From the buzzing and bright music to the tangerine-colored walls, Cafe Rumba is alive with character. This downtown favorite has been bringing Peruvian bites to Bellingham for more than a decade now.
Owner Antonio Diaz moved to Bellingham in 2010 and met Marco Mellet, who passed away six years ago, while working at The Copper Hog, a former Bellingham pub. The two bonded over their shared experience of growing up in Lima, Peru, and their similar love for food. Together they decided to bring the vivid flavors of Peru to downtown Bellingham. In January of 2023, Cafe Rumba celebrated its 11th anniversary.
“We kind of combined forces to do something like this, to start small. We looked for this hole-in-the-wall and it seemed to be the right thing for us and we transformed it,” says Diaz.
Inside the small building, the walls are adorned with colorful paintings. A lush variety of potted plants decorate the space. The restaurant is vibrant and welcoming and the team running it is no different.
“I have the best group that you could ever imagine. And they serve their souls to people. They’re amazing with customers; they just give themselves 110%. So it’s amazing,” says Diaz.
Diaz says that having a strong team is really important to him, and it shows in the comradery of his staff.
“It’s nice to just work somewhere where you feel like you’re coming in to see your family,” says Katelyn Swartz, who has been working at Rumba for almost two years.
This affection doesn’t stop with the employees. Moco Boziz, a regular of seven years, walks in like an old friend, greeting Diaz with an enthusiastic hug before placing his order at the counter.
He raves about the Alfajores ($2) which are soft, buttery shortbread cookies stuck together with a dulce de leche filling. Powdered sugar lightly coats the outside, and it’s topped with flakey coconut.
“I’ve been here forever. This is probably the best sandwich place in town. Not a lot of people know about the Peruvian sandwiches, but this is really like a menagerie of flavors, you know? You get to taste the Andes, and it’s just amazing,” says Boziz.
Boziz says his go-to order is the Peruano ($15), the restaurant’s vegetarian sandwich, which he adds bacon or ham to– “so you get all the goodness,” he notes.
The Butifarra ($15) is another best-selling sandwich. It features savory roasted pork, yam, romaine lettuce, and one of the six house-made salsas.
Boziz recommends pairing any order with a cold glass of Chicha Morada ($3.50). The floral drink is made from Peruvian purple corn, which gives it its rich violet color.
Diaz and his team are pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a cafe.
“Coffee and breakfast kind of makes sense, you know, but beer and wine is kind of an adventure,” he says.
The recently expanded menu includes more breakfast and lunch options than ever, all of which are made in-house from scratch.
All in all, Diaz’s passion for his restaurant is evident to customers and staff alike. Kitchen Manager Nora Hollingsworth says the cafe is Diaz’s heart and soul– which makes sense because, according to Swartz, “He’s here every day, every single day.”
1140 N. State St., Bellingham, 360.746.8280, caferumbabham.com
