Get Your Colombian Coffee Fix at the Quirky Cafe del Mural
Tucked along a shady Getsemani side street, this Cartagena cafe is taking coffee to new heights. The mad genius behind it all? An industrial designer turned coffee engineer on a mission to change the way you drink that perfect cup of joe.
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If there’s one thing Cartagena has over Colombia’s Coffee Belt, it’s David Arzayus and his coffee lab moonlighting as a coffee shop. Opened in 2015, Cafe del Mural was David’s fresh start of sorts, a step in a long overdue, and some might say fated, new direction. You see, coffee had always been in his blood. His grandfather was a coffee grower and his father a member of the National Federation of Coffee Growers. But it took roughly five failed marriages and an epiphany that the corporate world wasn’t for him to find his way back to to the bean. Visit Cafe del Mural and you’ll be glad he did.
Some Colombian Coffee Context
Call it a paradox but coffee culture in Colombia has traditionally consisted of the just add water instant variety brewed with cast off Colombian beans or, stranger still, imported beans from as far away as Vietnam. Until the early 2000’s, domestic coffee drinkers throughout Colombia mainly satisfied their coffee cravings with something called tinto, a tiny watered down cup of instant coffee served black, with milk and sugar, or campesino style with cloves, cinnamon, lemon, and panela (raw cane sugar).
It wasn’t until Juan Valdez began opening cafes throughout Colombia that the prized beans were even accessible to the tinto familiar. Today, a quality cup of homegrown coffee is still a novelty to most and if you step inside one of those third wave coffee shops in Cartagena, like Epoca or Libertario, you’ll still be met with more foreigners than locals. For the masses, that thermos of 500 peso tinto sold by the vendor on the street corner is still the cup of choice, though it is safe to say that the tide is certainly turning and places like Cafe del Mural are partially to thank for that.
Cafe del Mural’s Coffee Contribution
Before David came along, Cartagena’s local coffee scene was like those all over Colombia, consisting of freeze-dried instant coffee and watered-down tinto. In many minds, that was as good as it gets in a climate like Cartagena’s. David, however, believed it could be different. Cafe del Mural was his experiment into coffee brewing, where every bean, even the lower-quality robusta could be transformed into a quality cup. Five years later, he’s not only proven that good coffee is accessible in Cartagena, but that coffee can be consumed in more ways and combinations than ever thought possible.
There’s no better way to put this truth to the test than through David’s Coffee Roasting & Tasting experience. Over the course of three hours, sample everything from the classic campesino tinto out of a drip bag to a coffee and maracuya-infused cocktail served out of a bartender’s whipper. Beyond the tasting, you’ll witness the process of sorting and roasting the coffee beans and receive the lengthy history of coffee, both in Colombia and the world. Prepare your mind and palate for a walk on the wild side.
INSIDER TIP: Pack a bag of beans from your local coffee shop before hopping on that flight to Cartagena, bring them to Cafe del Mural, and trade them for a bag of his. Talk about your most uniquely-acquired souvenir of the trip! Plus, your contribution just might inspire David and his staff’s next coffee creation.
Get the Full Cafe del Mural Experience
Book a Coffee Tasting Experience
David offers a daily coffee roasting and tasting experience upon request. The duration is about 3 hours, usually starting at 9am while the cafe is still closed to the public, meaning you’ll have this quirky space all to yourself alongside the innovative brains behinds it all. The price includes 6 coffee tastings and a bag of coffee beans of your choice to take home with you. Expect the unexpected when David is concerned.
Do-It-Yourself
Alternatively, you can stop by Cafe del Mural any afternoon after 3pm for a hit of creatively prepared caffeine, and if you’re lucky maybe a chat with David too. Just remember it’s cash only, so bring those pesos.
Cafe del Mural
Carrera 9A #25-60
Cartagena, Colombia
Monday to Saturday 3pm to 8pm
Cash only
Travel Resources
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