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We've compiled the best of the best in San Rafael and Santa María la Ribera - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Just a block from the busy Avenida Ribera de San Cosme, this quiet and elegantly designed hideaway offers respite from the crowds of nearby Metro San Cosme. Decorated with antiques and smelling of freshly roasted coffee, it’s the kind of place where you can disappear for a quiet afternoon of reading or a nice meal alone or with a travel companion. There are two other Camino a Comala cafés in the city, but this one's the best.
Although its name is barely visible on the sun-faded awnings, this neighborhood taquería is busy on most nights. It’s a true local’s spot and its bright lights are visible from the street; you’ll know it from the number of people mostly patiently waiting to place their orders (food is available to go as well).
An anticapitalist communal space, bakery, and kitchen, this feminist cooperative has been serving handmade goods since 2017, in resistance to unhealthy working situations and overarching franchises without a soul. Their homemade breads use a unique fermentation process, and they also sell sweets, snacks, coffee, and tea. There’s a focus on a nonhierarchical environment, and they regularly promote the work of women and LGBTQ+ artists with book launches, concerts, and craft-making. Beautiful artisanal crafts are also sold here with a focus on fair trade.
Just around the corner from the famed Moorish Kiosk, this open-air coffee and tea spot also specializes in fresh pastries. Specializing in Mexican coffee, it’s also a place to go and buy a bottle of mezcal, cacao, local honey, and even artisanal Mexican beers. It’s hard to miss, with bright jaguar murals painted along its maroon-color walls. It’s a young scene, and you’ll be treated to local gossip if you take a seat at the bar.
This charming colonial-era café is open to the street, with regulars, families, and digital nomads regularly making appearances. It’s bustling, maybe a bit too bustling for some folks to focus on work, but the price-to-quality ratio is impressive, as is its selection of Mexican-style hot chocolate, which range from spicy to sweet to bitter. Whether you're looking for molletes, chilaquiles, or pan dulce, this place has it all, served quick and delicious.
This tiny pizzeria has more space on its sidewalk than its interior, which is mostly a kitchen that prepares thin-crust Argentine style pizzas, empanadas, and salads. The service is attentive and the prices are low. You’ll probably have to wait for a table, as there are very few, but the food and staff will make it worth it.
A darling nook ideal for cat lovers, couches and cushions make for comfortable seating in a small, quiet space. You might have to duck your head to get in, but it serves as an espresso, tea, and coffee shop as well as a gift shop for all things cat-related.
One of the first purely vegan options in the area, this hidden spot serves more South Asian fusion rather than the traditional Indian fare that's advertised. Still, it’s a great option for vegans, with very affordable prices, a lively color scheme featuring brightly painted peach and turquoise walls, and five white tables alongside the kitchen. The restaurant looks out onto Jardín Mascarones Park.
