One of my favorite coffee shops in Quito
Now that I’m living that #digitalnomad life, I’m spending a lot of time working from places that aren’t my home. But truthfully, I’ve always been a sucker for working from places that aren’t home. Whether it’s my weekly coffee dates with myself in Kansas City (every Thursday) or my quest to find the best cafes with Wi-Fi in Madrid, me + coffee + my laptop is my dream work combination.
Interestingly, it wasn’t always easy to find Wi-Fi in Madrid. Especially if you weren’t in the city center — where if you did find it, it was almost certainly already crowded with people. But I’m happy to say that the situation is quite different in Quito, at least in my experience. I’ve been lucky enough to find lots of coffee shops in Quito, in my neighborhood, that have great coffee and fast Wi-Fi.
My neighborhood, by the way, is Bellavista/La Carolina to the north of Quito’s city center. This area is quite popular with tourists and remote workers, so this list is for you if you’re looking for great coffee shops in Quito in this area. (ALSO: All of these places are what I consider “covid-safe” due to requiring vaccination cards to enter as well as having open windows/doors or being at least partially outdoors.)
1. Coffee Factory
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Located on the southwest corner of Parque Carolina, this place quickly became a favorite after my first visit. All the coffee here is 100% Ecuadorian, and they have some interesting menu items such as Vietnamese coffee, orange espresso, and hot chocolate with cheese. (?!)
The service is fantastic. As soon as you sit down, they bring you a small glass with sparkling water as a palate cleanser and two small chocolate disks. They continue refilling your water the entire time you stay in the cafe. There is a power outlet with two regular plugs and two USB plugs at each table. And you don’t even have to ask for the Wi-Fi because they also offer it to you immediately.
One of the workers (the owner?) speaks English, which can be really helpful if you don’t know Spanish. Before we left last time, he gave us a piece of paper that listed some of the best things we needed to do around Quito. And here’s an added bonus — if you’re a customer, they let you print anything you want from their personal printer. If you have boarding passes, covid test results, or other travel documents, this is a huge bonus to print here rather than needing to find a copy shop.
Address:
Edificio Gaia
Eloy Alfaro y Av. Mariana de Jesús
Quito 170518
Hours:
M-F 8:30am-7pm
Closed Saturday & Sunday
2. Gitanos Brunch
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I’m not necessarily endorsing the name of this place — you can learn more about the English version of this word here. But I happened across this little brunch spot when I was taking a walk down Avenida República del Salvador. It was empty and I saw the little Wi-Fi symbol, so I figured, why not?
I texted Matt to let him know where I’d ended up in case he wanted to meet me. Apparently he took a look at their brunch menu, because he quickly sent me a picture of their chicken and waffles and said “THAT LOOKS SO GOOD.”
The staff here was also very sweet and attentive. They don’t speak much English, but they are very focused on making sure their customers have a good experience. I ordered a Maple Latte that first day, which was tasty and not overly sweet. Plus, it smelled amazing in there. Matt and I ended up coming back for brunch a few days later, and it was definitely worth it. And we got a lot of food for the price.
I don’t think they’ve been open for very long, but their space is stylish and their food is delicious. They also have affordable cocktails and drinks in the evening. Every time I’ve come in, they’re super friendly to me. I’d love to see them become more and more successful over time.
Address:
Av. República del Salvador y Moscú
Quito 170102
Hours:
Tues-Thurs & Saturday 9am-10pm
Friday 9am-midnight
Sunday 9am-3pm
Closed Monday
3. Kofi Time
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Kofi Time is just a stone’s throw away from many of the other places on this list. It’s small, and you may not notice it the first time you walk by, but it’s a cozy place with both indoor and outdoor seating. And, it’s great for people-watching.
Matt and I went one afternoon not long after we got to Quito, but it was just for a little pick-me-up. We sat outside and enjoyed the weather. But during our last week, I went back to get some work done. I sat inside, where there were chargers built into every table. It was like classic coffee shops vibes in there. And the service was really good! It was International Women’s Day, and the waiter gave me a rose. 🙂
It’s not too expensive, the drinks are really tasty, and the location is close to Parque Carolina, so it’s definitely worth a visit.
