If you spend a few days in Montevideo, you will soon realize that there are plenty of cafés and you could easily spend several weeks exploring them all. I stayed for about three weeks in the city and was still able to find new coffee places nearly everyday. While the quality may differ significantly from one place to another, I found many good spots. The following list is not exhaustive but contains some of my favorite specialty coffee shops that I was able to discover while visiting Uruguay.

Café La Farmacia

Café La Farmacia

Located in the historic city center, this coffee shop is definitely one of the most impressive spots as far as charm and atmosphere are concerned.

It used to be a pharmacy back in the days and until today it maintains the structure and decoration of such. I particularly enjoyed having my coffee sitting in the bright wooden indoor patio right by the entrance.

At Café La Farmacia, they serve different types of specialty coffee but also good snacks/deserts. Try the ricotta cheesecake!

Café La Farmacia as seen from the street

Culto Café

Located on a corner in the Cordon neighborhood, this is one of the bigger specialty coffee shops in Montevideo. I really liked its industrial and open design with very high ceilings.

Culto Café offers a wide variety of different roasts and origins. It may get somewhat busy there but the coffee is of good quality and the baristas seemed to be very knowledgeable.

If you have a sweet tooth, then you can also get tasty treats here together with your coffee (I liked the chocolate alfajor).

Culto Café

Website: http://cultocafe.uy

Seis Montes Tostadores de Café

This coffee shop is a true gem and somewhat hidden. Appealing with its classy and slightly vintage design, you can find specialty coffee at its best here. As the name suggests, Seis Montes Tostadores de Café are specialized on roasting but thankfully they also have this small coffee shop open to the public where you can enjoy their different roasts or buy them to go. The baristas are not only very seasoned but also extremely friendly.

Art Latte at Seis Montes Tostadores de Café

Website: https://www.seismontes.com

Café Patrimonio

Café Patrimonio is another hip coffee spot in the Cordon area. It is located in a historic building with the typical high ceilings and has also a nice rooftop balcony with pleasant views over the neighborhood. Although focused on specialty coffee, they also serve a wide variety of different food options (yes, there is avocado toast). It can get crowded here so try to come during the earlier, non-peak hours.

Café Patrimonio

As stated previously, Montevideo has countless specialty coffee shops. If you would like to explore a few more, then I can also recommend the following:

• Botanico Golf/Opta
• The Lab Coffee Roasters (local chain)
• Sauco Café