Calling the caf-fiends: great coffee spots

Jan 19, 2012 12:27:19 AM

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It inspires passion, opinion and addiction. It’s the world’s second most valuable commodity (after petroleum), and it will almost certainly play a memorable role in your travels, no matter where you’re headed. We’re talking about coffee, of course, and the best places to partake…

Addis Ababa

Some claim that Ethiopia is coffee’s birthplace, so it’s not surprising that the good stuff is ubiquitous here. If you’re invited to an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, don’t miss it: it’s a unique and elaborate ritual you’ll never forget. If not, there’s always Tomoca, a traditional Italian-style café that’s guaranteed to please.

Havana

Cubans love their coffee, which is served strong, black and sweet in small espresso-sized cups. Homegrown in the Escambray and Sierra Maestra Mountains, a fresh brew will be brought out as an icebreaker wherever you go. Coffee houses are sprouting by the minute in Havana, but you can’t go past local classic, Café de las Infusiones.

Istanbul

Surprisingly, Türk kahve (Turkish coffee) isn’t as widely consumed in its homeland as çay (tea). But don’t worry: you’ll have no trouble getting your caffeine fix in Istanbul. Traditional coffee houses such as Etham Tezçakar Kahveci serve a brew thick and powerful enough to put hair on your chest!

Medellín

Colombia is famous for its rich, aromatic coffee. Unfortunately, it exports most of its best beans, leaving a mainly mediocre brew for its own citizens. One exception to this rule is groovy Le Bon Café in Medellín. You can also visit plantations in the Zona Cafetera and purchase coffee directly from the growers.

Melbourne

Coffee in Melbourne is often trumpeted as the world’s best, lovingly prepared with both Italian and supreme local roasts. The café scene is integral to much of the city’s socialising; lingering over a coffee is sacred, whether with a newspaper or with friends. Try stalwart Pellegrini’s for it’s old school, quintessentially Melburnian experience, or hit one of the many Third Wave spots like Collingwood’s Proud Mary for an updated brew.

Rome

As befitting the land of espresso, Italians take their coffee seriously. Do as the Romans do, and be precise about what you’re drinking: will it be un caffè, un caffè macchiato, un caffè lungo, un cappuccino or un caffè corretto? Famous throughout Rome, Caffè Sant’Eustachio is the perfect place to practise your newfound vocabulary.

Santa María & Valle de Dota

Coffee is probably Costa Rica‘s most popular beverage – you’ll be offered cafécitos everywhere you go. Aware of its energising qualities, the country’s government even decreed in 1840 that all labourers building roads should receive a free cup every day. Visit Santa María & Valle de Dota for an insight into the Tico coffee industry.

São Paulo

Brazilians like their coffee strong as the devil, hot as hell and sweet as love. In the morning they take it with milk (café com leite). After that, it’s cafezinhos, regular coffee served in either a glass or an espresso-sized cup. Thanks to its Italian heritage, São Paulo boasts Brazil‘s best cafés, with Café Floresta being one of our favourites.

Seattle

It’s hard to complain about Seattle’s weather when one of the best forms of rainy-day solace, coffee, is available in such abundance. Trust us, this is one inviting city to get a buzz on. Though Seattle is where Starbucks (and its terrifying ‘Trenta’) originated, there’s no need to go the chain café route: not with one-off gems like Caffé Vita to choose from.

Vienna

Vienna has a strong claim to the ‘Coffee Capital of the World’ title. Its Kaffeehäuser (coffee houses) are as famous as its classical music, and an attraction in themselves. The sheer number of coffee houses is staggering, but each has its own flair and flavour. Aida is a 1950s timewarp of a place, with a clientele to match and coffee to sing about.

Check out our coffee-related articles
Where to visit Sumatran coffee plantations
Witness the battle of the Parisian baristas

This article was updated in Jan 2012.

Nothing like a slug of liquid gold to get a hard day’s sightseeing off to a good start! Which city do you think has the best coffee?

