First coffee, then everything else, right? After touching down in a new city after a long flight, travellers often have one thing and one thing only on their mind: getting caffeinated, ASAP. But selecting a café in a city or neighbourhood that’s new to you can be a gamble — there’s always the chance your drink could be a bit lacklustre or you could end up with a new favourite spot that has you returning again and again.
To make finding a good cafe a bit easier as you head off on your summer travels and beyond, we reached out to coffee experts for intel on some of their preferred coffee shops around the world — places with top-notch coffee and culture and aesthetics to match.
Here are the cafés that coffee experts love to drop in while traveling. Consider yourself warned that you may find yourself booking a flight after this.
“It is a time capsule. A classic Kissaten in the Ginza district of Tokyo. They focus on aged coffees there, which is what I always order. They age coffees for decades in-house. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to try Brazilian coffees harvested in the 1950s and Colombian coffees from the 1960s — a very unique experience.
“Another shop I always stop by in Tokyo is Mocha Coffee in the Daikanyama neighborhood. It’s a beautiful glass-walled shop with lots of natural light that only serves coffees from Yemen. I like to get a cup of whichever coffee the owner recommends and enjoy with a slice of one of their cakes.” — Miguel Meza, founder, Paradise Coffee Roasters in Hilo, Hawaii
“It’s a small little woman-owned cafe in the Malmousque neighborhood in the 7th arrondissement. I love it because they offer a rotating filter coffee menu from local roasters and do pour-overs. It’s also a one-minute walk to the ocean and along the Corniche Kennedy, which is a nice little seaside urban stroll. A coffee and a walk is how I like to start my day.” — Gabriella Mann, founder, Baba Cool in Brooklyn, New York
“Outside of Puerto Rico, my favorite coffee shop is Ditta Artigianale in Florence, Italy. Ditta Artigianale’s specialty coffee line was founded in 2013 by the three-time Italian barista champion Francesco Sanapo and president of Caffè Corsini Patrick Hoffer. Not only is their coffee delicious, but the coffee shop locations themselves are definitely worth a visit. I like to order an espresso shot.” — Rebecca Atienza, specialty coffee producer and founder, Hacienda San Pedro in Jayuya and San Juan, Puerto Rico
“Not only are the food and coffee next-level, but the cafe also has an incredible mission of providing job opportunities to those who are deaf. Raggamuffin works closely with Deaf Can! Coffee, also located in Kingston, and provides resources and employment to youth within the program. Nestled on the bustling Lady Musgrave Road, it’s a great spot for people-watching, enjoying the beautiful weather of Jamaica, and partaking in some really incredible food and drink. My favorite items to order are any variations of their açaí bowls and the golden milk latte with an extra splash of turmeric. Tastes great and makes you feel great!” — Nikisha Bailey, founder, Win Win Coffee in Philadelphia
“Spending a reasonable amount of time traveling to coffee-producing countries, I’m lucky enough to try lots of cafes while on the road. I very much like to pop into Pergamino Cafe while in Medellin, Colombia. It is in the El Poblado district and I love the feel of the area as well as this particular cafe. Great coffee and food as well as a great place to sit and watch everyday life unfold whilst sipping a delicious Colombian pour over.” — Jeremy Perkins, owner, French Press Coffee Roasters on Vancouver Island
“I stumbled upon Anthracite Coffee, where I found some of the most sophisticated brewing equipment inside an old starch factory-turned-cafe, still covered with moss and stone floors. My go-to order? A V60 pour-over with their Ethiopian Natural Bean.” —Roland Horne, founder and CEO, WatchHouse Coffee in the United Kingdom and New York City
“On my trips to Ethiopia, I have enjoyed freshly roasted and brewed Ethiopian coffee on the streets of Addis Ababa. If you are in Addis Ababa, visit Fendika Cultural CenterandHaile resort in Arba Minch for the Ethiopian coffee ceremony, Dukamo Coffee in Awassa for a fine cup of Ethiopian coffee. At Fendika and Haile Resort, I’ll go for Jebena coffee, a coffee brewed the Ethiopian way in a clay coffee pot. At Dukamo Coffee, I will always go for filtered Ethiopian beans from Daye Bensa farm.” — Eskedar Tilahun, founder, Eskedar Coffee in Vilnius, Lithuania
“I usually don’t look for specific coffee shop chains, but I would say Café La Manchuria in Cartagena, Colombia. We happened to stumble upon their shop while walking through the city, looking for a respite from the heat. Unfortunately, the power was out when we went in, and the only option was iced cold brew. The shop is super cool, and they were very welcoming. When I am traveling to coffee-producing regions, I always try to make connections with farmers. When we mentioned we were traveling to Medellín the next day, they put us in contact with someone to coordinate a farm tour, which was a couple hours outside of the city. We ended up driving about 3 1/2 hours into the mountains for a tour of the farm. When there, we did a cupping and multiple pour-overs (my preferred method of brew) to really taste the intricacies of their coffees.” —Colin Princi, founder and chief roaster, Corberosa Coffee in San Luis Obispo County, California
“They have some very innovative drinks, an amazing selection of espresso options, and very knowledgeable baristas. The owner, Manuel Terzi, is extremely passionate about the craft and artistry of coffee.” — Jay Isais, vice president of coffee and sourcing, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in California
“La Fabrica is a great cafe owned by an ex-professional cyclist and his wife, and has a great atmosphere, coffee and food. It also has a beautiful outdoor patio space and feels hidden away in the city. My go-to order is a cortado and something delicious to eat. Among the cycling community, this is one of the best cafes with great coffee, food, and location.” — Aaron Olson, owner, Handlebar Coffee in Santa Barbara, California
“They work closely with coffee growers across Vietnam and serve many of the best coffees grown in that country. They are one of the few cafes in the world that offer coffees of the liberica species, along with excellent robusta and arabica coffees. Here I usually order a cup of Aeropress brewed robusta or liberica.” — Meza