Address:
República del Salvador y Suiza
Quito 170505
Hours:
M-F 8am-8pm
Saturday 8am-12pm
Closed Sunday
4. L’Artisan Panaderia
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I happened upon this place very accidentally. I actually was on my way to Cafe Mi Amor, which is a lot more famous. I originally just passed by L’Artisan Panaderia and kept walking. But when I saw Cafe Mi Amor, I didn’t feel like it looked very covid-safe. It seemed to be totally indoors. Knowing I was leaving for the Galapagos a few days later, I didn’t want to risk getting sick.
So I went back down the hill a bit to L’Artisan Panaderia, which was a half-indoor, half-outdoor space, and asked if they had Wi-Fi, since it wasn’t advertised. And they did. So I decided to stay.
Its focus isn’t coffee, as it’s first and foremost a bakery. I ordered an iced cappuccino and got started on some work. But I dare you to step foot in here and not order some sort of bread. The color-striped croissants — which claimed to have pistachio and cheesecake fillings — never quite left my thoughts the entire time I was there. When Matt stopped by and ordered a strawberry smoothie, I asked if he would get me a pistachio croissant. It was amazing.
Address:
Calle Bosmediano y Giacomo Roca
Quito 170109
Hours:
Monday 8am-6pm
Tues-Fri 7:30am-6pm
Saturday 7:30am-5pm
Sunday 8am-1:30pm
5. KAFFE
This might be an unconventional choice. That’s because it’s more of a coffee kiosk than a coffee shop. It’s a standalone building on the corner near some of the other places on this list. But… considering there really is no indoors, it’s extremely covid-safe. 😉
There are about 3-4 sets of tables and chairs surrounding the kiosk. Not all of them are necessarily in the best spot for sitting and working for a few hours — the corner is fairly busy with people passing by. But when I was there, I sat at the table tucked back next to some bushes and the door of IMPAQTO (which is a co-working space behind it). I clipped my new PacSafe backpack to one of the table chairs, and I felt secure enough to stay for a while.
Plus, it’s so nice to be outside in the sun enjoying the nice weather, rather than inside. Just ask the worker for the Wi-Fi password when you get there.
Address:
Av. República del Salvador y Moscú
Quito 170102
Hours:
M-F 8am-5pm
Closed Saturday & Sunday
6. Sweet & Coffee
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Okay, so the first five places on this list were independent places as far as I can tell. Now we’re gonna move on to a couple of chain places. I definitely think it’s best to support local businesses when possible. But sometimes you just need reliable Wi-Fi, cheap prices, and for a place to be open for longer hours on the weekend.
Sweet & Coffee is, from my understanding, the Starbucks of Ecuador. Like Starbucks, it’s never too hard to find one, and they’re also a staple in shopping centers and airports. The one in La Carolina neighborhood (again, right next to Gitanos Brunch and KAFFE) is half indoors and half outdoors, making it a very covid-safe place to stay and work for a few hours.
The Wi-Fi is strong, though you have to re-login every few hours, which isn’t much of a problem. And just a heads up — their Wi-Fi password changes every Monday. It will either be at the bottom of your receipt, or you can just ask for it.
Address:
Av. República del Salvador y Moscú
Quito 170102
Hours:
M-F 7:30am-9pm
Saturday 9am-9pm
Sunday 10am-9pm
7. Juan Valdez Cafe
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Just like Sweet & Coffee, Juan Valdez Cafe is a chain, though it’s Colombian rather than Ecuadorian. The first time I actually visited a Juan Valdez was in Medellin, Colombia. Though the La Carolina neighborhood has plenty of them. In fact, I’m pretty sure you can see two different locations while standing in one spot on Av. República del Salvador.
One of the benefits of Juan Valdez is that it generally has a lot of seating, both indoors and outdoors. And like any good chain coffee shop, they’ve got reliable Wi-Fi.
Address:
– Av. República del Salvador y Portugal
– Av. República del Salvador y Suecia
Hours:
Every Day 7am-11pm
Each are great choices, but my favorite coffee shops in Quito are Coffee Factory and Gitanos Brunch. Which would you visit first? Let me know in the comments!
-Cathy
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Originally Published on March 18, 2022.
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