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Comments

21 August 2009 11:04AM janeyo Report this comment
Had seriously one of the best coffees in my entire life yesterday (and I have put gallons in the tank...) - a place in Melbourne called Brother Baba Budan (catchy, huh? You just end up saying 'bababubba booboo badabing' half the time). Has to be the strongest, smokiest long black in the city. Tough call but try it if you're in the neighbourhood - 356 Little Bourke St. Wildly recommended.
21 August 2009 5:39PM bartverdeyen Report this comment
If you want to have your coffee in style, and add some sweets while you're at it, Gerbeaud in Budapest is a must-experience. True, it's not really off the beaten path, but it isn't a tourist trap either. The Hungarians are serious about their coffee and the surroundings they savour it in. (http://www.gerbeaud.hu/)
21 August 2009 5:44PM remelila Report this comment
I'm not into coffee, but my father has always loved a hot cup of black coffee, accompanied by a nice bit of cake or pastry. The first time he came to visit me here in Melbourne, I took him up to Daylesford, to a place called Sweet Decadence (http://www.sweetdecadence.com.au/). He ordered a cup of coffee and a slice of homemade rhubarb cake.
About halfway through the cake, he squeezed his eyes in a grimace and put his fork down. "What's the matter?" I asked. "Is the cake bad?"
He shook his head. "No, the cake is delicious! But this is just about the best cup of coffee I've ever had in my life, and it's so good that the cake is ruining it."
21 August 2009 9:51PM fieldgate Report this comment
A good cuppa is usually a problem anywhere outside Europe. In North America you've got to get into a fancy Italian style restaurant, with white tablecloths, candles and flowers. In South America which is famous for their (export) coffee, the only places that serve decent java can be found in Brazil, and occasionally in Colombia.
23 August 2009 7:42AM cmldc Report this comment
how could you forget YEMEN??? I love the little cups of coffee shell coffee, or their cinammon tasting coffee, or the little cups of coffee that kick your butt from Sanaa to Aden and back. Just sit back, watch the sunset, enjoy...
23 August 2009 12:12PM rossome Report this comment
I realize you probably are being somewhat diplomatic in your selections spanning the continents, and that readers may think you're biased if you chose two Italian cities, but I'd take Naples' coffee over Seattle's any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
23 August 2009 11:34PM mjturp Report this comment
On a negative note (sorry) don't go to Bhutan if you're a coffee snob and addict! Incredible, energising country - and the most beautiful people - but coffee? Nup.
Probably no surprise, but be warned... after a week you'll be desperately hankering for your daily cup at home (depending on where that is, of course).
24 August 2009 8:18AM el_gallo Report this comment
Strange that San Francisco didn't make the list.
24 August 2009 8:32AM mef78 Report this comment
I've been to Istanbul, Melbourne and Seattle, but the place that really stands out as far as coffee is Auckland, New Zealand. I <3 flat whites! The coffee there was way better than in Melbourne. I'm sure Auckland's omission was just an oversight on the part of Lonely Planet.
31 August 2009 8:35AM danielsolomon Report this comment
I Have been drinking coffee for over 25 years.I pretty much average 2-3 cups of strong coffee a day.But I have never tasted a coffee as prestigious in its quality and strenght as TOMOCA COFFEE. Ethiopia is a birth place of coffee in which high quality coffee is abundant; even its capital city Addis Ababa is filled with so many cafes, it feels like Rome at times.But TO.MO.CA(meaning modern coffee roasting in Italian)which has been around for over 40 years has the best coffee hands down. I got addicted to its coffee so much , that I get my personal coffee packages shipped to me from tomoca website www.tomocacoffee.com every month.
16 September 2009 1:14AM thehutch Report this comment
Blue Mountain coffee in Jamaica - best consumed after a hike on the mountains that give the coffee its name...
16 October 2009 1:40PM meghanjward Report this comment
I have to add a few from travel this past year:
Boulder, Colorado, US - Book Ends Coffee Shop (both for the coffee and the ambiance)
Kingston, Ontario, Canada - The Sleepless Goat
If you're in the Canadian Rockies, Kicking Horse Coffee made in Invermere, British Columbia. There is a factory there, and you can get it at various stores and coffee shops in the region.
Costa Rica - anywhere, but I love the coffee from Monteverde
16 October 2009 2:26PM sarskylicious Report this comment
Indonesia should be on the list. Sumatra and Java have the best coffee in the world.
16 October 2009 10:31PM sonoflusus Report this comment
