Rodrigo Díaz Guerrero
Café de la Mancha, from its name, refers to two things: the inevitable stain that a good cup of coffee leaves —evidence of the introspection this centuries-old drink encourages—and that place whose name the most famous character of Cervantes does not wish to remember. That is how Christian Zaíd (an actor by trade) and Paloma Montes (a lover of literature) named their project, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. Many more years of success are expected because Café de la Mancha truly has all the elements of a great coffee shop where one wants to drink this black beverage and relax: small, cozy, only the best coffee beans, good music, better service; a spot where local people, whether foreign or not, gather to stumble upon an interesting or amusing conversation in the morning.
Café de la Mancha is a specialty coffee bar, which doesn’t just mean they have some brewing techniques available, as is often thought. As Christian explains, there is special kind of care that goes into the beans: “A specialty coffee bar is the place where baristas prepare drinks, but unlike a conventional coffee shop, we keep alive the production chain of the coffee beans. That means we try to care for the processes of the bean that the producers have worked on, from planting, drying, selecting, fermenting, etc. As baristas, we have the responsibility to respect the flavor profiles that the producer and the master roaster have worked so hard to achieve. In short, we aim to convey the magic of coffee processed with care and high-quality standards (hence the name, specialty coffee), and our customers know this after every sip they take.” In this wonderful corner of the Guadalupe neighborhood, you can find coffee from the main coffee-growing regions of Mexico—Chiapas, Veracruz, Nayarit, and Guerrero—but its most famous blend is a base bean from the state of Oaxaca: Cristian and Paloma maintain direct communication with their producer, who is also an excellent roaster.
This is what their customers most appreciate. Not for nothing did Christian win first place in the World Aeropress Championship for the Bajío region. He was ranked among the top ten out of over a hundred competitors in November 2021, an undeniable recognition of his passion for coffee. But there’s more: the place is carefully decorated with the talent of Erick Mota, and the music—which I know I’ve mentioned before—can range from 90s grunge to bebop jazz or good progressive rock. Recently, for example, I went there for breakfast to enjoy a good sandwich with eggs and bacon, and Christian kindly told me, “You can play any vinyl you like” from the collection gifted to them by the customers themselves. Additionally, to top off the experience, there’s a selection of delicious desserts made by Paloma! Anyone who hasn’t been to Café de la Mancha has missed out on a place that is an undeniable icon of daily life in San Miguel, a place that enthusiasts like myself celebrate: we’re passionate about this drink that is culture and history.
Café de la Mancha is located on Julián Carrillo 5-B, Col. Guadalupe, and it opens Monday to Saturday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
