During the month we lived in Medellín, we stayed in Laureles, so the neighborhood quickly became part of my everyday routine. I work for myself and still had plenty to get done while we were there, but I wasn’t interested in spending every workday sitting inside our apartment. Instead, I started working my way through the coffee shops around Laureles.
Some mornings I’d walk somewhere with my laptop, order coffee and breakfast, and stay for an hour or two. Other days I’d bring my charger, settle into a comfortable spot and practically post up for the afternoon. It became one of my favorite parts of living in Medellín. I was still getting work done, but instead of staring at the same four walls every day, I got to explore the neighborhood, drink really good Colombian coffee and find a new temporary office whenever I felt like it.
These aren’t coffee shops I picked because they appeared on a list of the “best cafés in Medellín.” I actually visited them while we were living in Laureles, and many of them became places where I spent hours working. Some I’d return to primarily for the coffee, others for breakfast or brunch, and a few were especially good when I needed to buckle down and get a lot of work done.
Here are the Laureles coffee shops I’d recommend after spending a month in the neighborhood.
My favorite coffee shops in Laureles at a glance
If you don’t have time to visit them all, I’d choose based on what you’re looking for:
- Best for serious coffee: Libertario Coffee Roasters
- Best coffee and atmosphere: Pergamino
- Best coffee and fresh bread: Tres Trigos
- Best for breakfast or brunch: Café Namazzi
- Most unique atmosphere: Monstera
- Best overall for remote work: Café Revolución
- Best dedicated café and coworking setup: Semilla Café Coworking
- Best surrounded by greenery: Café Torbellino
- Best for an afternoon work session: Café Zeppelin
- Best modern café for working: Café Terrario
Libertario Coffee Roasters Laureles
Some coffee shops are places where you happen to get work done. Libertario was somewhere I wanted to go for the coffee first and bring my laptop along for the ride.
Libertario is a specialty coffee roaster, so this is one place where I’d encourage you not to automatically order whatever you normally drink at home. Their coffee lineup is stellar, giving you a chance to experience different sides of Colombian coffee. They also have a full brunch menu, making it easy to turn a quick morning coffee into a longer visit.
I liked being able to get genuinely good coffee and still sit down with my laptop and get some work done. If you’re curious about Colombian coffee but don’t know what to order, tell the barista what kinds of flavors you normally like and ask for a recommendation. Part of the fun of spending time in Colombia is trying coffees you probably wouldn’t encounter at your neighborhood café back home.
The Laureles location also opens early, which made it particularly useful when I wanted to get a head start on work.
If coffee itself is your priority, Libertario would be one of my first stops in Laureles.
Pergamino Café Laureles
Pergamino is probably one of the coffee names you’ll hear repeatedly while visiting Medellín, but I particularly liked the Laureles location.
Rather than putting the café into a generic commercial space, Pergamino converted one of Laureles’ older houses while preserving much of its original character. I think that’s part of what made this location so enjoyable for me. I could sit down with my laptop and work, but I still felt like I was experiencing the neighborhood rather than sitting inside a coworking office that could have been anywhere.
Pergamino specializes in Colombian specialty coffee, and it is another place to venture beyond your normal latte. Ask what Colombian coffees they’re currently serving and consider trying one prepared using a manual brewing method. It’s a simple way to experience how different Colombian coffees can taste depending on the region, variety, and preparation.
This was a nice middle ground for me: somewhere I could genuinely enjoy the coffee and atmosphere while still getting a few hours of work done.
Tres Trigos
Tres Trigos is a little different from the other cafés on this list because it’s really a bakery first, and that’s exactly why I liked having it in my rotation.
They describe themselves as a “laboratorio de pan,” or bread laboratory, and you’ll find baguettes, bagels, brioche and plenty of other freshly baked options. Sometimes that’s exactly what I wanted. I didn’t necessarily need another elaborate specialty coffee experience. I wanted coffee, something fresh from the bakery and somewhere I could sit for a while.
It’s also a good early-morning option, especially if you’re working remotely and trying to get started before the rest of your day in Medellín begins.
I’d come here hungry, order coffee and see what looks good from the bakery that morning. It’s an easy choice when you want breakfast and a lighter work session rather than somewhere you’re planning to camp out with your laptop all day.
Café Namazzi
Café Namazzi was another one of my favorite places when I wanted to combine breakfast or brunch with work.
There’s an emphasis on specialty coffee and artisanal brunch, so you don’t have to choose between finding a good coffee shop and somewhere to eat. The café is also pet-friendly, and the atmosphere feels comfortable and casual enough to linger for a while. They even have a “Work & Coffee” line in their merchandise, so pulling out your laptop certainly doesn’t feel unusual here.
I especially appreciated cafés like Namazzi on mornings when I hadn’t eaten before leaving our apartment. I could order breakfast, have my coffee and then work for a couple of hours without packing everything up an hour later because I was hungry.
If your ideal remote-work morning involves easing into the day over breakfast and coffee before opening your laptop, Namazzi is a good one to add to your list.
Monstera
Monstera was easily one of the more unusual coffee shops we visited in Laureles.
It’s a large, three-level space that combines specialty coffee and food with something you probably don’t expect to find in the same building—a tattoo and piercing studio. There are several different areas to sit, including a terrace, which is where we spent most of our time working.
After spending weeks hopping between coffee shops, I started appreciating cafés that had their own personality. I didn’t want every place to be another minimalist room filled with laptops. Monstera definitely didn’t feel like that.
The terrace was my favorite part. Being able to sit outside with coffee and my laptop made a regular work afternoon feel a little less like work. It’s a good option when you want to get things done but still want to feel like you’re out enjoying Laureles rather than spending the day inside an office.
Café Revolución
Café Revolución quickly became one of those places where I could open my laptop, settle in and actually get things done.
