Coffees made with love and with 'latte art'
In one of the main streets of moncloa district, sharing premises with a greengrocer, we found Cote Cafe . It is one of those places where you pass by, you look curiously but you do not dare to enter. And not because there are physical barriers, in fact the door is always open, but because it gives the feeling that you are entering a house. The House of Cesar and Laura, the creators of this lovely cafe.
That yes, when you decide to climb the stairs that guide you to the counter, convinced by the aroma of coffee that invades the space, the difficult thing will be to find the time to leave.
What defines Coté Café? Ecology, specialty coffee and vegan cuisine. Come in and discover their wonderful and delicious products, you don't need a coffee expert card.
Welcome to Coté Café!
WHAT CAN YOU DRINK?
You can't leave without trying their coffee . And not just anyone specialty, healthy and top quality. Aside from the fact that it is good (we attest to this), they are interested in it being nutritious and authentic. Espresso (€1.5) , latte (€2.1) , cortado (€1.5) , cappuccino (€2.3) , mocha, filter (€1.8) , peasant (€2.2) , teas, chai-latte (2.3 €), matcha-latte, cocoa-latte…
There are drinks for all tastes, as well as vegetable milks (soy, oats, rice and coconut) as an alternative to cow's milk. And to sweeten it? panela and xylitol , healthier sweeteners than white sugar and both organic.
"We also have peasant mixtures. Colombian coffee growers drink it first thing in the morning to give them energy. The coffee comes in grain, because when you grind it, it starts to lose properties. Ground coffee lasts at most a month, and in grain up to six months” César explains to Traveler.es.
In one corner they have a machine with which they make magic and filter coffee, better known in Spain as American coffee. it's a cafe long water and coffee, but in which you can savor the acid, floral, citrus notes... It is worth trying it and erasing from your mind the image of the typical watered down coffee.
“We handle different roasters, not only from Spain but also from abroad. We work by harvest, and right now we have a coffee from Ecuador in the hopper. They also bring us coffee from Rwanda, from Kenya, Colombia... We would like to reach the producer and in the future avoid intermediaries, agreeing on a fair price”, he continues.
Banana and strawberry juice
The concept is that the coffee is to go, That is why the cups, in three different sizes, are compostable. But if you want to spend half an hour of calm enjoying sip by sip, you can sit on one of the stools. Conversation will not be lacking If there is something that defines Laura and César, it is their warmth and friendliness. You will leave Coté Café with a smile.
"There are people who want to be in their world, but there are really no barriers, there is always a bond that unites you with the people who enter. And then they come back, which is the most important thing”, Laura tells us enthusiastically.
Now they are also introducing natural juices made with seasonal and organic fruit made in the blender, that they buy in the greengrocer with which they share the premises. One of strawberry and banana with rice and coconut milk, and another, idea of a Canarian client, of orange juice with papaya. The straws and containers of these natural smoothies are also compostable.
Vegan burger, a delight!
BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR SNACK? YOU CHOOSE!
There is only one requirement when cooking: products are seasonal. When I enter the premises, Juana, one of Coté Café's regular customers, is tasting a plate of vegetarian lasagna. While I talk to Laura, she is chatting with César.
"Thank you so much guys. Do you know what you should do? Announce the daily menu the day before”, says Juana. "I know, what happens is that I go too much to the day, I'm so much in the present..." Laura explains while she laughs. “Do you improvise the dishes? Oh, then don't do it!" says Juana before saying goodbye to her.
This is how it works, with creativity and spontaneity as flag. “Making the same cake every day would bore me. The food is dynamic, it is alive, it should not be pigeonholed, and the product is the same”, she adds.
Everything they buy is organic, 80% is vegan and there are occasionally gluten-free dishes.
Dish of the day: vegetable lasagna, tomato salad and beetroot hummus
Apart from the breakfast options , such as the toast with vegetable pâté with coffee or tea (3.50/4.50 €) or the homemade granola with soy and vanilla yogurt (3.50 €), they also offer a daily organic dish and catering service. It does not become a menu because it does not include dessert, they prefer that customers decide if they want to have something sweet or coffee after eating.
The vegan quiche and the banana bread are the star products. The quiche is made with spelled dough, seeds and tamari, and is filled with roasted beetroot, thyme and sweet potato. And with nuts as cheese.
Banana plan, the star dish!
In winter they made soup in the kitchen of their house and brought it to the premises in coffee thermoses. For good weather, they also have in mind to do a raw tomato and avocado lasagna and ice cream, but always in small doses to try what works best.
“The next step is to have a little kitchen. and a space where people can stay. But if we only sell seven menus, well, there are seven menus. At the moment it is not a crowded thing. Nor do we want to enter the new home delivery food service platforms”, says Laura.
The little corner where Laura makes magic cooking
WHY GO?
This cozy space it's like a store, but you can also stay half an hour and enjoy a nice dose of caffeine on the spot. And who said you can't meet someone here? You can do it in an ephemeral way.
Even if there are only three stools and it doesn't have a public bathroom, since all the containers are compostable, you can go to a park and throw your coffee on the grass. Everything is homemade, the food is made by Laura in the oven, and the specialty coffees are varied, so you can try a different one every day. Have we already convinced you?
“We don't just feed or serve coffee, we have a philosophy of life that we want to get across. And all of that is based on one clear word: honesty. An honest product." Caesar tells us.
CURIOSITIES
Combine art, coffee and creation. That is the goal of the owners of Coté Café. They covered the catering for an art exhibition and recently collaborated with a ceramics school in Madrid, explaining to students how to make correct cups for coffee, where they also brought their coffee and some biscuits.
“There's also going to be an exhibition next month of a friend who paints portraits in watercolor. In the greengrocer they are going to give us a part of the space so that I can exhibit her paintings. We always try to bring out the artistic side”, Laura tells us.
The furniture is second-hand and the dishes are clearance items from a pottery store. Y if you want to take coffee home, they grind it instantly depending on the coffee maker you have.
César teaching classes on how to make the perfect cup at Coté Café
WHO IS BEHIND THE CUPS OF COTÉ CAFÉ?
Laura is from Madrid and César is from Bogotá. Their love story began when they met in a cafe. She spent the day in the kitchen and he was an expert in coffee. What better combination to open an ecological cafeteria?
The couple wanted to open Coté Café in the Sierra, to be in contact with nature, but finally this opportunity arose for them and they decided to settle in this multi-space. The greengrocer opened five years ago, and to share expenses they decided to rent the upper part of the premises. Thus, both coexist in harmony and following the same line, working with products from the land.
She is a French philologist and has lived in Madrid and in Montréal. She has extensive experience in the world of work, and after dedicating herself to different facets, she can say what her great passion is, the one that has always been there: the kitchen. In particular, healthy food. “What interests me is that products are as close to the ground as possible” Laura explains to Traveler.es.
Seven years ago she started working in organic restaurants, and this made her understand the The importance of knowing the producer, of knowing what you are eating and that it is produced in a biodynamic way , an organic farming method. She has been a vegetarian ever since.
He is a barista with a great background in the world of specialty coffee. In Colombia he had contact with many farmers , and he came to Spain with the Juan Valdez company, one of the benchmarks in the Colombian coffee industry. After traveling for a while outside of Spain, he decided to come back and dedicate himself to the world of coffee here. Before giving life to Coté Café, he was working in a specialty coffee shop in **La Latina.**
Laura and César on the stairs of Coté Café