Ok gents, so I've been putting this together slowly over the past several months and wanted to eventually share a compendium of the best places to get high quality brewed coffee in Latin America, based on my personal experience. Typically, places that make the cut for me all: (1) present an expertly prepared coffee that may be enjoyed without the addition of milk, sugar, nor flavorings; (2) the coffee itself is of good quality (specialty grade or close to it); (3) not overly-roasted; (4) may be enjoyed black as a properly pulled and balanced espresso; or (5) may be enjoyed simply as a manual brew like Aeropress, V60, French Press, etc. These places may also double as a nice place to bring a young lady who also shares your love of tasty coffee.
I invite you other coffee snobs to add your favorite's to this list. These suggestions are valid as of 2015 as I'm currently still traveling (in Ecuador at the moment).
MEXICO
MEXICO CITY
Café Avellaneda - Higuera 40-A, Coyoacán - This place is a little hole-in-the-wall situated in the neighborhood of Coyoacán, and the people here take coffee quite seriously. The espresso is good, and they do pour overs and other manual brewing methods as well. There is a rotating set of beans from several different parts of Mexico, like Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, etc. which they roast regularly. They also sell bags of their freshly roasted beans roasted for espresso or drip methods.
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS
Frontera Artisan Food and Coffee - Avenida Belisario Domínguez 35 - This is a small place serving good pourovers with a selection of several different beans as well. There is a sweet courtyard and free wifi and they offer many other tasty snacks to enjoy along with your expertly brewed caffeinated beverage. Good date place.
Carajillo Slow Coffee - Real de Guadalupe 24 - While I wasn't a big fan of their brewed coffee options (their brewing skills in my opinion left something to be desired), their bags of roasted beans are actually quite respectable and fresh. I picked up a bag of their beans here for a reasonable price and it was roasted within 2 days of purchase.
GUATEMALA
ANTIGUA
Cafe Refuge - Can't remember the exact address, but I believe it is on Avenida Septima between Calle 3 and 4. Sadly, for a country known for legendary coffee, it is surprisingly difficult to find excellent coffee here in my opinion (most of the good stuff is exported, I assume). In my opinion, best coffee in Antigua with coffee roasted regularly and of good quality (aka not roasted to "char" Starbucks style). I would buy 12 oz bags of their beans here for 65Q and brew every morning at my crib. They generally source their beans from the Antigua and Lago de Atitlan area...good small date place also.
NICARAGUA
MATAGALPA
Seleccíon Nicaraguense - There are two locations, one near the cathedral and one at the Parque Dario. You can pick up freshly roasted single origin Nicaraguan beans and you can order a delicious espresso (I prefer the Parque Dario location as they have more adept baristas here in my experience). Good date place also with free wifi.
COSTA RICA
SAN JOSE
Cafeoteca - located inside Restaurante Kalú, just east of Parque de Francia - This place is one of the top places to score a delicious, expertly crafted coffees in Latin America with attention to detail and stellar customer service. They have very high quality beans (albeit expensive), but worth every penny. If they have one of the honey-processed beans, give it a try. You can have an espresso, pour-over coffee, or buy one of their bags of expertly roasted beans to take home. The barista even made me a true espresso with an aeropress which I've never actually seen done before.
PANAMA
PANAMA CITY
Café Unido - 3 locations: Ground floor of Le Mare Building in Coco del Mar; in the American Trade Hotel in Casco Viejo; and the first floor of the MMG building in Costa del Este - They have some very nice, specialty grade coffee here. Great espressos and also great pourovers. I specifically liked their Elida Estate natural process coffee on the pourover. You can also find the famous (and pricy) geisha varietal from Esmeralda Estate as well. You can buy bags of their beans, eat some tasty treats there, and there's free wifi. Also a good date place.
COLOMBIA
BOGOTA
Devotion Café - located in the ground floor of the Hilton Hotel on Carrera 7 b/w Calle 72 and 73. I believe there is another location but this is the most convenient one. The coffee is pricy but they serve perhaps the best coffee that I tasted in Bogotá. As the location referenced is part of the hotel, it isn't the most interesting place, but the area is safe and the it is easily accessible. I recommend the pourovers here, ask for a V60 or something similar. You can also buy their beans, also pricy.