It’s been part of Laureles since 2014 and has developed a reputation as a favorite among remote workers. You’ll regularly see other people with laptops, and there’s even an area geared toward people working. I liked that because I never felt awkward staying longer than it took to finish one cup of coffee.
The menu makes longer visits easy too. Along with Colombian coffee prepared in an Italian espresso style, you’ll find espresso, cappuccino, cortado, Americano and lattes, plus breakfast foods like bagels, omelets and homemade banana bread.
Interestingly, one of the drinks I’d recommend trying here isn’t coffee at all. Café Revolución is also particularly known for its chai latte. After spending a month in Colombia and drinking plenty of coffee, I wasn’t opposed to occasionally switching things up.
If I had several hours of work to get through and needed somewhere I knew I could comfortably settle in, Café Revolución would be high on my list.
Semilla Café Coworking
If your main goal is actually getting work done, Semilla is probably the easiest recommendation on this list.
Unlike a regular coffee shop that happens to tolerate laptops, Semilla was intentionally designed around coffee and coworking. The first floor operates as a café with artisanal coffee, food, Wi-Fi and comfortable seating, while upstairs you’ll find a dedicated coworking area. There are vegetarian and vegan food options too.
That setup takes away one of the awkward parts of working remotely from cafés: wondering whether you’ve been sitting at your table too long. If I had a deadline or knew I needed several uninterrupted hours with my laptop, Semilla made sense.
At the same time, I liked that I didn’t have to commit to working from a traditional coworking office every day. One of the reasons I enjoyed working remotely in Medellín was being able to move around the neighborhood. Semilla gave me a more structured option when I needed it without becoming my everyday office.
Café Torbellino
Café Torbellino gave me almost the opposite experience from Semilla, which is precisely why I liked having both options.
The standout here is the back patio. It’s filled with plants and greenery and almost feels like you’re sitting inside a little nursery. Add specialty coffee and a laptop to that setting, and it’s a pretty nice alternative to spending another afternoon staring at an office wall.
Torbellino is laptop-friendly and has vegan-friendly options as well, so it worked particularly well for the days when I didn’t have a major deadline but wanted to spend a couple of hours writing, editing or catching up on work.
There was just something about sitting around all those plants with coffee in front of me that made working feel considerably less like work. If atmosphere matters to you as much as productivity, this is one I’d put near the top of the list.
Café Zeppelin
Café Zeppelin has a completely different personality from most of the specialty coffee shops I visited in Laureles.
It’s been part of the neighborhood since 2013 and has German influences, combining a café, restaurant and bar in one space. There are several different seating areas and quieter corners, which made it surprisingly practical when I wanted to pull out my laptop and work.
The menu is much broader than what you’ll find at a typical coffee shop too. There are sandwiches and German dishes along with cakes, coffee, beer, wine and cocktails. Because of that, I’d choose Zeppelin later in the day rather than making it my 7 a.m. work café.
It’s the kind of place where you can arrive with your laptop and coffee in the afternoon and not necessarily have to leave when you’re hungry later. Your work session can easily turn into dinner or drinks.
And if you want something sweet with your coffee, try the apple strudel. They serve it with ice cream, and you’ll also find things like chocolate cake and cheesecake on the menu.
Café Terrario
Café Terrario was one of the more modern coffee shops I worked from in Laureles. The space feels clean and contemporary but still has plenty of warmth, with greenery incorporated throughout and a mix of indoor and outdoor seating. Even the name fits the design; the café uses terrariums and small touches of nature throughout the space rather than the completely bare minimalist look you see in many modern cafés.
I liked it as a place to bring my laptop because it felt relaxed enough that I could settle in and work for a while. There’s Wi-Fi, and the café has become a spot where people come to work, study or meet up, so having a laptop out doesn’t feel out of place.
It’s also more than a coffee-only stop. The menu includes breakfast, brunch and lunch along with pastries, desserts and other food, so you can easily stay longer without having to leave when you get hungry. The pistachio cake and vanilla chai are two favorites that come up often, and the pancakes are another popular choice if you’re coming for breakfast or brunch.
Best for: A modern café atmosphere, brunch and a few hours of remote work.
What I’d order: Try one of their specialty coffees if you’re there for the coffee, or the vanilla chai and pistachio cake if you’re in the mood for something sweet.
Is Laureles a good neighborhood for remote workers?
Based on my experience, absolutely. One of the things I loved about staying in Laureles was how easy it was to make coffee shops part of my normal work routine. I could leave our apartment with my laptop, walk through the neighborhood and choose somewhere based on whether I wanted breakfast, really good coffee, a quiet work session or simply a nice outdoor space.
I also rarely felt strange about opening my laptop. Remote workers are common enough around Laureles that many cafés are accustomed to people staying longer than they would for a quick cup of coffee.
That doesn’t mean I’d order one coffee and occupy a four-person table for five hours. If I’m going to stay somewhere for several hours, I’ll usually order another drink, breakfast, lunch or a snack. I also try to be mindful of busy meal periods and avoid taking a large table by myself when a café is packed.
One thing I learned pretty quickly was that the café with my favorite coffee wasn’t necessarily the café where I wanted to spend four hours working, and that’s okay. Once I stopped looking for one place that did everything perfectly, choosing where to go became much easier.
Some days I wanted serious Colombian coffee or a simple “Tinto”. Other mornings I wanted breakfast and a couple of productive hours. Sometimes I just wanted to sit outside with my laptop surrounded by plants.
That was probably my favorite part about working remotely during our month in Laureles. Going to work also gave me an excuse to walk around the neighborhood, discover another café and experience a little more of Medellín in between everything I needed to get done.
For a month, these coffee shops weren’t just places I stopped for caffeine. They became part of my everyday life in Laureles.
