La Rifa Chocolateria — Bakery Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"What were your first impressions when you arrived?   Indigenous to Mexico, cacao has been consumed in the country and played an important role in Mesoamerican societies since 19th BCE; La Rifa continues the tradition with a small roaster on-site. There are a handful of tables sprinkled in the tree-shaded plaza out front, optimal perches for spending an hour or two. Ask to see the production in the back and they will most likely give a tour. What’s the crowd like?   Mexico is proud of their chocolate heritage, and at La Rifa it shows. Locals, hippies, chocolate fans, and a few food tours stop here. What should we be drinking?   The main event is sipping chocolates. The water-based chocolates are closest to how cacao was consumed, pre-Columbian, before the introduction of the Spanish (and thus cows and milk). Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.   The cacao also gets transformed into various fermented and “washed chocolates,” high-percentage single-origin bars, chocolate tamales, and cookies. La Rifa is a great place to pick up souvenirs for all of your friends back home. And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?   They're happy to explain the finer nuances of their roasting process, flavor-profiles, and history of Mexican chocolate—and worth tipping 20 percent. What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here?   A casual afternoon pick-me up, a cute shop for bringing home gifts in great packaging, and sustainably sourced chocolate." - Scarlett Lindeman