Amor Perfecto - Carrera 4 #66-46 - Perhaps home of my second favorite coffee in Bogota. These guys have a brewing/tasting lab on site and are home of some barista champions. They have several blends as well as single origin options. Very good espresso as well as manual brewing methods. It is a nice date spot with a good, though cozy fitout and some limited food options as well. It is also located in a nice neighborhood of Zona G which is a great area for gastronomy in general.
Azahar - Carrera 14 #9348 - My third-favorite Bogotá coffee shop. Located in the Parque 93 area, this is basically a small outdoorsy cafe that utilizes a shipping container as a housing for the cafe building itself. They have very good coffees from around the famous coffee-producing regions of Colombia like Huila, Nariño, Quindió, etc. and have some tasty baked treats as well. Good for espresso and pour-over options as well. I recommend the V60 Nariño. Ok date spot but highly dependent on the very sketchy Bogotá weather as this place is open-air.
Café Cultor - Calle 69 #6-20 - Last but not least is this place. Also a converted shipping container fitout and also located in the Zona G. I recommend their single-origin pourover options as they were very good as well.
CALI
Macondo - Carrera 6 #3-03 San Antonio - This is probably the only good coffee in all of Cali that I can remember. They use coffee from Azahar from Bogota, which is very tasty. Their espresso drinks here are nice and they have other drinks and food items as well. Last I was here, they weren't doing pour overs but I believe by now that should have changed. I took a hot Cali girl here, so I'd say ok for a date spot, although it is a very small and cozy space. Good place to get your coffee fix overall though and escape the hot Cali days.
MEDELLIN
El Laboritorio de Café - at least 3 locations. The most convenient location is probably in the centro. They are located directly to the left of the front entrance to the Museo de Antioquia in Botero Plaza. They have my favorite coffee in Medellín and are probably top three for me in all of Colombia. Great date place, the girls all loved their granizado here which is cheap and admittedly delicious like 4000 COP for a cup.
*Pro-tip: if you are waiting for a flight out at the Enrique Olaya Herrera airport or the Terminal del Sur bus station, be sure to walk check out their location in the airport. From the Terminal del Sur it is literally a 2-3 minute walk. You can buy 20,000 COP +/- 1lb bags of their whole bean coffee and for my money they have some of the best coffee in Colombia.
Pergamino Cafe - Cra. 37 #8-37 Poblado - While not my favorite coffee in Medellín it is maybe 2nd favorite. Also well-priced. You can get a fresh pourover here from a selection of three of their freshly roasted coffees for around 4000 COP. Can buy bags of pretty good coffee for less than 20,000 COP for around 12 oz or 350 grams. They have super nice espresso machines here but never tried their espresso, though I assume it's good.
SALENTO
Café Jesús Martín - Carrera 6 No 6 - 14 - Small café with very tasty coffee. The owner is a Q Grader which is a highly sought-after (and difficult to attain) certification in specialty coffee. The equivalent of a sommelier in wine. Anyway, the coffee here is very tasty, specialty-grade. Highly recommend their single origin pour over options from Quindío department. You can also buy their beans to take home. Attracts many gringos, but then again this whole town is a gringo fest.
Café Bernabé Gourmet - Calle 3 #6-3 - Never made it to this place because it was strangely closed the day I visited but my connections in coffee in Colombia tell me this place is very good also.
BUCARAMANGA
San Fernando - Cra. 29 #41-40 - Easily the best coffee in Bucaramanga and they use beans grown in Santander. They roast on-site a few times a week right in the cafe. They had three types of coffees available while I was there, a natural process, honey process, and washed. If they have the natural, order it in a V60, it's very nice. The barista there is named Ferney and he's got skills. It is cheap but delicious and the place is small and intimate with a seating area facing the street.
PEREIRA
El Barista Cafe - Carrera 15 #4-17 - Located about two blocks from Kolibri hostel. Great date spot with best coffee roasted a few times every week. Has ok food but the coffee is the main draw. The pourovers are pretty good. Only open past 2PM until midnight or later.
ECUADOR
QUITO
Isveglio - Francisco Salazar # E 10-37 y José Tamayo - A bit tricky to find, but once you do, you know you came to the right place. They have a selection of roughly 3 rotating coffees, all from Ecuador. I believe they have some barista champions here. Excellent espresso, I recommend their honey processed coffee if it's available. Great date place too with offers of some interesting iced drinks and sweet treats.
