As your loyal foreign correspondant has been working from Quito for a few weeks and has worked from a few cafes it feels like one cafe requires special recognition and that is CafeLab / Hidalgo Cafe, this is a small franchise, and I have visited two of their locations, one closer to the hotel in the Bellavista neighborhood, but this review is specifically in the heart of Quito’s downtown next to the Sheraton Hotel and close to the mall Quicentro. Even though this cafe is in the centre of Quito it has a serene vibe, maybe it is the playlist, the music is great for concentration and the volume is low enough to take phone calls. Though some days it gets busy, there was one other table with 3 or 4 people earlier, on a day like today I have mainly been the only customer here along with the employees.
So let me make the setting, this cafe has a roaster, and though it is vented outside, you are embraced by the aroma have freshly roasted coffee beans upon entrance. The employees greet you cheerfully and the service is excellent and generally very quick! The tables and chairs are well suited and comfortable for long stints working at your laptop and most days it is quiet and peaceful enough to take calls for work.
Now let me tell you about the coffee, they have traditional styles like espresso and cappucino, and the flavor of these drinks is smooth, rich, and satisfying. They also have some other brewing styles like aeropress, siphon, and filtered, and these methods reveal a clean tasting coffee which doesn’t require any sugar or sweetener. In addition, there are some refreshing teas.
The food dishes are very satisfying and on the healthy side, I have had the huevos ranchero dish a few times, it comes out served in a hot cast-iron skillet and served with a red sauce and avocado, in addition to a bowl of fruit and some toast, and a small glass of narajanilla. The bagel sandwich with salmon (lox) is also quite good and a traditional morning staple. Warm quiche lorraine hits all the spots, tasty, satisfying, and reminds one of a home cooked meal and for a treat try the tarta de queso vasca.
Now lets get what you really want to know. Fast internet! Fast Wifi!
And lets not forget besides the peace and ambiance the quality of the internet. As the above screenshot above shows, this location has a very, very fast internet speeds. It is suitable for working with photos and videos and posting them online, conference calls, and every business activity imaginable. It is definitely one of the top 1% internet experiences I have ever experienced in cafe.
Signing Off For Now!
