by hand, onsite and with local flours (none of that sweetened stuff that’s ubiquitous across the Americas), to be enjoyed with a coffee in the large courtyard patio.

We didn’t make it unfortunately, but it was recommended to us more than one Instagram follower (find us over on @alongdustyroads)

Café Boca del Monte (maps) | If you’re looking for a place to enjoy decent coffee alongside brunch or lunch with an incredible view over Oaxaca, this rooftop cafe should be on your list.

Boulenc (maps) | This one isn’t here as a recommendation, so much as a little counter-advice to all the other blogs singing its praises. It’s not that the food won’t be any good (we didn’t eat there), but we can’t help but feel that it’s hugely overrated as a destination.

There are usually queues out the door, with wait times of up to an hour for a table.

For us, it’s too large a space, the menu featuring European and American favourites is a little too humdrum, and it’s not what we were looking for whilst in Oaxaca .