This is a very poorly researched article because as everyone who's tried it agrees, the best coffee is in Lisbon, Portugal. Try it at Café A Brasileira, Nicola, Versailles, or any neighborhood café and you'll see this is true, as many have reported around the world.
25 October 2009 3:15AM ken173 Report this comment
Coffee ? I have traveled all over the world,62 countries.The best cup of coffee,by far,is in Viet-Nam.I rate Cuban coffee a close second.
13 November 2009 6:34PM mangomoon99 Report this comment
San Francisco beats Seattle and Rome. I don't know about the other places. Why would you even say Seattle. They created Starbucks, the worst coffee in the world.
13 November 2009 7:32PM valentinpredutoiu Report this comment
I had my best coffee in a bar located very close to the Piazza Navona, in Rome. Unfortunately I don't remember its name. It was inside a modern art museum. Maybe somebody could help me with the name...
13 November 2009 7:53PM lucylooooo Report this comment
I totally agree with sonoflusus, Lisbon is the best place in the world for coffee!
13 November 2009 8:07PM simmo-lp Report this comment
Your author has gone it just right. Ethiopia, Colombia, Melbourne...
Here's my own contribution:
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/1/3/lifeliving/2909287&sec=lifeliving
14 November 2009 3:00AM dicryan Report this comment
Boquete in Panama has coffee fincas all around it and you can go to a local coffee bar where they will brew up each different kind for you in a french press. So you can sample them all. Some are excellent.
14 November 2009 3:27AM wandererkm Report this comment
I am fairly new to coffee consumption, compared to most people that is...sad but true.
My first ever coffee in my whole life was Turkish coffee in Jordan, loved it! I was buzzed for days it seemed.
I live in Toronto, Canada and we have some rockin' cafes, Jet Fuel for one is cheap and rather good, even for this inexperienced drinker.
14 November 2009 8:03AM toyemen Report this comment
You made a big mistake, actually you don't know about the Yemeni coffee "Best Coffee in the World" I can send you Yemeni coffee beans and i want to taste it but promise to write an article telling What Do You think.
Contact me if you wanna try it.
14 November 2009 8:52AM jeraboa Report this comment
Definately agree with Addis being no 1 sitting on the Bole road with a machiato watching the morning rush hour is one of my favourite travel experiences.
Cafe De Hunza in Karimabad Pakistan deserves a mention after weeks of Instant who'd have expected to find an espresso machine in the midst of northern Pakistans mountains.
Booby prize goes to Uzbekistan even finding instant is a struggle never mind the real stuff.
15 November 2009 4:54AM farissah Report this comment
new zealand, new zealand, new zealand - best roasters and barristas in the world!!!!! Go C4 Coffee in Christchurch especially - grab a double shot flat white using Krank Beans! i've been living in Egypt for 2 years and i am sooo missing C4 coffee... but there are lots other great roasters in Enzed. Lonely Planet has it wrong - Seattle? pah :-)
15 November 2009 6:29AM danielseabra Report this comment
My best coffee experience happened in Jordan, where I discovered the coffee with cardomomo, so called "arab coffee"! Try it!
19 November 2009 9:13PM nch Report this comment
Totally agree, Brother Baba Budan best in Melb but I am also for the Wine Shop on Spring Street (http://www.citywineshop.net.au/) and if you are fussy with your vino, it beast BBB hands-down.
23 November 2009 9:14PM thamky Report this comment
Guest not many of you came to Malaysia and take a sip of the local "kopi-O"!! Coffee Bean fried with butter,packed & sold by weightage in markets. Can try 1 cup at any of the chinese coffee shop,the 1 with condense milk is less strong...I prefer it black with sugar,definitely a remedy for anyone on a graveyard shift!
4 December 2009 7:22AM katelt Report this comment
Agree with a couple of comments above. Someone has completely missed the boat by missing out NZ coffee here! Cafe culture is huge in all the major cities; Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch - cafes pop up where most English cities would find pubs. Baristas have to be professionally trained before they're allowed to work in them. The creation of flat whites, lattes and long blacks are treated like works of art.... mmm... wish I was back there having one right now!
6 February 2010 11:08AM captaincurls12 Report this comment
I live in Medellin, Colombia and have to say that one of the WORST coffees I have had is actually in Le Bon Cafe which is listed in the article. Believe me I am a connosoire and coffee addict so you should take my word for it!!
9 February 2010 4:55PM nuttelmayer Report this comment
Vietnam, vietnam, vietnam... I left three years ago and i'm still dreaming about the cafe sua da (super strong coffe, with condened milk, poured over ice) head up to dalat to have your mind blown, or just hunker down on the street in HCMC. I'm planning on heading back there just for the coffee...
23 May 2010 3:46PM jimmym14 Report this comment
