I’ve been to many cafés. Some bohemian, with an artistic vibe and extravagant decor. Others, colder and more commercial. I’ve visited cafés in various cities in my country (Cuba) and seen many types of designs. However, the café that won me over was a simple little space in the basement of a supermarket in Mexico 🇲🇽.
Here’s the story: Guadalajara International Book Fair, the second largest in the world. A tiny delegation from Caribe Fantástico, and me—who had never set foot outside Cuba—as an invited guest.
In Mexico, I tried my first Starbucks and realized that in some places, "coffee" means "ruined coffee with half a liter of water and, God forgive them, even ice 😒," so you have to order an ESPRESSO. Since I got sick on the second day (turns out I was allergic to the very capitalist abundance of seafood, something I’d never had the luxury of enjoying before 😅), I barely got to experience the city properly.
But right before we left, we decided to go shopping and found this supermarket. The supermarket itself was nothing extraordinary—just the biggest onions I’ve ever seen and, well, the sheer abundance, which will always be a novelty to me. It also had several Coffees inside. We went to one of them, and to our surprise, when they saw our Book Fair credentials, they told us, "Go down to the basement—I think you’ll like it."
The basement was the coziest and most personality-aligned Coffee place I’ve ever seen. The best part was that it was practically empty and very secluded, so you could hide there—something I always look for in a Café. The second-best part was that it was perfect for working: not just the free Wi-Fi but the peace, the atmosphere, the ease of plugging in devices, etc. Down there, even the staff left you alone (they were too busy with the crowded place upstairs). They’d peek their heads down the spiral staircase, ask if you needed anything, and disappear again. Exactly the kind of thing I love.
So, that little hidden place has been my favorite design so far because it’s made for quiet, artistic (but not bohemian) souls—people who want to write in peace with a little coffee (REAL COFFEE POR PETE'S SAKE) and relaxing music.
The supermarket's name is Plaza del Sol, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. I really can't remember if the Coffee itself had a name, sorry.
