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The Best Mexico City Coffee Shops For Getting Work Done
photo credit: Andrew Reiner
So, you came to Mexico City for a long weekend and now you’re emailing your boss about working remote forever. The next step: finding a place to work that isn’t the kitchen counter of your Airbnb. Here’s a list of coffee shops where you use some reliable wifi, have a few snacks or a full meal, and actually be productive. Trust us—it’s how we wrote this guide.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Andrew Reiner
You’ll find Constela at the intersection of Colima and Jalapa, which makes it extremely convenient if you’re staying in Roma, Juárez, or Condesa. It's big and airy, with plenty of seating inside and on the sidewalk out front. Set up your makeshift work station and order a cortado and some almond french toast from the vegan-friendly menu. The floor-to-ceiling windows let in a ton of natural light, which should make tinkering away at that spreadsheet a little less excruciating.
photo credit: Victor Hugo Morales
Farmacia Internacional quickly became famous at their original Juárez location for their gigantic cakes smothered in buttery frosting. They’ve since added another bigger spot on a lively pedestrian street in Condesa, which is more conducive to spreading out with your laptop for a few hours. Our favorite way to spend a morning here is with a bacon and egg sandwich on a napoleon biscuit, but if you come for lunch, consider the half-soup, half-sandwich, half-salad combo for just $8. Whatever meal you’re here for, get a slice of that cake, then pat yourself on the back for reaching inbox zero (or at least answering more than a single email).
photo credit: Blend Station
Blend Station has four different locations in Mexico City, but we like the one on Avenida Tamaulipas in Condesa best—it’s huge, and essentially a giant coworking space with better food. It gets busy, but you’ll almost always be able to find a spot to plug in, especially if you’re there solo. The quinoa protein bowl will help you power through that half hour Zoom call, but if it’s a marathon meeting kind of day, add a nitrogen cold brew.
photo credit: Andrew Reiner
Even though Qūentin has become something of a small chain (there are four of them throughout the city), it’s managed to maintain the feel of a local coffee shop. And while the Avenida Amsterdam location in Condesa isn’t as big as some of the other places on this guide, you can still snag a table if you come early (they open at 7am during the week, and 8am on weekends) or later in the afternoon. Their coffee is considered some of the best in town, and make sure to pair it with a pastry, like the banana cake or one of the daily donut assortments.
photo credit: Dosis Café
If you really need to hunker down for a few hours of uninterrupted work, Dosis is the ideal place. You can stay here all afternoon, and it’s unlikely anyone will notice that you haven’t ordered something for a while (and if they do, well, you probably need another coffee anyway). The iced carajillo de horchata will keep you focused for your entire work session, and the marzipan affogato is the perfect way to celebrate making it through a long, hard day at “the office.”
There won’t be much to distract you from finishing your presentation at Raku, a Japanese coffee shop with locations in Roma Norte and Polanco. The interior is sparse and it tends to be pretty quiet, so you can safely leave your noise-canceling headphones at home. A perfect meal here includes an espresso tonic with the crispy breaded pork katsu sando or the slightly spicy curry over rice. If you can’t find a seat at the long communal table, head outside to the large terrace. They also serve beer and wine, so you can recreate an office happy hour with a can of rosé.
photo credit: Andrew Reiner
Blanco Yoga is one of Mexico City’s most popular yoga studios, and it’s also home to one of its most well-known coffee shops, Café Comunidad. The space is huge and divided into three areas: a terrace, a casual interior, and a hidden enormous back patio. There’s a small menu of vegan and gluten-free pastries (the banana cake with oatmeal covered in chocolate and cardamom is a must) as well as bigger plates like their stone-oven pizzas, hearty salads, and baguettes toasted with roasted vegetables. Plan to come by in the afternoon so you can end the day with some vinyasa, then pop back in for a glass of wine, beer, or a mocktail.
photo credit: Andrew Reiner
Even if you don’t have a ton of work to do, Buna La Tostadora is worth a visit for the space alone. It’s inside an old textile factory that’s been repurposed into office and studio spaces, and the location of the cafe also doubles as its roasting plant. Buna’s proximity to artist studios draws a creative crowd, and their unusual open terrace, abundance of seating options, and nice, strong coffee create an ideal work environment, especially if you have to work through a 50-item to-do list.
The peaceful setting of this cafe on the ground floor of the newly opened Casa Ofelia Hotel might just prevent you from sending that passive-aggressive email you drafted on the way over. Most of the food is pre-made and packaged to-go, though you can (and should) stay and eat. Both the egg salad sandwich and the curry bento box are great lunch options, but if you see someone walking out of the kitchen with a tray of freshly baked cookies, prioritize those—they’re delicious and famous around town.
Abarrotes Delirio has been around since 2013, well before it was common to hear more English than Spanish in Roma. There’s a big outdoor terrace, fast wifi, plenty of places to plug in, and a light breakfast and lunch menu. Get the avocado toast, which comes topped with tahini and sauerkraut, or the baguette layered with prosciutto, pesto, arugula, and tomato. When the work day’s done, swing by the specialty store inside for some bread, fancy cheese, and a nice bottle of Mexican wine to take home.
photo credit: Andrew Reiner
Café Papagayo is a neighborhood-favorite coffee shop filled with regulars who live nearby. It’s also further from the major tourist spots, so you’ll likely find a table no matter when you show up. Their coffee comes from Puebla and Oaxaca, the chilaquiles are great if you need a little break from spice, and the roast beef sandwich with pesto and melted manchego is a best seller. Skip the headphones and listen to their playlist instead, which is a mix of Bossa Nova and Brazilian pop from the ‘70s.
