In a country like Colombia, where coffee plays such a large role in the lives of the people, you expect to find tons of incredible coffee shops. When we came upon the Toucan Cafe in the El Poblado neighborhood of Medellin, we immediately felt like we may have found the best coffee shop in town. The skilled baristas at Toucan Cafe make a great cup of coffee – whether it’s a cappuccino with creative art on top, or one of their signature nitro cold brews. There are many different coffee beans to choose from, and you can select your style and preferred method for brewing it. The atmosphere is very welcoming, just like Medellin itself. You don’t have to be a regular to feel at home there.
Luckily for those of us who don’t know much about coffee, but want to learn about the strong coffee culture in Colombia and taste some of the mild and aromatic beans that are grown there, Toucan offers tasting a 2-hour coffee tasting experience to walk you through it. We learned so much. The really knowledgeable barista, Andres, who taught the class was also a cupper (professional coffee taster), and he clearly had a true passion for coffee.
There’s more to the Toucan café than just coffee. It’s also a tour company and a language school. It’s perfect for travelers! You can set up a tour to a coffee plantation, a food or walking tour around Medellin, or a full day trip to Guatape. And if you have enough time to spend, you can sign up for Spanish classes. The tour company brings to the coffee shop a lot of travelers, which makes it easy to meet like-minded people and strike up a conversation with a new friend.
Toucan café is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm. The tour desk is open until 6pm, or 2pm on Saturday.
By Laura Lynch of Savored Sips