CUENCA
Puro Café - located just behind/around the Todos Santos church off Calle Larga - Small hole in the wall place with some decent espresso and nice pour overs when I was here. It's tiny, with a nice view looking south of the city. Small sweet treats, nice date spot.
So, that's all I've got. I will continue to add to this as the travels continue but if you have anything to add, feel free to share your coffee secrets...and happy caffeinating.
I invite you other coffee snobs to add your favorite's to this list. These suggestions are valid as of 2015 as I'm currently still traveling (in Ecuador at the moment).
MEXICO
MEXICO CITY
Café Avellaneda - Higuera 40-A, Coyoacán - This place is a little hole-in-the-wall situated in the neighborhood of Coyoacán, and the people here take coffee quite seriously. The espresso is good, and they do pour overs and other manual brewing methods as well. There is a rotating set of beans from several different parts of Mexico, like Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, etc. which they roast regularly. They also sell bags of their freshly roasted beans roasted for espresso or drip methods.
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS
Frontera Artisan Food and Coffee - Avenida Belisario Domínguez 35 - This is a small place serving good pourovers with a selection of several different beans as well. There is a sweet courtyard and free wifi and they offer many other tasty snacks to enjoy along with your expertly brewed caffeinated beverage. Good date place.
Carajillo Slow Coffee - Real de Guadalupe 24 - While I wasn't a big fan of their brewed coffee options (their brewing skills in my opinion left something to be desired), their bags of roasted beans are actually quite respectable and fresh. I picked up a bag of their beans here for a reasonable price and it was roasted within 2 days of purchase.
GUATEMALA
ANTIGUA
Cafe Refuge - Can't remember the exact address, but I believe it is on Avenida Septima between Calle 3 and 4. Sadly, for a country known for legendary coffee, it is surprisingly difficult to find excellent coffee here in my opinion (most of the good stuff is exported, I assume). In my opinion, best coffee in Antigua with coffee roasted regularly and of good quality (aka not roasted to "char" Starbucks style). I would buy 12 oz bags of their beans here for 65Q and brew every morning at my crib. They generally source their beans from the Antigua and Lago de Atitlan area...good small date place also.
NICARAGUA
MATAGALPA
Seleccíon Nicaraguense - There are two locations, one near the cathedral and one at the Parque Dario. You can pick up freshly roasted single origin Nicaraguan beans and you can order a delicious espresso (I prefer the Parque Dario location as they have more adept baristas here in my experience). Good date place also with free wifi.
COSTA RICA
SAN JOSE
Cafeoteca - located inside Restaurante Kalú, just east of Parque de Francia - This place is one of the top places to score a delicious, expertly crafted coffees in Latin America with attention to detail and stellar customer service. They have very high quality beans (albeit expensive), but worth every penny. If they have one of the honey-processed beans, give it a try. You can have an espresso, pour-over coffee, or buy one of their bags of expertly roasted beans to take home. The barista even made me a true espresso with an aeropress which I've never actually seen done before.
PANAMA
PANAMA CITY
Café Unido - 3 locations: Ground floor of Le Mare Building in Coco del Mar; in the American Trade Hotel in Casco Viejo; and the first floor of the MMG building in Costa del Este - They have some very nice, specialty grade coffee here. Great espressos and also great pourovers. I specifically liked their Elida Estate natural process coffee on the pourover. You can also find the famous (and pricy) geisha varietal from Esmeralda Estate as well. You can buy bags of their beans, eat some tasty treats there, and there's free wifi. Also a good date place.
COLOMBIA
BOGOTA
Devotion Café - located in the ground floor of the Hilton Hotel on Carrera 7 b/w Calle 72 and 73. I believe there is another location but this is the most convenient one. The coffee is pricy but they serve perhaps the best coffee that I tasted in Bogotá. As the location referenced is part of the hotel, it isn't the most interesting place, but the area is safe and the it is easily accessible. I recommend the pourovers here, ask for a V60 or something similar. You can also buy their beans, also pricy.
Amor Perfecto - Carrera 4 #66-46 - Perhaps home of my second favorite coffee in Bogota. These guys have a brewing/tasting lab on site and are home of some barista champions. They have several blends as well as single origin options. Very good espresso as well as manual brewing methods. It is a nice date spot with a good, though cozy fitout and some limited food options as well. It is also located in a nice neighborhood of Zona G which is a great area for gastronomy in general.
