Café Passmar
En route to the Frida Kahlo's house in Coyoacán, I made a pit stop for lunch at Mercado Lázaro Cardenas, the covered market in Colonia Del Valle. The market, abundant in colorful piñatas, fruits, and antojitos, also had another surprise: excellent coffee. I was floored to see a La Marzocco occupying the small space squeezed between two fruit-vendors. It's hard to imagine a more perfect afternoon snack than fresh tostadas followed by an espresso (or three). Café Passmar has some of the best coffee I've tasted in Mexico. Passmar's house blend is entirely Mexican in origin, a secret mixture of beans from Guerrero and Chiapas. The coffee is roasted just next door to the storefront at Passmar's micro roastery. This was the first time I'd tried coffee in the same country from where the beans originated. All the best espresso I'd had previously contained beans that were cultivated, packaged, and air-shipped halfway the world before being roasted. After seeing what the dryness and low pressure environment of air transport does to food I've packed myself, it would be hard to imagine that extended air transportation doesn't have an effect on coffee beans.
The coffee I tasted at Passmar was some of the nuttiest most chocolatey espresso I have ever tasted. My girlfriend -- who despises coffee -- took one sip and nearly finished my first cappuccino.
Cafe Passmar - Storefront in the middle of the market
Café Passmar, a coffee oasis in the middle of a busy market
Cafe Passmar - Storefront
Service is laid-back and comfortable, hard to imagine a line
Cafe Passmar - Cappuccino
Cappuccino - The result of a single pull from a 14g basket. The flavor was incredibly nutty and chocolatey with hints of butter. The milk foaming was gorgeous, creating a microfoam that lasted until the last sip.
Cafe Passmar - Cortado doble
Cortado doble - A single pull from a 14g basket with significantly less milk than a cappuccino, around 3oz. The flavor is more intense and concentrated.
Cafe Passmar - La Marzocco in action
Florentine La Marzocco in action
Cafe Passmar - Espresso cups
Stack of espresso cups
Passmar was a wakeup call that Mexican espresso deserves a lot more attention. I'd always loved the beans but never been to a place that takes the preparation seriously. This espresso gem -- which the owner explained to my ignorance has been open for nearly fifteen years -- is a place I hope to visit more often.
