A third wave of coffee has been sweeping over the world in the last decade, with great coffee fast becoming the norm. So, why not see where to find the best coffee shops in the world?
A whole range of passionate coffee enthusiasts have been redefining our expectations and educating both the consumers and other people entering the coffee industry. Those are the coffee shops we wanted to celebrate today. Some are big, and some are small, but they are all equally passionate about their product.
We looked to our audience for suggestions regarding their favourite coffee shops, as well as contributions from the Big 7 Travel editorial team.
We know that for many when travelling finding a really good cup of joe is now as important as a good meal, bar or hotel. You’ll never be stuck again with this list of the world’s best coffee shops…
The Best Coffee Shops In The World 2019
Simple Kaffa is the creation of a former Taiwan and World Barista Champion and they are famous in Taipei for their cappuccinos.
It might be tricky to find Simple Kaffa since it’s hidden in the basement of Hotel V, but don’t let its location deter you – the coffees here are great.
Get their Dark Brown Sugar Latte or their Cappuccino. Can’t go wrong with either!
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Taipei
The Barn is a leading coffee roaster known all over Europe and has been driving the speciality coffee movement forward since 2010. Drinking coffee in their shop at source is one of the greatest culinary experiences you’ll have in Berlin.
Check out The 7 Best Places For Coffee In Berlin
Mel Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee shop in Shinmachi who serve Melbourne-inspired brews that are freshly roasted on a vintage 5kg Probat Roaster. The coffee itself is rich and comes in a variety of blends, and you can also attend coffee classes to learn all about the craft.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Osaka
Coffee here comes from the owner’s family farm in Brazil, Fazenda Sao José da Boa Vista.
At Peixoto (pronounced pay-sho-tow), they grow their own coffee, import it and roast it especially for the store. A true crop-to-cup experience that tastes incredible. It’s a sustainable family business that is an absolute delight.
You can also buy bags to take home, but with the coffee store looking as good as it is, you’ll be tempted to take a seat.
Check out The 7 Best Places For Coffee In Phoenix
A wonderfully comfortable and cosy cafe that does great baked goods, breakfasts and lunch. The food might draw you in at first, but it’s the coffee you’ll be wanting to stay for. While everything they do is superb, look out for their espresso as something that simply can’t be missed.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Buenos Aires
Run by a team that’s dedicated to always giving you the very best coffee and experience, VCR is a caffeine Mecca in the city. They’ve top-of-the-range coffee equipment and roast their own beans fresh every day. Plus, with two floors and outside seating, you’ll never be stuck for space.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Kuala Lumpur
Pallet consistently come out on top for coffee roasting, sourcing in-season coffee beans from exceptional producers around the world to ensure every cup is perfect. And oh boy, it really is perfect.
They supply beans to many of the city’s top coffee shops, but for the ultimate experience stop by one of their four fab locations.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Vancouver
A roastery and coffee shop where the owner Paul displays and conveys his pure passion for coffee on a daily basis. The sort of place that you come for a simple flat white and leave wanting to preach the coffee gospel to everybody you meet.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Bucharest
You won’t find people more passionate about coffee and improving the whole coffee scene in the city than the folks in Yardstick. There’s some wonderful treats too, like their famous Salted Caramel and Lemon Curd waffles.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Manila
Anthracite Coffee is a favourite among the locals because of the great coffee and even better shop atmosphere. It has an industrial-type of feel inside the shop and there is plenty of seating to enjoy your coffee.
Order a regular cup of coffee here or go for one of their lattes that are known to be smooth, nutty, and a bit spicy.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Seoul
Mrs Atha’s is an independent family-run coffee shop with an emphasis on good produce. With the help of some wonderful suppliers, they aim to provide their customers with the best experience possible. The result? Perfect coffee time and time again.
Check out The 50 Best Coffee Shops In England
The beacon of great coffee in Ireland with people coming from all over the city to try it. 3fe has since opened three other locations and their staff are as knowledgeable and talented as you’ll find in Europe. Look out for their great brunch options and a passionate local community who rave about the place.
What strikes you first when walking in is the fantastic design that gives the place a bright and vibrant feel. You’ll soon discover the coffee is every bit as exciting.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Toronto
On a list dominated by independent coffee stores, many will be surprised to see Starbucks feature. Even more surprising is that it would be in Italy where coffee is like religion and a huge American interloper might not have been welcome. The trust is that this new “Starbucks Reserve” venue is so spectacular, so forward thinking and such an homage to coffee, that it’s quite simply one of the best coffee shops in Europe.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Milan
They have several locations across the city and a dedication to delivering pure perfection in a cup. Their name ties back to a mission to produce high quality coffee (read more here) and they’re certainly doing that in Bangalore via their brilliant staff.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Bangalore
Located in San Francisco’s SoMA neighborhood, Sightglass is a production roastery, dynamic open coffee bar, and community gathering space all in one.
Their flagship store on 7th Street has a fun Affogato bar, for when you want something sweet with a kick. Stylish and reliable, it’s a true SF staple.
Check out The 50 Best Coffee Stores In America
They’ve gained international coverage as one of the best coffee shops in the world. Walking into the building is an experience in itself and each coffee blend is better than the next.
