El Café
31 S 19th St, Philadelphia, PA
Crema's Take
“Tucked inside the Motto Hotel, El Café charms with its minimalist aesthetic and a thoughtfully curated menu that leans Mexican-inspired, from signature Jamaica drinks to breakfast tacos alongside excellent pastries. The baristas here clearly care about craft—you'll find skilled latte art and genuinely friendly service, though the cozy, limited seating means it's best visited when you're not in a rush. The combination of creative specialty drinks, quality coffee, and that hotel-lobby convenience makes it an ideal spot for a leisurely morning or quick meeting.”
What to expect
Google Reviews
Staff was very friendly and professional. Food and drink are excellent. Highly recommended
Very cute spot. The cafe is right when you walk into the Motto hotel. Menu seems Mexican inspired. The bread I got had no filling but was delicious. The top crust was crunchy while the bread was super soft and fluffy. But the horchata latter got to be the best thing I've had! Amazingly delicious 😋
I saw the street sign outside today and I ordered a yummy latte made by a lovely worker named james! I asked if he could make me latte art and he did it came out so pretty and tasted delicious! It wasn’t sweet enough for me personally, so i added some simple syrup (Which they had on the self service bar!) All of the pastries they had looked super yummy but I’m on a diet so i couldn’t have any :( But apparently they’re all made in house every morning in their pastry kitchen. Awesome!!!
Decent cafe. Pretty minimalistic design and not a lot seating. The coffee was good but the staff seemed more interested in talking with each other than focusing on service. It was a bit slow. They only offered one size cup. The food was OK, pretty bland but the guacamole that came with the sandwiches was tasty. The tables we sat on had not been wiped in a while and we never saw them service any tables when they had no customers at the counter. We got two lattes, two basic breakfast sandwiches and a small plain pastry and it came to over $40.
11/2022: Breakfast tacos are now available. The Jamaica drink is good. 11/2021: Breakfast selection was limited to pastries seen in the first photo as well as coffee, ice coffee, or horchata. That said, the horchata was excellent and so were the pastries. There is plenty of seating in the hotel to enjoy breakfast.
Crema Reviews
You might also like
Bean2Bean Cafe
★ 4.9 (153)
This Philadelphia favorite combines genuinely excellent espresso-forward drinks…
Flores Coffee Shop
★ 4.9 (108)
Flores is a neighborhood gem where creative, house-made syrups elevate everyday…
Red Hook Coffee & Tea
★ 4.7 (395)
Tucked away in Philadelphia, this charming cafe draws you in with the…
Coffee Zeit
★ 4.7 (338)
Tucked into Philadelphia's Old City, this bright and cozy spot has mastered the…