AlyssaWalking into Cafe Martinez caused my mind and body to instantly feel calm. The relaxing music flowing through the speakers, the beautiful smell of brewing coffee, and the sound of people in happy conversation. In my mind there are two types of coffee shops – the coffee shops where business meetings take place and the coffee shops I want to spend the entirety of my afternoon in. I want to spend my mornings and afternoons at Cafe Martinez.
The Martinez family has been creating charming, Argentinean inspired cafes since the 1930s. The first location opened in Buenos Aires in 1933 and since then a plethora of cafes have opened in South America and Europe. A few weeks ago the first Cafe Martinez opened in the United States, right here in San Antonio!
Before even glancing at the menu I already knew what I was going to order. A day or so beforehand I scrolled by an enticing photo of a signature coffee drink at Cafe Martinez which led to me right here. The signature specialty coffees are a combination of espresso, milk and your choice of chocolate, vanilla, honey or dulce de leche. I highly recommend the hot honey specialty coffee.
Cafe Martinez serves breakfast all day and savory lunch items after 10:30 a.m. My favorite dish so far is the hail kale salad, a delicious mixture of kale, goat cheese semi dried tomatoes, sunflower seeds, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries and a Texas honey vinaigrette. I’m planning on ordering the spiced up grilled cheese on my next visit.
Along with your classic coffee beverages, Cafe Martinez features a Argentine hot drinks section. I indulged in the submarino, a warm mug of milk topped with bittersweet Spanish chocolate. As soon as you receive your Argentinean hot chocolate, place the chocolate right into the steamed milk and begin stirring. Naturally I tried to Boomerang the entire process but it didn’t work out – the chocolate doesn’t melt instantaneously but once it does you’re in for a real sweet treat.
Another drink to jot down is the mate cocido, a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused drink. I began sipping on this after the specialty coffee and cortado so I am not able to say if the mate cocido gave me more energy than my average coffee drink. I’ll have to go back, begin the day with the mate cocido and see if inspiration begins to flow through my veins. I’ll let you know.
Cafe Martinez is located at 7302 Louis Pasteur Drive, down the street from Bakery Lorraine Medical Center.
Have you been to Cafe Martinez yet? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!