I can't get over the fact that you missed New Zealand off the list, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Taupo take your pick. I agree that Melbourne has great coffee, but relative to the stuff Kiwis produce, it doesn't even compare. I love travelling the globe and visiting other places, the only thing that lets down the trip is the coffee. I have never, ever had a coffee as good as a NZ coffee overseas, in Europe, Asia or Australia. Just because NZ is small does not mean we are not the best.
18 August 2010 5:33PM kimbojayne Report this comment
Thanks for the article; I was particularly chuffed that Melbourne, my home town, made it to the list. Though disappointed I was to read that Pellegrini's was the representative for a good coffee. Sure it is a great tourist destination but there are more serious coffee houses in the CBD. If there is one place I would recommend for coffee lovers, it is Brother Baba Budan in Lt Bourke St.
2 February 2011 4:45PM jh215 Report this comment
No Vietnam? Vietnamese coffee with sweet milk and ice is great.
15 March 2011 3:45PM anyperezcr Report this comment
Hi everyone. Costa Rica have got our first Carbon Clear certification (PAS2060 from the BSI British Standards Institution) It means all the process is zero carbon. I share this link in spanish: http://bit.ly/gJjKvn
13 July 2011 3:02PM coffeefanatic Report this comment
I have recently tested a delicious cup of Antioxidant coffee from Antioxidant Cafe in Vancouver. It's bold and solid cup of coffee. It makes you want to drink more of it. It’s full bodied and smooth. It doesn't have the aftertaste and it's not acidic.I was assuming at the beginning that perhaps it wouldn’t have enough flavor but I was wrong. Dead wrong. The espresso of the Antioxidant Coffee was the best one ever. Thick and consistent carmalarized crema was out of this world. As they said, it has upto 6 times more Antioxidants than any other gourmet coffee. Thanks to Antioxidant Cafe and their triple patented HealthyRoast process, now we can not only have a great cup of coffee, but we can have as much as we want without feeling guilty. Definitely try Antioxidant Cafe in Vancouver.
13 July 2011 4:29PM mrunalhulikal Report this comment
Surprised that nothing from India is on the list. South Indian's are coffee guzzlers! And the South Indian "filter coffee" is one of the best in the world.
8 August 2011 4:26AM mostinterestingman Report this comment
Had many of these, but find it difficult to choose just one...had Vietnamese in Dalat last Feb, etc. But only Costa Rica made me wishing for morning, and another peaberry cafe con leche. And then came home and spent $1200 on an espresso machine. That was 7 years ago....and have been in love with coffee ever since.
6 February 2012 8:02AM xaviergansu Report this comment
Definitely agree with a lot of the comments above. Having traveled a fair bit around, New Zealand coffee is by far the best I've found anywhere, nothing like it here in the states. Cafe culture is huge, particularly in Wellington.
21 February 2012 4:01PM balifornian Report this comment
Great list and some excellent coffees here but no discussion of worlds greatest Jave without a mention of The Worlds Priciest Drink- Indo's Secret, Kopi Luwak http://www.balifornian.com/blog/2011/2/14/strange-brew-worlds-priciest-drink-indos-secret.html Its a must try, bucket list item.
21 February 2012 5:42PM maltakano Report this comment
You can get very good coffee in Vanuatu.
21 February 2012 11:41PM pinofris Report this comment
Didn't you forget that the city for the best Italian coffee is Napoli? In Napoli there is much more than a tradition for that; it is a matter of life's culture! And a very good place for coffee in Napoli is the Caffe' del Professore, in Piazza Trieste e Tranto (just on the corner of Piazza Plebiscito).
22 February 2012 12:29AM maximumlawman Report this comment
I wish I had seen something like this before I went to Melbourne. The only coffee I had there was an insipid liquid called "flat white". They must have reserved it for Poms.
Best coffee for me was Kopi Lowak in a forest in Bali where it was grown, harvested by civet cats, washed, roasted, and ground. Minimal travel from bush to cup. Made strong, it is beautiful.
22 February 2012 12:36AM bestofbrussels Report this comment
These all look like great places! If anyone is ever in Brussels, the Natural Cafe is my favorite place for coffee - http://bestofbrusselsblog.com/2011/09/08/coffee-talk/
22 February 2012 1:43AM jdubyu Report this comment
I've had coffee in quite a few places, some of the simplest and best being in Poland just after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Just ground up coffee beans with Boiling water poured on. Not filtered so a bit crunchy near the bottom, but a real coffee taste. In India the coffee tends to be made like the chai, ie bnoiled up with milk and a load of sugar for a long time. Best from the national chain India Coffee House, run by a coffee workers coop, because the food there is some of the best in India. Masala dosa for breakfast. Mmmm!
