El Molino Coffee Shop

BUNA coffee in a resort courtyard

The pour here is BUNA, a Mexican specialty coffee brand built on farmer partnerships and community work, with beans grown in Chiapas, organic and fair trade. El Molino is the courtyard coffee shop at Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, set near the lobby rather than out on a street, so it functions as the property's daytime coffee stop rather than a standalone neighborhood cafe. The named orders keep the choice simple: a flat white on the espresso side, a full-bodied cold brew on the cold one, with hot and cold refreshments around them rather than a bar menu. BUNA presents itself as an innovative, sustainable Mexican brand tied to farmer partnerships and community enrichment as much as to sourcing, which is a fuller story than most resort coffee carries. BUNA presents itself as an innovative, sustainable Mexican brand tied to farmer partnerships and community enrichment as much as to sourcing, which is a fuller story than most resort coffee carries.

A bakery case, smoothies and gelato

Food leans bakery. Freshly baked bagels, croissants and biscuits come with toppings such as eggs, avocado and smoked salmon, which covers breakfast without turning into a restaurant menu. Handcrafted smoothies made with garden-fresh ingredients and homemade gelato stretch the day past the morning, and the affogato bridges the two sides of the counter, foamy coffee poured over gelato made in house. The tone is casual and relaxed throughout: a transitional stop between rooms, courtyard, beach and breakfast rather than a destination dining room, complementing the resort's more elaborate restaurants instead of competing with them. Guests pass through on the way between rooms, the courtyard and the beach, which is why it is built around quick, good coffee rather than a long menu. Guests pass through on the way between rooms, the courtyard and the beach, which is why it is built around quick, good coffee rather than a long menu.

Order the flat white first, then decide sweet or savory

Start with the BUNA flat white if coffee is the point. It is the clearest espresso-based order attached to El Molino and ties straight back to the Chiapas beans behind the bar. For something colder, the BUNA cold brew is the other signature, described by the house as full-bodied. For food, choose by appetite. A freshly baked bagel with eggs and avocado is the clean savory option, while a croissant or biscuit with smoked salmon makes a richer resort breakfast. If the stop is meant to be sweet or refreshing instead, take a smoothie or the homemade gelato, or order the affogato and get both halves of the counter in one glass.