Check out 7 Spots In Cape Town For A Great Cup Of Coffee
In a city that oozes cool, this window coffee shop fits in perfectly. Locals mingle with tourists waiting patiently for their favourite brew. One thing that is certain, is that as soon as you taste it you’ll be hooked.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Barcelona
Named after the legendary merchant Baba Budan who smuggled seven coffee seeds out of Yemen, this cute little coffee shop comes from the superb roastery Seven Seeds. The best experimental coffee brewers, micro roasters, green bean traders and country of origin specialists – Brother has it all.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Melbourne
Have you ever had espresso served in a champagne glass before? Yeah, didn’t think so. Well, you can try that elegant glass of espresso here in one of Tokyo’s hippest coffee joints.
For something lighter, try their americano or lattes. Grab your coffee and enjoy it on the go, as this coffee shop is located on the infamous Cat Street in Harajuku.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Tokyo
You’ll find them under the railway track and you’ll know just how serious they are by the scale of their roasting unit that’s within the shop. These folk are serious coffee operators doing their thing at a consistently high level.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Rotterdam
The Grind has been serving up some superb coffee for over a decade now, so you can rest assured that they know what they’re doing. They also do an insanely Instagrammable waffle cone filled with their creamy brew.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Johannesburg
They’ve been serving the best coffee in the city here since 2012. Brew Lab feels more like a high end cocktail bar than a coffee shop, and we love the uniqueness of the place. Their coffee menu features four rotating single-origin coffees: two brewed on their brew bar as pour-overs, and two on their espresso bar.
Check out The 7 Most Instagrammable Spots In Edinburgh
Petra Roasting Co. is centrally located in Istanbul and is a hip and trendy coffee shop. The coffees here are made with love by the baristas as the beans themselves are hand-roasted.
Come to this lively coffee shop for a morning latte and if you’re hungry, give one of their Turkish treats a try too.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Istanbul
Fenster Cafe is quite possibly the cutest little coffee hatch in the world, which you’ll find in a small alley way. Despite the miniature set up, the owner also sells beans and is a wealth of knowledge and talent. Good things come in small sizes.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Vienna
Giyanti Coffee opened its doors in 2012, starting off with only a small space hiding behind a former Beauty Clinic.
Now one of the best coffee stores in the city, with in-house “roast masters” that are hugely experienced and passionate about sourcing only the very best beans. Their iced latte on a hot Jakarta day is one of life’s great pleasures.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Jakarta
Or Espresso roast their own coffee and are distributors – they even have a school teaching baristas. So it’s safe to say that they know what they’re talking about and serve some of the best Brussels coffee in several locations around the city.
Check out The 7 Best Places For Coffee In Brussels
With four locations across the city, this dedicated coffee brand has a particularly pretty place in a local art centre. As well as making delicious traditional coffee, you can also order Chemex, V60 and Aeropress pour-overs.
They also hold live music evenings (piano, saxophone, jazz trio), DJ sets, drawing lessons and chess games in their various cafes.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Kiev
Eighthirty is slowly but surely taking over the city with their perfectly roasted coffee. With five stores in Auckland, these espresso bars are a shining light in the city’s coffee scene and never let you down.
Check out 7 Of The Best Coffee Shops In Auckland
Reuben Hills is a boutique micro roastery based in Surry Hills that’s been serving up outstanding coffee since 2012. They travel around the world to producing countries (origin), meeting the farmers, cupping their coffees and selecting beans so you can taste only the very best.
Plus, every Saturday at 10am you can join in for coffee cupping and tasting sessions at their Coffee Lab!
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Sydney
Their Australian-themed restaurant, coffee roasting space and bakery make for a delightful place to spend time. The Sum Of Us brings Aussie coffee to Dubai and it’s downright amazing.
The food is absolutely outstanding (brunch especially) and the coffee is the stuff of your dreams. One of the very best cafes in the world.
Check out The 7 Most Instagrammable Spots In Dubai
Ceremony Coffee Roasters knows what they’re doing – excellent coffee, made fresh and served in a rustic, cool space.
They are consistently pushing the boat out with their seasonal specials too, with a particular fave being the ‘Gingersnap’. Basically, it’s gingerbread in a cup – coffee with rich molasses, cinnamon, clove and ginger, topped with steamed oat milk.
Their single-origin beans are also available delivered in subscription packages, just incase you get a craving outside of store hours.
Check out The 50 Best Coffee Stores In America
To say they are nuts about coffee and the whole process that goes into it would be an understatement. Kooperative Chernyy are very much leading the wave, along with another couple of pioneers, in shaping a wonderful new coffee scene for Moscow.
They source, roast and serve up their own beans and coffee to perfection.
Check out The 7 Most Instagrammable Spots In Moscow
You’ll find this world-class coffee shop on West Nile St. They often win awards for best coffee in the UK and even further afield. The owners are always on the lookout for great ideas to bring back to Glasgow to up their coffee game even further – one for the coffee aficionados.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Glasgow
35. Flat White Specialty Coffee – Qatar You’ll find seriously good coffee here, that would hold its own in any city in the world. There’s also the added bonus that can sit outside and enjoy one of their epic iced brews in the sunshine.
Check out The 7 Best Qatar Coffee Shops
Chucky’s Coffee House is leading the way when it comes to driving the whole third wave of coffee forward across Bulgaria. The shop is fantastic but they also focus on wholesale, training and education. So much more than just a good cup of coffee.
Check out The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Sofia