Azahar - Carrera 14 #9348 - My third-favorite Bogotá coffee shop. Located in the Parque 93 area, this is basically a small outdoorsy cafe that utilizes a shipping container as a housing for the cafe building itself. They have very good coffees from around the famous coffee-producing regions of Colombia like Huila, Nariño, Quindió, etc. and have some tasty baked treats as well. Good for espresso and pour-over options as well. I recommend the V60 Nariño. Ok date spot but highly dependent on the very sketchy Bogotá weather as this place is open-air.
Café Cultor - Calle 69 #6-20 - Last but not least is this place. Also a converted shipping container fitout and also located in the Zona G. I recommend their single-origin pourover options as they were very good as well.
CALI
Macondo - Carrera 6 #3-03 San Antonio - This is probably the only good coffee in all of Cali that I can remember. They use coffee from Azahar from Bogota, which is very tasty. Their espresso drinks here are nice and they have other drinks and food items as well. Last I was here, they weren't doing pour overs but I believe by now that should have changed. I took a hot Cali girl here, so I'd say ok for a date spot, although it is a very small and cozy space. Good place to get your coffee fix overall though and escape the hot Cali days.
MEDELLIN
El Laboritorio de Café - at least 3 locations. The most convenient location is probably in the centro. They are located directly to the left of the front entrance to the Museo de Antioquia in Botero Plaza. They have my favorite coffee in Medellín and are probably top three for me in all of Colombia. Great date place, the girls all loved their granizado here which is cheap and admittedly delicious like 4000 COP for a cup.
*Pro-tip: if you are waiting for a flight out at the Enrique Olaya Herrera airport or the Terminal del Sur bus station, be sure to walk check out their location in the airport. From the Terminal del Sur it is literally a 2-3 minute walk. You can buy 20,000 COP +/- 1lb bags of their whole bean coffee and for my money they have some of the best coffee in Colombia.
Pergamino Cafe - Cra. 37 #8-37 Poblado - While not my favorite coffee in Medellín it is maybe 2nd favorite. Also well-priced. You can get a fresh pourover here from a selection of three of their freshly roasted coffees for around 4000 COP. Can buy bags of pretty good coffee for less than 20,000 COP for around 12 oz or 350 grams. They have super nice espresso machines here but never tried their espresso, though I assume it's good.
SALENTO
Café Jesús Martín - Carrera 6 No 6 - 14 - Small café with very tasty coffee. The owner is a Q Grader which is a highly sought-after (and difficult to attain) certification in specialty coffee. The equivalent of a sommelier in wine. Anyway, the coffee here is very tasty, specialty-grade. Highly recommend their single origin pour over options from Quindío department. You can also buy their beans to take home. Attracts many gringos, but then again this whole town is a gringo fest.
Café Bernabé Gourmet - Calle 3 #6-3 - Never made it to this place because it was strangely closed the day I visited but my connections in coffee in Colombia tell me this place is very good also.
BUCARAMANGA
San Fernando - Cra. 29 #41-40 - Easily the best coffee in Bucaramanga and they use beans grown in Santander. They roast on-site a few times a week right in the cafe. They had three types of coffees available while I was there, a natural process, honey process, and washed. If they have the natural, order it in a V60, it's very nice. The barista there is named Ferney and he's got skills. It is cheap but delicious and the place is small and intimate with a seating area facing the street.
PEREIRA
El Barista Cafe - Carrera 15 #4-17 - Located about two blocks from Kolibri hostel. Great date spot with best coffee roasted a few times every week. Has ok food but the coffee is the main draw. The pourovers are pretty good. Only open past 2PM until midnight or later.
ECUADOR
QUITO
Isveglio - Francisco Salazar # E 10-37 y José Tamayo - A bit tricky to find, but once you do, you know you came to the right place. They have a selection of roughly 3 rotating coffees, all from Ecuador. I believe they have some barista champions here. Excellent espresso, I recommend their honey processed coffee if it's available. Great date place too with offers of some interesting iced drinks and sweet treats.
CUENCA
Puro Café - located just behind/around the Todos Santos church off Calle Larga - Small hole in the wall place with some decent espresso and nice pour overs when I was here. It's tiny, with a nice view looking south of the city. Small sweet treats, nice date spot.
So, that's all I've got. I will continue to add to this as the travels continue but if you have anything to add, feel free to share your coffee secrets...and happy caffeinating.