So, Where WAS the Coffee?
Santiago had plenty of coffee. Some of it came with breakfast, some with a museum, some from politically engaged cafés, and at least one cup required getting up before sunrise.
Café Cité
Our first breakfast and first coffee in Santiago were at Café Cité in Barrio Yungay. It’s a specialty coffee and brunch café inside Casona Compañía, an old house that has been converted into a creative and cultural space.
It’s not just a pastry-and-coffee place. The menu includes plenty of breakfast choices, and I had a vegetable omelet with mushrooms, onions, zucchini and tomatoes, thick slices of toast on the side, and a latte.
Mingus Coffee
Mingus Coffee sits in the courtyard of the Museo del Sonido in Barrio Yungay. Named for jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus, it was an obvious stop while we were visiting the museum.
We ended up chatting with the man running the café, who told us about a jazz club in Santiago that we wanted to check out but never managed to get to. We actually had hot chocolate and tea that day, but it’s still a great place to stop for coffee while visiting the museum.
Cafetería Popular
Cafetería Popular opened in Barrio Yungay in 2025 as more than a coffee shop. It was created as a cultural space and a place for preserving popular memory, particularly the social and political history surrounding Salvador Allende and the Popular Unity era.
You see that everywhere inside. The walls are filled with Allende, old photographs, records, books, murals and political art, including pieces contributed by people from the neighborhood. The café also hosts music, book launches and discussions.
We had already spent hours at the Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, learning about the coup and dictatorship. Cafetería Popular was something different. The history wasn't in a museum. It was part of a neighborhood coffee shop.
Bellavista Starbucks and OXXO
Chris has to see the sunrise everywhere we go. Usually this involves getting up ridiculously early, finding his way to some scenic spot, getting coffee somewhere along the way, and, importantly, finding a bathroom.
Santiago made that a little more challenging. The Metro doesn't open until 6 a.m., and there really aren't coffee shops or bathrooms open at that hour.
He did manage to find an OXXO, which is like the Chilean equivalent of an American 7-11, that was open and get coffee before sunrise, then walked to the Mapocho River and found his sunrise from a bridge. Afterward, he found a Starbucks that was open and got his second coffee of the morning.
Two coffees and still no bathroom.
It was the only sunrise journey he made during our stay in Santiago.
Páramo the Cake
I noticed Páramo the Cake almost immediately. It was directly across the street from our Airbnb and looked super cute, but I don't do cake or pastries for breakfast. I knew they had egg platters, but we didn't actually go until our last weekend.
That's when I discovered that along with a ton of pastries, they had tons of breakfast platters and dishes, including whole platters of actual food. I wake up very hungry, and eggs are great, but so are meat, vegetables, salad, or pretty much anything else you would normally consider perfectly reasonable at 7 p.m. I like dinner for breakfast.
They did look at me a little funny when I ordered beef for breakfast.
Chris tried an orange coffee—orange juice and coffee. It sounded strange, but it was pretty good.
I wish we'd gone in sooner.
So, Where was the rest of the coffee?
Most mornings, right here.
For a month, this little apartment in Barrio Yungay was home. It wasn't huge, but it had pretty much everything we needed—a little table by the window, a kitchen, and enough space that we could actually settle in instead of feeling like we were living out of suitcases. After spending all day wandering around Santiago, it was a really nice place to come back to.
And, most importantly for purposes of this particular story, it had an electric kettle and a French press. We also had instant coffee for instant caffienation.
We bought coffee and made it ourselves, usually right there in the kitchen. For all the cafés we found around Santiago, this is where most of our morning coffee actually came from.
For longer trips, Airbnb often fits the economics of travel better for us. When you're staying somewhere for weeks rather than a night or two, the nightly cost can make more sense, and having a kitchen means you don't have to eat every meal out. More importantly, you're not just sleeping somewhere. For a while, you actually get to live there.
A Few More Ways to Find the Coffee
Bodum 34 oz. Brazil French Press Coffee Maker
Our Santiago Airbnb had a French press, and after a month of using one, I've been thinking about getting one at home.
Brentwood Dual-Voltage Collapsible Travel Kettle
Small enough to pack, collapsible, and dual voltage for international travel.
Bodum Travel Press
I didn't even know a French press/travel mug combination was a thing until I started looking at all the ways I could support our coffee addiction.
And a Few Things for the Airbnb
International Travel Charging Station
Our Airbnb didn't have an outlet where I wanted one next to the bed, so Chris and I occasionally had to negotiate over his portable charger.
Anker Nano 10,000mAh Power Bank
Portable chargers are indispensable to us when we travel. We're gone ALL DAY, using our phones for everything from translation and transportation to taking pictures and videos to share with you all.
OlarHike 6-Set Compression Packing Cubes
For a month-long trip, anything that keeps a suitcase from turning into one enormous pile of clothes starts looking pretty appealing.
And if you've enjoyed following along, you can help keep the coffee coming.
☕ Buy Me a Coffee
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