Café Italiano
The espresso bar hidden inside Hotel Calafia
About Café Italiano
Café Italiano —Italiano Caffè on social media— is the hidden gem of Justo Sierra: an espresso bar inside Hotel Calafia, heir to the beloved Italiano Cucina & Bar restaurant that ran there for years. The heritage shows on walls hung with paintings of Venice and gondolas, on the chalkboard behind the bar and, above all, in the fact that coffee here lives alongside wood-fired pizzas: breakfast in the morning (chilaquiles included) and pizzas from 3 PM on. The bar serves espresso tonic, matcha latte, maple sal and a very Mexican latte horchata, and it is one of the few cafés in Mexicali where you can stay until midnight from Thursday to Saturday. It is genuinely pet friendly —with water stations and rest areas for pets—, has WiFi, the hotel's ample parking and even occasional paint-night workshops.
The experience
☕ Menu
☕ Coffee bar
The house favorite; try the red-berry version — $120 MXN.
$120 MXN.
The bar's Mexican twist — $120 MXN.
$110 MXN. Cappuccino at $85 and americano (hot or iced) at $75.
🍕 Kitchen
Wood-fired, from 3 PM — $210 MXN.
"Simple but delicious", say the reviews — $210 MXN.
From the breakfast menu; on DiDi it comes as a combo with a latte on the rocks.
Tips for your visit
What to know before you go
Tuesdays: 2 lattes for $99
A promo under the official Sé Turista BC program: two lattes for $99 MXN on Tuesdays (regular milk, no syrups).
Coffee until midnight
From Thursday to Saturday it closes at 12 AM: one of the few late-night coffee plans in Mexicali.
Mornings breakfast, afternoons pizza
Breakfast in the morning (chilaquiles included) and the pizza oven fires up at 3 PM.
Dogs welcome
Pet friendly with water stations and rest areas for pets; the hotel parking is plentiful.
Look for the hotel, not a sign
It is inside Hotel Calafia: if you cannot spot it at first, that is the place. That space used to be the Italiano Cucina & Bar restaurant.
⭐ What visitors say
“A hidden gem inside a hotel: this café surprises with its calm atmosphere, kind service and genuinely well-made specialty coffee.”
— Oscar Robledo (Google) · Google
“The pizza is incredible, great flavor and excellent quality: the crust is crunchy yet soft. And the red-berry matcha, 10/10.”
— Carolina Vizcarra (Google) · Google
“The margherita pizza: simple but DELICIOUS. And the strawberries-and-cream drink, recommended by the barista, was refreshing and delightful.”
— Anita Navarro (Google) · Google
“The food and drinks are very good, the place is pretty and clean, but the pizzas are pricey.”
— Ruiz García Julio César (Google) · Google
❓ Frequently asked questions
What are Café Italiano's hours?
Where is it exactly?
Do they serve food?
What should I order?
Hours
Location
Calz. Justo Sierra 1495, Col. Los Pinos, 21230 (Hotel Calafia)
Inside Hotel Calafia, on Justo Sierra
Mexicali, B.C.