The 14 Best Coffee Shops in Coral Gables (2026 Local Guide)

Quick note before the list: if what you need right now is a great coffee shop in Coral Gables with award-winning espresso and space to work, that is exactly what GROU is. This guide is for the days you want to explore beyond our counter.

Whether you are a digital nomad looking for a productive nook or a connoisseur searching for the perfect pour-over, the Miami coffee scene has evolved into a world-class destination. From the historic streets of Coral Gables to the industrial chic of Wynwood, here are the local favorites loved for their quality, atmosphere, and community.

Coral Gables packs an unusually dense coffee scene into a walkable grid. Inside roughly one square mile you can drink a Cuban colada, an Australian flat white, a Brooklyn pour-over and a French patisserie espresso, and walk between all four. In Coral Gables Magazine’s Best of Coral Gables 2025, readers voted GROU Coffee + Cowork the People’s Choice for Best Coffee House, and the Staff Choice went to Café Demetrio. Both are on this list, along with twelve more.

Below are fourteen places worth your morning, each with what makes it different rather than a copy of its menu. Hours, prices and seasonal drinks change constantly, so every venue name links to its own listing. Check there before you go.

The Top Pick: GROU Coffee + Cowork (Coral Gables)

If you’re looking for the absolute gold standard in the area, GROU Coffee + Cowork is the place to be. It has recently gained massive acclaim, being awarded Best Coffee Shop in Miami-Dade and Best Coffee Shop in Coral Gables.

Located in the heart of the Gables, GROU stands out for its commitment to specialty coffee and its stunning, natural light-filled interior. It’s more than just a cafe; it’s a community hub featuring a wide variety of food items, from artisanal toasts to fresh pastries, making it the perfect hybrid for those who want to sip and stay productive.

The address is 4100 Salzedo St STE 5, about a four minute walk from Shops at Merrick Park, which makes it the closest specialty coffee shop to the mall and a natural first or last stop on a Merrick Park afternoon. The awards are worth spelling out: People’s Choice for Best Coffee House in Coral Gables Magazine’s Best of Coral Gables 2025, Best Coffeehouse in the Miami New Times Best of Miami 2026 Readers’ Choice, and third best coffee shop in Miami by TimeOut.

On the coffee side, the espresso is a double shot pulled from El Salvador and Brazil beans, the drip is a medium dark house blend from El Salvador, the cold brew steeps for sixteen hours in house, and the matcha latte uses ceremonial-grade matcha. The signature is the Chagaccino, a chaga superfood latte. GROU also runs what it calls Miami’s first affogato bar: Classic, Coco Matcha, Arabian Dreams, Tiramisú and Pastelito, plus an Affogato Flight where you choose three. The Latin espresso lineup runs Colada, Cortado, Cafe Bombon, Vietnamese Latte and the Mojito Brew, a house coffee lemonade. There is a Babyccino for kids.

The kitchen covers Avocado Toast, the Butcher’s and Italianissimo paninis, a Sourdough Bagel Lox, Chia Pudding, Overnight Oats, Lasagna and a soup of the day, plus Garbanzo and Tuna toast or salad. Dietary tags are marked on the menu rather than guessed at: the Arepa is gluten-free, the Banana Bread is gluten-free and vegan, the Cake Healthy Code Wise is dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar-free, and the Skinny Vanilla Latte is built on sugar-free vanilla syrup. The patio is dog friendly. The other half of the building is a full coworking space, so a laptop session can turn into a booked desk, a meeting room or a private office without changing address, which is why it keeps showing up in guides to working from a coffee shop in Coral Gables.

Taking a bag home? Freshness beats everything else on the label. Our guide on how to tell if your coffee has gone off covers the smell test, the bloom and what a flat crema is telling you.

Café Demetrio

Café Demetrio at 300 Alhambra Circle is the one most locals name when asked which coffee house came first. It opened in 1997, built by Demetrio and Vilma Pina on the 1920s premises of Coral Gables’ first newspaper, and the bones of that building are still the appeal: a leafy courtyard, shade, and the kind of unhurried European room that makes a second cup feel reasonable. It took the Staff Choice for Best Coffee House in Best of Coral Gables 2025, the counterpart to GROU’s People’s Choice. If you want to understand the Gables coffee scene, start here and work outward.

Threefold Cafe

Threefold Cafe at 141 Giralda Ave brought Melbourne to Giralda Plaza: Australian cafe culture, specialty coffee, flat whites and an all-day breakfast that does not stop at eleven. It is one of the venues that turned Giralda into a brunch destination in the first place, and it stays busy for exactly that reason. It is also a reliable answer when the question is really about lunch in Coral Gables rather than coffee.

The Café at Books & Books

The Café at Books & Books at 265 Aragon Ave is a full-service cafe inside the independent bookstore Mitchell Kaplan founded in 1982. The setting does most of the work: a 1927 Mediterranean building on the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places, with an open-air courtyard wrapped in bookshelves. It is the best room in the Gables for a long, slow sit, and one of the few places where nobody minds if a coffee turns into two hours and a paperback.

