Pergamino Cafe Review: Medellin’s Best Spot for Coffee Drinks

We’ve reviewed cafes all around the world, and Medellin’s Pergamino cafes stand out as chic and trendy coffee shops where you can enjoy a great cup of Colombian coffee.

The first time we went to Medellin, back in 2017, where was one Pergamino location in El Poblado! Now, there are seven, which means there are more “Pergaminos” where coffee lovers can taste, smell and appreciate their beverages.

Is going to a Pergamino location worth it during your Medellin trip for a coffee? Check out this review of the cafes, including our behind-the-scenes coffee experience with a knowledgable barista!

Key takeaways from this review

• Learn about the background of Pergaminio Cafe.
• Discover all the types of coffees that Pergamino sells, and the ones you can try in stores.
• See where Pergamino has stores in Medellin.
• View the special and unique coffee drinks that Pergamino has developed for coffee lovers.

Background on Pergamino Cafe

Pergamino is a Colombian coffee company that takes coffee seriously. The first time we went to Colombia, we learned that locals often drink instant coffee or low-grade coffee, because high-quality beans are exported. That’s where the money is.

“Third-wave cafes” refers to modern coffee shops and coffee companies that keep some of the high-quality beans and roasts within the country. This is also happening in Mexico, from our experience. In Colombia, it’s a big deal, and over the past decade, Colombians in big cities who are able to go these cafes can taste their country’s best coffees. It’s also a huge draw for travelers.

Pergamino is constantly looking for ways to optimize the craft of coffee, seeking to share the world of coffee with consumers in their stores and online.

Pergamino cafes have become places where friends can hang out with great coffee drinks, and where anyone can go to appreciate these beautiful cafes. We look forward to visiting all of the locations, as they are all different.

Pergamino is recommended in Fodor’s and has a massive Instagram following.

Pergamino’s coffees

Pergamino, like many coffee companies in Colombia, export the large majority of their coffees overseas to 20+ countries. We learned a lot about coffee farming when we traveled to Salento in Colombia’s coffe-producing region, the Zona Cafetera.

The difference with Pergamino is that they keep a good amount of coffee within Colombia to serve at their cafes.

Pergamino now works with more than 600 coffee farmers throughout Colombia. The key idea in their process and mantra is to be able to trace coffees to their “origins” in order to track quality. Coffee is roasted locally in small batches and then served in the cafes in Medellin. It is also available for purchase online, whether you’re in Colombia or the US.

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Brewing methods

As you’ll see on Pergamino’s menus, you can choose from four brewing methods, according to your preference, after selecting your coffee origin. You can also ask baristas for their favorite origin, or brewing method.

Choose from Aeropress, French Press, Chemex or V60.

The coffee of the day is called “El Tinto,” and is “siempre listo,” or always ready.

Pergamino sometimes has fun events like “Latte Art Barista Jam” in which baristas are pitted against each other for this artistic skill.

Pergamino Cafe locations in Medellin

Pergamino now has seven locations in Medellin, from the original store on Carrera 37 to the newest location in Laureles. Locals, expats and travelers all know that Pergamino will provide a fine coffee experience of top-quality beans and superior barista talent. Here are the Pergamino locations:

• Pergamino Via Primavera: Cra. 37 #8A-37, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín
• Pergamino Calle 10B: Cl. 10b #36-38, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín
• Pergamino CC Oviedo: Cr 43A 6S-15, local 9, Av El Poblado, Medellín
• Pergamino Aeropuerto JMC: MDE Terminal Internacional, Rionegro
• Pergamino San Lucas: Cl 16A Sur #30a-57, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín
• Pergamino Laureles: Cq 73 #34 - 65, Laureles - Estadio, Medellín, Laureles, Medellín
• Pergamino Viva Envigado: Zona 1, Cra. 48 #32B Sur-139 local 355, Zona 1, Envigado

Ambiance & atmosphere

Because we went to take photos at Pergamino Calle 10B, we can tell you all about the atmosphere there (as well as Pergamino on Cra. 37, because we went there first). We included these shots in our photos of Medellin gallery.

Pergamino on Calle 10B has a chill and relaxing vibe on a quiet street. The cafe is spacious, with a long coffee bar, a tall staircase to the second floor and a good amount of seating. The interior is sleek and warm, with touches of wood everywhere.

Overall, lots of design thought was put into this cafe, because it has an upscale feel and is a great place to spend a while.

Seating & outdoor seating

The cafe is somewhat indoor-outdoor, with seating all around the first and second floors, as well as outside on a patio. As a plus, Calle 10B is quiet, leafy and hilly, presenting a rather different scene from sitting outside at Pergamino’s original El Poblado location on the busier Carrera 37.

Food offerings

The cafe has a full page of food, which will surely make you want to stay longer! (It’s good to note that all Pergamino cafes have slightly different food menus.)

There are baked goods like tortas, brownies, galletas (cookies), croissants and empanadas. For breakfast and brunch, there are granola bowls, fruit salad, yogurt and “huevitos” (egg dishes). For lunch, try the “tostadas” (toasts), including avocado toast with poached egg, eggplant toast and peanut butter toast.

Lastly, there are sandwiches and bowls like a Mexican Bowl and a Quinoa Tuna Bowl. Pergamino is, in our experience, one of the best places for food in Medellin.

Unique drinks to try at Pergamino Cafe

In our behind-the-scenes Pergamino experience with a barista, we got to try some drinks we wouldn’t have thought of ordering.

En Kioto cold brew

This unique cold brew is served in an espresso cup. It’s concentrated and ‘fuerte,’ with a nearly salty taste. The Kyoto method is done with iced water, rather than hot.

Urrao roast in a cup

We take our coffee black, and asked for the barista to recommend his favorite Colombian roast. We each had a cup of the Urrao roast, which is from Antioquia, the department (name for the states of the country) in which Medellin is located.

The beans are grown at 2000 meters. This coffee has notes of ripened peaches, flowers and caramel. If you like it a lot, you can see if it’s available in the Pergamino online store.

Guandolo

We had to ask twice how to say ‘guandolo,’ the name of the drink we were served first in a coffee cup and then in a mason jar with panela (unrefined whole cane sugar) around the rim.

At Pergamino, guandolo is a sweet cold brew coffee drink made with café Lomaverde (Pergamnio’s signature coffee, and the only single origin that they have year-round) with panela and lemon juice. It was a surprise to our taste buds, as the citrus zing was entirely unexpected. We’ll take another one of these, please!

Working remotely at Pergamino

As for the location at Calle 10B, customers with laptops are welcome, and it’s a great coffee shop environment for being productive and relaxed. Pergamino on Cra. 37 is also popular with “digital nomads,” although it’s a dab more crowded and noisy.

If you plan to work remotely from Pergamino, reference our Medellin safety tips to keep your phone and laptop safe, and avoid theft.

You can see the “workability rating” for Pergamino at Workfrom.

Do we recommend Pergamino?

Yes, absolutely. It’s the #1 cafe in Medellin for a reason! If you’re looking for places to visit in Medellin, make sure that Pergamino is on your list! It’s worth checking out if you’re located in El Poblado, Laureles or in any of the other neighborhoods that now have Pergamino locations.