On the first day in Antigua Guatemala during my recent visit, I decided to walk across town from north to south to discover and experience the famed local coffee culture first hand. I had created a little list of places I wanted to check out and Artista de Café was the furthest away so it became my first destination.

Before I talk about this cute café, I just have to say how absolutely beautiful Antigua is. I was gagged honey. Being half-Mexican and having seen many colonial beauties across Latin America, I realised that Antigua is somehow on another level. It’s not just its natural surroundings with a total of three visible volcanos but the incredibly well-preserved buildings, cobbled streets and laid back atmosphere too. It stole my heart immediately.

Artista de Café is a bit outside of the core centre where it is generally a bit quieter but I was surprised that inside the café it was basically a full house. With various spaces, levels and outdoor seating to boot, Artista de Café is hugely popular with expats who live in the city. Thanks to its wide-ranging brunch menu and excellent coffee, it’s also a draw to visitors like myself.

I walked up to the bar and asked the host for a recommendation. She held up three little glass containers with their selection of beans and suggested that I go for an anaerobic processed Gesha, which was then promptly prepared for me by one of the baristas. The elegant interior is a manifestation of Artista de Café’s founder María Andreé Negreros de Durán envisioned when she created this space. It creates a strong contrast with the often bold reds, blues and greens seen on the façades of buildings all over the city.

María drew part of her inspiration from her Guatemalan roots and the close proximity of coffee producers and roasters. There are fantastic coffee farms just 10 – 15 minutes drive outside Antigua, for example. But María also spent some time with Gloria Montenegro of Parisian roastery  La Caféothèque where she was able to expand her knowledge and understanding of this unique beverage.

My coffee was sweet and floral, exactly what I expected from a Gesha. Behind the bar, I could spot the current Guatemalan Aeropress Champion Carlos Emanuel Vivar Ajuchan hard at work and the public at the time of my visit was a wild mix of locals, expats and tourists poking their heads inside.

I didn’t end up ordering any pastries or breakfast despite the fact that the food looked delicious. I’ll just have to save it for my next visit!

Just off the main square in Antigua, there is a great café. It’s called El Gran Café to be precise. It was the first place I visited to get my caffeine fix while in town and it became my regular. I went four times in total. I just fell in love with it.

From outside, it looks very inconspicious and if you blink, you might miss it. I knew exactly what I was looking for though and I’m glad I found it. This coffee shop is really tiny and has almost no seating. But it’s interior is absolutely beautiful. From the gorgeous tiles on the floor to the classy branding and the well-equipped bar. It all works.

The staff was always friendly and knowledgable. I learned that El Gran Café has its own Finca just outside Antigua where much of its coffee comes from and where its coffee is roasted. Unfortunately, you cannot visit, which would have been great to do for an afternoon.

El Gran Café also works with a number of other producers from around Guatemala. Some of its coffees are Cup of Excellence participants. You can buy them to take home or have them brewed for you on site. I actually only had flatties there because El Gran Café was one of the only coffees shops I came across that knew how to prepare this drink properly. In other words, using the right cup size and coffee to milk ratio.

If you have travelled around Guatemala by road, you will have noticed the sad amount of trash everywhere. In contrast, Antigua is surprisingly clean and this is in part thanks to a volunteer project called ‘Nuestra Antigua limpia’. Volunteers can always get their morning coffee from El Gran Café as it is one of the supporters of this project, amongst other initiatives.

According to its founder Josué Morales, he always dreamed of creating a space like El Gran Café where the best specialty coffee could be showcased. I think he very much accomplished that dream. I loved having my morning coffee on the big bench opposite the bar or sitting by the window looking out. This fine little café stole my heart and it will steal yours too.