Café de Reyes

Café de Reyes works from an open bar, and that sets the format: drinks built in front of you while whoever is making them talks through the origin and process of the coffee in the cup. It is a specialty coffee shop in Zona 3 of Quetzaltenango, started in 2021 by a founder who was seventeen at the time, with the stated aim of moving specialty coffee culture into the city.

Guatemalan coffee, traced and explained

The name pays homage to the Reyes family, and the concept runs on traceability and origin storytelling. The café buys beans from farms across different regions of Guatemala and curates the menu to show the range of flavours and aromas the country produces. Recent rotations have included Sarchimor and Bourbon Amarillo, so it is worth asking what is on the bar that day.

It sits at number 76 on The World's 100 Best Coffee Shops list for 2026, and works as a point of reference for locals and visitors alike.

A room built for conversation

The open bar sets the tone, and the seating carries it: armchairs for couples, a pergola for larger groups, sofas for sitting with the music on, and outdoor tables besides. The mood is modern and welcoming, and takeaway works for anyone who would rather not stay.

This is not a restaurant or a full bakery. It is a coffee bar with signature drinks, sourdough bread, desserts and light savoury food attached to a focused coffee programme.

Start with pepitoria, then the sourdough

Order the latte de pepitoria y sal negra first if the aim is to see how the café connects coffee to regional flavour. It sits among the named signatures alongside the cold brew de berries and the Flat White Z, all of them examples of the same habit: experimenting with local products and traditional references rather than reproducing standard café drinks.

The food is built to support the coffee. Pan de masa madre, sandwiches, croissants, paninis and daily desserts make up the offer, with the brownie con ganache de pepitoria, croissant de pera y pesto and panini carnívoro among the named items. A short stop pairs a signature coffee with the brownie; a longer one moves into the sourdough side through a panini or a bread plate. The through-line is the same either way: local ingredients, traceable coffee, and someone willing to explain what is in the cup.