Pasión del Cielo Coffee

Pasión del Cielo sits at 100 Giralda Ave, on the corner where Giralda Plaza meets Galiano, and has been pouring since 2009. The detail that separates it from the pack: it imports from twelve countries and grinds each dose to order on a dedicated grinder per origin, so an Ethiopian and a Colombian never share a burr. If you have read our older top five coffee shops in Coral Gables post, this is the one it was built around.

Café Grumpy

Café Grumpy at 2516 Ponce de Leon Blvd is the Brooklyn-born specialty roaster, and the Coral Gables shop is its first location outside New York. That is a genuinely useful signal about this neighborhood: a roaster with a New York reputation to protect looked at the whole of South Florida and chose Ponce. Expect the roaster-forward end of the spectrum, single origins treated seriously and a room built around the coffee rather than the food.

Tinta y Café

Tinta y Café at 1315 Ponce de Leon Blvd translates to “ink and coffee,” and the bookshelves running along the glass façade explain the name. It is a Cuban cafe first: cafecito, pastelitos and croquetas, served fast and strong. It is recognized in the Michelin Guide, which is unusual for a room this small and this unfussy, and it is the counterweight to the third-wave shops a few blocks away.

Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar

Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar at 169 Miracle Mile is the espresso bar and all-day cafe of the Mile, near the Colonnades, with a second Gables location on S Dixie Hwy. It is the practical pick in the middle of a shopping errand: European-style coffee, a full food menu that runs past breakfast, and a location you will walk past anyway.

Bachour

Bachour at 2020 Salzedo St is the bakery and restaurant from pastry chef Antonio Bachour, open since 2019 and recognized in the Michelin Guide as a Bib Gourmand. Come for the pastry rather than the pour-over: the viennoiserie and plated desserts are the reason the room is full, and the coffee is there to hold up its end. It is on the same street as GROU, at the other end, which makes a two-stop Salzedo morning very easy.

Chef Sucre Café

Chef Sucre Café at 475 Biltmore Way is a French-leaning patisserie and cafe a block from City Hall, which makes it the default coffee for anyone with business in that part of the Gables. Pastry-forward, small, and calmer than the Miracle Mile rooms.

CAO Bakery & Cafe

CAO Bakery & Cafe on University Drive is a Cuban American bakery and cafe working from traditional family recipes, which in practice means the pastry case is the menu and the cafecito is the reason you are standing in line. It is the other half of the Gables coffee story, the one that predates the word “specialty,” and it pairs naturally with a walk toward the University of Miami side of the city.

Pura Vida Miami

Pura Vida Miami at 244 Miracle Mile is the health and wellness end of the list, part of a Miami group, and an easy answer when half your table wants a smoothie or an acai bowl and the other half wants a real coffee. Vegan and gluten-free options run across the menu rather than sitting in a corner of it.

Carrot Express

Carrot Express at 259 Miracle Mile has the weakest coffee claim on this list and earns its place anyway. It is healthy fast-casual, smoothies, bowls and wraps, and it is what you want when the coffee is secondary to getting fed quickly and well between errands on the Mile.

Specialty coffee in Coral Gables and beyond

People searching for Miami specialty coffee often assume they need to drive to Wynwood, and for years that was true. It is not anymore. Between GROU’s sixteen hour cold brew and El Salvador and Brazil espresso, Pasión del Cielo’s twelve origins and per-origin grinders, and Café Grumpy choosing Ponce de Leon for its first shop outside New York, the Gables now holds its own against any neighborhood in the county. If you want the wider picture, we keep a full guide to the best coffee shops in Miami, a companion on the best coffee shops to work from in Miami, and an introduction to the city’s coffee culture. That said, a few Miami rooms are worth the drive.

Local Legends & Unique Concepts

Panther Coffee

A pioneer of the Miami specialty coffee movement, Panther Coffee has a strong local following that dates back years. Known for roasting their beans on-site, their locations (especially in Wynwood and Coconut Grove) are always buzzing with energy and the aroma of high-quality small-batch beans.

Panther is not a Coral Gables venue, so treat it as the short drive rather than the walk. The roaster was founded in 2010 and the Coconut Grove shop sits at 3407 Main Hwy, which we cover in more detail in our guide to the best coffee in Coconut Grove.

Vice City Bean

Consistency is king at Vice City Bean. Located in the Arts & Entertainment District, this shop is a favorite for locals who need a reliable, perfectly pulled espresso. The vibe is minimalist and welcoming, making it a "must-visit" on any Miami coffee crawl.

Imperial Moto Café

For those who like their caffeine with a side of grit and style, Imperial Moto Café offers a unique concept. This shop blends a passion for vintage motorcycles with great espresso. It’s a visually stunning space that serves up some of the smoothest drinks in the city.

