Just past Starbucks you will find a locally-owned coffee shop called Café Corazón. I have take Spanish lessons here and hung out for coffees, but it wasn’t until recently that I finally stopped in for breakfast. They have lots of things on the menu, from my regular favorite: fruit with yogurt and granola, to eggs, bagels, croissants and smoothies.

One of the things I love about living here is that coffee isn’t often made by the pot, so when I ordered a cafe americano it came with the espresso foam still in place. I love a fresh cafe americano, it’s something I’ll miss if I ever live in the States again. Café Corazón also takes the extra effort to make sure that any coffee drink that is served with foamed milk on top gets a heart drawn into or drizzles onto it.

There isn’t really a way to mess up fruit and yogurt, but some places do a better job than others and Café Corazón is one of them. They use an exotic blend of tropical fruits, not just your standard papaya, melon and apple. This isn’t surprising based on the variety of juices and smoothie ingredients they offer.

Hans also ordered a bagel with jam. Their bagel sandwiches looked awesome, as did their regular sandwiches. I will have to stop by again some time for lunch.

Café Corazón also has one of the best bulletin boards in town for finding what you need. Yesterday there were ads for apartments, roommates, a bicycle for sale, tourist-industry jobs, and yoga lessons. When I need something, it’s one of the places I stop to check first.

Café Corazón is located on 5th Avenue between 28th and 30th Streets. We did notice a “For Sale” sign in the window, so if you’re thinking of moving to Playa and want to run a cafe, you might want to give them a call!