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Best Cafes in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Best Cafes in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

A strong cortado is a must-have in order to kickstart your day in San Juan. This guide lists my favorite cafes in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans are extremely proud of their coffee – and San Juan is the best place to sample it. The charming Old San Juan neighborhood offers some incredibly cute cafes, so fuel up and start your site-seeing!

Cuatro Sombras

One of the best cafes in San Juan is Cuatro Sombras. This cafe offers a good amount of seating inside and also has a small patio. Their coffee blend has subtle hints of cinnamon and chocolate – it’s hard to control yourself to only drink one.

Fortunately, you can purchase their coffee in-store or online! If you’re hungry, I recommend trying a croissant (not Puerto Rican) with guava jam (very Puerto Rican!).

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A post shared by Café Cuatro Sombras (@cafecuatrosombras)

Cafe Cola’o

My personal favorite cafe in Old San Juan is Cafe Cola’o. While it’s located close to the cruise ship dock, the cafe is embraced by locals. You’ll have to be quick to snag one of the tables outside (with a view of the sea I might add) before they fill up with locals reading the paper and enjoying island time.

My favorite item on the menu ended up being a coconut latte. They also serve delicious mallorca sandwiches, which is essentially a grilled ham and cheese sandwich sprinkled with powdered sugar.

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A post shared by Puerto Rico's Café Cola'o ☕️ (@cafecolaopr)

Cafetería Mallorca

Cafetería Mallorca is one of the few remaining traditional “cafeterias” in Old San Juan. It is a no-frills dining stop that gets more and more crowded as the day progresses. Obviously, as its name may imply, you need to try their mallorcas (YUM). However, any of the other pastries are also delicious.

Are you a hunt for the best cafes around the world? If you’re a coffee snob like me, you’ll enjoy these posts too:

  • The 5 Best Cafes in Rome
  • Best Coffee Shops in River North, Chicago

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CaribbeanDestinationsItineraries & GuidesPuerto RicoSan JuanTravel
About Sara

About Sara

I’m an American who quit my job in Chicago to seek out an Italian adventure. I currently live and work in Milan, Italy.

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About Me

About Me

Sara in Italia, Italophile

Ciao! I'm Sara. An American who quit her job in the US and moved to Milan to seek out my journey of La Dolce Vita. Follow along for Italy guides, tips, and general rants about the pros and cons of moving to Italy.

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