Emissary

Bringing a touch of sophisticated flair to the scene, Emissary is quickly becoming a staple for those who appreciate a well-crafted brew in a refined setting. It’s a great spot for a morning meeting or a quiet afternoon recharge.

Best Coffee Shops in Coral Gables

While Miami as a whole is caffeinated, Coral Gables offers a more relaxed, upscale atmosphere.

• GROU Coffee + Cowork: The reigning champion for both workspace and flavor.
• Threefold Cafe (141 Giralda Ave): Melbourne-style brunch and flat whites, a Giralda favorite since 2014.
• Cafe Demetrio (300 Alhambra Cir): The Gables’ original coffee house, with an old-world European feel.
• Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar: A classic choice for a quick European-style coffee.
• Tinta y Café: For a Michelin-recognized take on traditional Cuban coffee.
• RC Cafe (276 Alhambra Cir): A cozy corner for Latin flavors and a cafecito with lunch.

More Coral Gables coffee reading from us: why GROU keeps landing on best coffee shop in Coral Gables lists, where to settle in as a study cafe in Coral Gables, and the story of the first all-local coffee shop in the Gables.

Looking for "Best Coffee Shops Near Me"?

No matter where you are in the 305, the coffee culture is thriving. If you are in the Gables, head to GROU for an award-winning experience. If you’re near the city center, Vice City or Panther will never let you down.

Coral Gables coffee questions, answered

Which are the best coffee shops in Coral Gables?

Coral Gables has a dense specialty coffee scene packed into a walkable grid. GROU Coffee + Cowork on Salzedo Street was voted People’s Choice for Best Coffee House in Coral Gables Magazine’s Best of Coral Gables 2025 and pairs specialty coffee with a coworking space. Other standouts are Café Demetrio on Alhambra Circle, Pasión del Cielo on Giralda Plaza, Threefold Cafe on Giralda Avenue, Café Grumpy and Tinta y Café on Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Crema Gourmet on Miracle Mile, and the courtyard café inside Books & Books on Aragon Avenue.

What is the best coffee shop in Coral Gables for working on a laptop?

GROU Coffee + Cowork at 4100 Salzedo St STE 5 is built for it: it is a specialty coffee shop and a coworking space in one, so you can sit in the cafe with a laptop or book a desk, a meeting room or a private office in the same building. Books & Books on Aragon Avenue and Café Demetrio on Alhambra Circle also have courtyards that suit longer sits.

Where is the oldest coffee house in Coral Gables?

Café Demetrio at 300 Alhambra Circle opened in 1997 and is generally treated as the Gables’ original coffeehouse. It was built by Demetrio and Vilma Pina on the 1920s premises of Coral Gables’ first newspaper, and it took Staff Choice for Best Coffee House in Coral Gables Magazine’s Best of Coral Gables 2025.

Is there specialty coffee in Coral Gables, or do I have to go to Wynwood?

You do not have to leave the Gables. GROU pulls espresso from El Salvador and Brazil beans and steeps its cold brew for 16 hours, Pasión del Cielo imports from twelve countries and grinds each dose to order on a dedicated grinder per origin, and Café Grumpy chose Coral Gables for its first location outside New York. Panther Coffee, the Miami roaster founded in 2010, is a short drive away in Coconut Grove.

Which coffee shop in Coral Gables is closest to Shops at Merrick Park?

GROU Coffee + Cowork at 4100 Salzedo St STE 5 is about a four minute walk from Shops at Merrick Park, which makes it the closest specialty coffee shop to the mall. It serves coffee, brunch and coworking in the same space.

Where can I find a good cortadito or colada in Coral Gables?

Cuban espresso is easy to find in the Gables. GROU on Salzedo Street serves a Colada, a Cortado and a Cafe Bombon alongside its specialty menu, Tinta y Café on Ponce de Leon Boulevard is built around Cuban coffee and pastelitos, and CAO Bakery & Cafe on University Drive is a Cuban American bakery and cafe working from traditional family recipes.

Are there coffee shops in Coral Gables with gluten-free, vegan or sugar-free options?

Yes. GROU tags its menu directly: the Arepa is gluten-free, the Banana Bread is gluten-free and vegan, the Cake Healthy Code Wise is dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar-free, and the Skinny Vanilla Latte uses sugar-free vanilla syrup. Pura Vida Miami and Carrot Express, both on Miracle Mile, are health-focused kitchens with vegan and gluten-free options across the menu.

Can I bring my dog to a coffee shop in Coral Gables?

GROU Coffee + Cowork on Salzedo Street has a dog friendly patio and serves pup cups. Several Gables cafes have outdoor seating that welcomes dogs, but policies change, so check the venue’s own listing before you go.

More from GROU: Order fresh-roasted beans and merch from the GROU shop, book a desk, meeting room or private office at GROU Cowork in Coral Gables, or see the menu.