EAT IN ASIA / Destinations / Other destinations / Northern america / Dominican republic
What is a 'cafetería' in the Dominican Republic?
No, it is not a joke. Do you know what is it? Probably most of you would say straight forwardly, that cafetería is a place where you can sit, have a cup of coffee, and very often get some desserts. Am I right?
As you probably also know, the Dominican Republic is not only a relatively big coffee producer but also plays an important role in the coffee export market. So, basing on these two factors, you should not be surprised that almost every corner in the city has either a local comedor or a cafetería.
Great, what good news for all coffee lovers! But…
… as quickly as you got excited, you would be disappointed. But why? The answer is very simple. Cafeterías in the Dominican Republic are not the same as probably the rest of us think and know.
What are cafeterías in the Dominican Republic?
The easiest answer would be, that that are small, local shops where you can buy some snacks, some food, and the most important thing – you can buy alcohol, especially rum and beer.
What can you buy in cafeterías?
Food
The selection of food and non-alcoholic beverages is not very wide. It is rather a very basic one. You will get there empanadas, sandwiches, snacks, ice-cream and another food of that type. Generally speaking, some quick bites.
Sometimes, it is possible to buy there some fruits and vegetables. Mainly that would be bananas (guineos), plantains, apples or tubers. What is also strange, is that you might sometimes see a situation in which a small vendor with a relatively little basket or tray is sitting on a little stool chair just at the entrance to the cafetería and is selling his fruits and vegetables
Beverages
Non-alcoholic beverages
There is usually at least one fridge with cold, refreshing beverages. Some of them are local products, and some of them are imported. So, you will find there Coca-Cola too.
Alcohol
While all above mentioned drinks and snacks occupy a very limited space, behind the counter is an extremely huge set of shelves with an impressively wide selection of different alcohols from Northern America, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia.However, shelves are mainly loaded with all kinds of rum. Brugal, Barceló, Macorix, Bermúdez and many other. Most of them are local rums, but you will also find there imported brands of the most popular, and famous liquors, spirits, whiskey, etc.
Apart from that, very often there is a special President fridge full of beer in different sizes. Bainly, beer is mainly served in small or medium-sized bottles, what means that either between 320 ml and 350 ml, or between 620 ml and 650 ml respectively. The size of a bottle depends on the producer and the adopted serving size. Although fridges are labeled with the President logo, vendors store there also other brands, including a very popular and very liked (not only by tourists but also by Dominicans) Mexican Corona.
Is coffee available in cafeterías?
Yes. There are cafeterías that do sell coffee. However, not all of them do so. And when it is available, then it is a filtered, Dominican coffee.
What coffee can you buy in a cafetería?
If coffee is a so called – café dominicano. It is served poured from a thermos with a pump. What is noticeable is that it is refilled with filtered coffee the whole day long, so till the late evening.
This coffee is served in small, plastic cups that more resemble shots than an espresso coffee cup, but the capacity is, more or less, the same.
This coffee is very often already prepared with a lot of sugar. Given that, it is extremely sweet for anyone that usually does not use any sweetener at all. Some places have a real, black coffee with no already diluted sugar, but that is rare. However, if it happens, you would be always handed a brown, cane sugar in a big jar.
You might also order your coffee with milk or with creamer. Creamer is much more popular and it is also very often selected by Dominicans. This creamer might be compared to a powdered milk, however, that is a poor imitation of the last one. But do not think, it is a vegan one! Rarely, cafeterías offer a fresh milk (pasteurized in a cartoon).
The price of a regular Dominican coffee is relatively small, so it is affordable for most of local people. If you order coffee with a fresh milk, then the price dramatically increases. It is almost doubled!
What kind of a place is a Dominican cafetería?
If I had to compare it to any other place, I would say it is, more or less, something like a small bar or pub.
It serves as a place where local people can come, have a drink, get some snacks, chat, and relax. That is a place where people meet, enjoy their life, and socialize.
Cafeterías have their own climate. If you want to indulge yourself in the local life, there is no better way of doing it than going to cafeterías and spending time with real Dominicans. Add to that their local music - bachata, their temperament and happiness and you would feel like if you had a couple of years less!
