I am currently sitting in Diletto Café in La Zona G, Bogota’s upscale dining district enjoying a café latte and American-style brownie. Executives in expensive-looking suits and bohemian students are chatting over cappuccinos or hunched over laptops, taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi. There are soft coffee shop beats playing in the background and the energy seems right.

Coffee is Colombia’s second best known export and café culture is a big part of day-to-day life in Bogota.  As an expat living in Bogota, I am constantly discovering fantastic new coffee shops and absolutely love the fact that Starbucks isn’t my only option. Tinto can be bought just about anywhere; in fact, even a sidewalk vendor will be glad to sell you a cup of black coffee. There are plenty of great neighborhood coffee shops in Colombia’s capital, ranging from inexpensive cigarrerias to high-end European-style cafes.   So if you’re in Bogota for a couple of days (or long-term) you may want to check out some of my favorite spots below.

Diletto Café (www.dilettocafe.com) has half a dozen cafés scattered throughout Bogota.  My personal favorite is the Zona G branch on Calle 70 with Carrera 5. Authors Bookstore, an English-language bookstore with the largest selection of English language fiction and non-fiction titles is located right next door, convenient for those who want to read a book while they sip their cappuccino. Diletto’s in La Zona G has a nice outdoor patio and free Wi-Fi.

Juan Valdez (www.juanvaldez.com) is one of Colombia’s biggest coffee chains and is named after the mythical Juan Valdez himself. There are over a dozen branches in Bogota, my favorites being the Parque 93 and Museo del Oro locales. Here, coffee drinkers will find everything from plain old tinto to skim milk caramel frapaccinos topped with whip cream to iced mocha lattes. Juan Valdez only provides customers with a 30 minute Internet voucher card, so you might want to head somewhere else if you’d like to get some work done while enjoying a hot cup of coffee.

La Boheme (Calle 27 Carrera 5) is a tiny but cozy café in the trendy Macarena neighborhood and serves up some great milkshakes. It maybe small, but La Boheme delivers when it comes to ambience. The décor channels 1920s Paris and Milan and the staff are friendly and greet customers on a first name basis.  There’s an internet café upstairs and free Wi-Fi for those with their own laptops.

Café del Sol (Calle 14 Carrera 3) One of my hands down favorites, Café del Sol is a popular meeting place for college students and professors. It offers a large variety of hot and cold coffee drinks and baked goods. Café del Sol has a tendency to play 1960s and 70s Latin pop, but its location in a beautifully renovated colonial-era house in La Candelaria more than makes up for this. Plus, the free Wi-Fi makes it a good work spot.

Café Estacion del Tren (Calle 14 Carrera 4) If you are seeking a truely unique café experience, Café Estacion del Tren has what you’re looking for. The café is housed in an old train cart and is a great spot to indulge in Bogota’s favorite afternoon snack:  Chocolate Santafereano con queso y pan (hot chocolate with cheese and bread). The inside of the cart is decorated with black and white pictures of historic Bogota and the café fills up in the afternoons.

For more on Bogota, check out safe neighborhoods of Bogota and Bogota’s historical district.