22 February 2012 1:48AM jdubyu Report this comment
I was surprised at how difficult it was to get a decent coffee in the USA, having imagined it to be a coffee paradise. It was almost universally weak and we had to go to Starbucks to get something halfway to being good. My favourite place for coffee is actually in my home town, Worcester (UK), Cafe Aroma. Good coffee, gooey cakes, and a laid back atmosphere with jazz or Latin music in the background. Chiiled par excellence.
22 February 2012 1:52AM jdubyu Report this comment
Sorry, it's me again. Hiking the Pyrenees on the Spanish side, I would come across little bars in remote villages and would often have a "cafe doble" early in the day.Small, black, and strong enough to give a bull elephant insomnia. It really put a spring in my step.
22 February 2012 1:54AM jdubyu Report this comment
And let's not forget the coffee shops of the Netherlands. The coffee's usually pretty good but quite often no-one notices, or cares!
22 February 2012 1:57AM mariska10 Report this comment
A long time The Netherlands had an "in-house coffee drinking tradition" We very much appreciated our cup of coffee at breakfast, in the afternoon or after dinner. Mostly enjoyed in the privacy of our own home or workplace.
Luckily the Dutch travel places and, as always, we picked the best habits from different countries and made it our own. Starbucks is not big in Holland, instead of big brands we have great individual places to get the best coffee.
If you visit The Netherlands, a must-have experience is Picknick in Rotterdam. The best place for breakfast, lunch, pastry and the famous 'Man met bril koffie' (man with glasses coffee). A place where you can take a step back and relax in this exciting city of design and architecture.
To make your Coffee Tour of Rotterdam complete, choose one of these other great places: https://foursquare.com/gijsbregt/list/my-favorite-coffee-spots
22 February 2012 3:52AM turkiso Report this comment
Pity the article didn’t highlight spots that serve organic and more fairly traded coffee. Fair trade is far from perfect but I believe it is still a step in a more ethical direction. So next time we take a sip, what if we paused and asked: “what impact am I having by drinking coffee that has been harvested at the expense of another human being and nature?”
22 February 2012 4:13AM scrappyjam Report this comment
I agree with the comment about the US having lousy coffee. I am amazed at how Starbucks conquered the world with their horrible brew (though the Pike's Peak blend is not too bad). The best coffee in the US is the Cuban coffee you get in Miami, specifically in Little Havana or Coral Gables. I also like the one you get at Cafe Blue in the side of the Blue Mountains in Jamaica
22 February 2012 4:49AM zorica Report this comment
great list!
22 February 2012 9:43AM gaboric24 Report this comment
ONE OF THE BEST COFFE I DID DRINK.... CAFE " EL REFUGIO " IN ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA. =)
22 February 2012 5:43PM trishka71 Report this comment
Big mistake to not mention Vietnam in the top ten... HUGE!
22 February 2012 8:52PM didist Report this comment
Portugal! Definetely the best coffees I've ever had in my life.
23 February 2012 4:41AM noriohaga Report this comment
The best coffee in the world is at Abraco in New York City.
23 February 2012 6:25PM nadiam89 Report this comment
What about nicaraguan coffee??! Experts know that many coffees, like the colombian, are improve in smell and taste by the use of nicaraguan coffee.
24 February 2012 8:33AM mattgraylee Report this comment
Wellington NZ has Memphis Belle Coffee House on Dixon St where all the baristas are phenomenal! They can teach you anything about coffee, pour 8 layer tulips without trying, and they hold many titles - like Best Cafe in Wellington, Best Barista in Wellington, Best Ethically Traded Coffee in New Zealand. You must go there when in New Zealand!!!
25 February 2012 4:28AM alvbento Report this comment
I think no one has ever been in Portugal? It have the best coffee in the world. Italy to...
26 February 2012 11:39PM tareh Report this comment
come on, where's the kopi luwak? the civet coffee? i had this while i was in Yogya, Indonesia and godamnit it was really good. i had it black, and when the lady asked if i wanted milk, i hesitated because i only take mine black. but i said yes because she said the milk was a mixture of kafir leaves, coconut milk, cow's milk and sugar. and after i had a sip of the concoction, i thought i was in coffee heaven. It was REALLY AWESOME. kopi luwak somehow had set a boundry, a threshold for me - how a good coffee should taste like. mind you ive been taking coffee for the last 30 years and i stay away from them 3-1 sachet.
14 April 2012 4:21AM jennmacneill Report this comment
The coffee in Jamaica is pretty amazing too. They have that Blue Mountain coffee there. Yum.