Ecuador used to export most of its best beans and drink instant coffee at home. Not anymore. Quito now has four cafés in South America’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026, and the farms behind them are winning auctions worldwide.
The cafés
- Fankør (Whymper and Francisco de Orellana): ranked No. 2 in South America and No. 11 in the world. It’s an industrial, light-filled room run by Pablo and Valeria, focused on light roasts, with all-day food, pastries and a short wine list.
- Benchtime (Plaza Marú, Cumbayá): ranked in the top 20 of South America in its first year in the competition.
- Café Guayasamín (Av. República de El Salvador, the historic centre and Ciudad Mitad del Mundo): ranked No. 34 in 2026. It’s led by brothers Martín and Alexis Guayasamín. Martín is a national brewers and AeroPress champion and was a Cup of Excellence roaster. They buy directly from about two dozen farms a year and rotate beans every couple of weeks.
- Raymi Coffee (El Bosque mall, with a branch in La Floresta): ranked No. 99 and only a year old, with its own roastery and Ecuadorian snacks such as humitas.
- Stratto | Bodega de Café (La Floresta): ranked No. 54 in 2025. It works like a wine cellar for coffee, with murals, vinyl, low lights and coffee cocktails.
The farms and awards
Ecuador’s coffee grows on Andean slopes, especially in Loja, Zamora Chinchipe, Pichincha and Imbabura. At the Cup of Excellence Ecuador 2023, the top lot was a washed Geisha from La Noria (María del Pilar Burneo Samaniego, Loja), scoring 91.22 and selling for more than $100 a pound. It was followed by Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Eladio Chamba, Loja) and Cruz Loma (the Morales Rivera family, Pichincha).
In 2026 the Alliance for Coffee Excellence and Qima Coffee launched the Ecuador Farmer’s Collection auction. Its No. 1 lot was a Geisha from Andrés Yépez (Hostería Canavalle, Imbabura), scoring 90.13 and selling for $144.50 a pound. Loja’s Café Johann (Jhonatan Jumbo), a regular on these lists, placed again with its Sidra.
How to drink like a local
Ask which farm and variety is on filter today. Sidra, Typica Mejorado and Geisha are Ecuador’s stars. Try a V60 next to an espresso, and buy a bag of beans to take home: it’s the best souvenir in the city.
Sources
- Primicias – Quito’s four best cafés in South America’s Top 100 (2026)
- Primicias – Quito cafés in the 2025 ranking (Fankør, Guayasamín, Stratto)
- Catastro – Cup of Excellence Ecuador 2023 results
- Alliance for Coffee Excellence – Ecuador Farmer’s Collection 2026
Prices and requirements checked in October 2026 and subject to change. Always confirm with the official source.