Coffee-lovers who come to South America expecting the caffeine equivalent of a wine trip in France are in for a land. All the best produce is exported, and locals make do with the freeze-dried stuff connoisseurs turn their noses up at. But ambling through Cuenca’s Old Town, you suddenly wake up and smell the coffee. You follow your nose to a doorway, where stands a man, a manual coffee grinder and bags of fresh coffee. Alleluia! All you need now is a coffee pot …
On Calle Sucre, near General Torres;
Opening hours: standard Ecuador office hours, closed 1-3 for lunch
You can taste this coffee at Cafe Akelarre at Hotel Inca Real, 8-10 General Torres between Sucre and Bolivar. The restaurant serves paella on Sundays.