[category]
[title]
Libertario, the Colombian coffee brand that landed with dark blue tiles in Delhi last July, is opening its second space in India. The flagship at DLF Summit Plaza on Golf Course Road, Gurugram, opens to the public on November 3. And it's an even bigger swing than the Greater Kailash 2 cafe that started things off.
There are two big additions. One is Libertario's first in-house roastery in India. The other is a coffee omakase, a sensory tasting format built around rare coffees, rather than a menu you order from.
Libertario started in Colombia in 2015 as a family-owned specialty coffee company, spanning cultivation, exports, hospitality and retail. It grew out of La Palma y El Tucán, the family's estate in Cundinamarca, which exports to 32 countries. The cafe came after the plantation; not the other way round.
Gurugram got its first look on October 30 at a private pre-opening, co-hosted with Soho House Cities Without Houses. The membership extends the Soho House community to creative professionals in cities without a physical House. Libertario co-founders Miguel Villaquirán, a Soho House member, and Arushi Mehra hosted guests from the city's business, fashion, art and creative circles.
They toured the working roastery, sampled rare coffees and tried the omakase. Libertario also put together cocktails and food pairings for the night, which the brand says hints at a more experimental direction for the Gurugram space.
The Greater Kailash II cafe is among our favourite coffee shops in Delhi, particularly on the strength of Paz (caramel-chocolate), Libre (fruit-forward) and rotating Specials like Geisha and Bourbon Sidra. The food’s quite good, too: personally, I order the French toast everytime.
India’s booming for coffee
What prompted a flight from Colombia? It turns out India is a considered bet for the brand. Villaquirán, who is co-founder and India CEO, moved to Delhi in 2022 after an MBA at London Business School. His wife Arushi, a leading fashion influencer, is from the city. The company puts India's specialty coffee market at around $3 billion, expected to more than double in six years. Its read is that the market is dominated by café-first brands with little control over the coffee itself, and few premium, experience-led cafés.
'With our Gurugram flagship, we wanted to take coffee beyond the familiar café experience,' says Villaquirán. 'From roasting beans in-house to introducing guests to rare coffees through an omakase format, this space brings together different aspects of coffee culture that we have been exploring across international markets.'
Libertario is now preparing to expand across major Indian cities. For now, here are the deets.
Where: DLF Summit Plaza, Golf Course Road, Gurugram.
When: Opens to the public on November 3.