The best coffees in the world

Getting to know a city based on its coffee is an art form we don’t always explore correctly.

If, on top of of living and breathing in the city, you want to taste its history, its traditions, and of course, its coffees, and accompany them with sweets, we suggest you follow this short guide.

We’ll start with Italy. If you visit Milan, you can’t pass up visiting the Pasticceria Cova, founded in 1817. Located on Montenapoleone street, this bakery offers one of the best coffees in the city together with its exquisite cakes and pies.

Another must-see is Cafe Pasticceria Sant Ambroeus, one of the most historical spots of this Italian city, cultural symbol revolving around its excellent coffee since it was born in 1936, next to the “La Scala” Theatre.

On our journey through Italy, we’ll make a stop in Rome, to turn the focus to the famous cappuccino. A cultured place to enjoy this typical drink is the Cafe Sant Eustachio, located in a plaza with the same name. A small shop that maintains the reputation as having the best coffee in the city, always taking care of products and ingredients down to the smallest detail.

Another recommendable option is to have a walk through the Piazza del Popolo and stop by one of its many cafes, like the Cafe Rosati, very well known for the quality of its cappuccino, or Café Canova, a spacious restaurant with four different rooms to sip on and savor its fabulous coffee.

If you’re in Rome, we also recommend you stop in at Cafe de Paris, on Veneto Street. An elegant cafe with a piano bar, very well known for starring in one of the scenes of film La Dolce Vita, by Fellini.

Now we’ll continue on to Venice to its Piazza de San Marco and enjoy Caffe Florian, with its aristocratic vibe, where one of its waiters dressed in full-on tuxedos will serve you a delicious cappuccino on a silver platter with porcelain utensils, so posh!

Harry’s Bar is another one of the emblematic places of Venetian heritage. With A-list clients from Marcel Proust and Orson Welles to Truman Capote, Harry’s Bar boasts having served its best coffees to distinguished clientele in an establishment that also has a full restaurant.

Another country on our trail is Russia and one place that stands out is Kofemanya, the best spot to enjoy an excellent cappuccino of the purest Italian style in Moscow.

And now, we’ll make an appearance in Austria. Vienna awaits us there. The city of Mozart has many interesting cafes. The oldest one in the city is Cafe Frauenhuber, and the town favorite of this musician, and the place where he made his last public performance. It’s the perfect choice if you’re going to go shopping around San Esteban.

Let’s have a look at glutton’s paradise: Hotel Sacher, to try its infamous Sacher cake. Making reservations is a must. And from there, we’ll go to Café Demel. Dating back 200 years ago, this Rococo style establishment is the best way to go back in Vienna’s history, especially since they still make the same sweets from when they first opened.

If you haven’t had enough yet, we’ll suggest one last café: Central, the place where people from all around the world come together to eat and have one of its various excellent Viennese coffees. If you’re lucky, you can even see a live piano performance.

The next stop will be neighboring country, Switzerland. There, its capital Zurich, welcomes its public with a variety of historical coffees. One of the places you can’t go without trying is Café Odeon. Throughout various decades, it was the hot spot for intellectuals from all around the world. Einstein, James Joyce and even Lenin spent long hours at its tables.

But if what you’re looking for is to diverge from historical places and bask in an elegant, chic, trendy (and on some occasions extravagant) place, don’t miss out on Café Felix. Here, you’ll be able to enjoy some of Zürich Teuscher’s most exquisite sweets, whose chocolatey creations are known worldwide.

And if you’re looking to enjoy nice views of the city, go to Café Wühre. If it’s a nice day, it’s tables will be right along the shores of the Limmat River, all in all a luxurious experience.

From Switzerland, let’s jump over to France. We’ll make a stop in Paris, the coffee capital. Verlet, close to the Louvre, is one of the reference points for cafes. There, you can choose from a selection of up to 20 different types of coffees.

And if you’ve seen the movie Amelié, don’t go without visiting Café Les Deux Moulins, where the gorgeous Audrey Tautou worked as a waitress. Located in the heart of Montmartre, it’s a quaint, cozy place in one of the of the most charming neighborhoods of Paris.

Next, we’ll skip across to London, the bustling world cultural capital. Full of charming, hidden spots like The Riding House Cafe, a modern restaurant with delicious breakfast, coffee, tea and food.

We can’t forget to mention Michiavelli as well, an Italian cafe in the heart of Convent Garden. A combination like this makes for a lovely setting, inevitably charming. The Delaunay Counter is another hotspot. Known for its incredibly rich and tasty sweets, with an extra special London feel to it.

Lisbon is a city where the coffee takes center stage. The most essential (and most touristic) place to visit is A Brasileira in a nineteenth century building where you can try Brazilian coffee. Although it’s pretty high-priced, it’s well worth it to try the coffee at one of its locations where famous artists and Portuguese poets passed through decades ago.

Now, we’ll stop in at Café Nicola. A warm and friendly café, more than 200 years old, which has now become more of a bookstore. Located in the middle of the Rossio Plaza, it’s a cultural treasure. It’s coffee is incredible.

In Belém, on the outskirts of Lisbon, is where Antiga Confeitaria de Belém can be found, an original establishment to try its exquisite custard pies, one of Lisbon’s most known products.

We’ll end our European tour in Spain, and we’ll make a stop at Federal Cafe in Madrid in the Plazuela de las Comendadoras, where you can enjoy some of the most exquisite brunches this capital city has to offer.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, we’ll find Confitería Colombo. A symbol of cultural and artistic heritage of the city, more than 100 years old. Café do Forte is the perfect spot to have a luxurious snack with spectacular views of the Copacabana beach.

In Cuba, we can try some of the best coffee of Havana in El Escorial, a cultured place famous for its extensive menu of quality coffee drinks, and products of the best coffee beans harvested on the island.

The next destination: Venezuela. The Franca de Caracas café, on the Avenue Principal de Las Mercedes, is a café and bakery where, apart from the excellent coffee, you’ll be able to enjoy some of the best coffee cakes of the city, and the entire country.

Lastly, we can’t go without mentioning Emporio La Rosa, in Santiago de Chile, where on top of its excellent coffees, you’ll also find a wide variety of homemade ice creams. One of the best sweets to have for a snack in all Chile.

And, since we wouldn’t have it any other way, we’ll leave the best for dessert:

In New York, you’ll find the Kava Cafe, exuding genuine New York charm where you’ll be able to savor the delicious coffee in an outdoor garden, right in the heart of West Village.

Are you thinking of going to one of these places? Where would you stop to have a good coffee and enjoy the city?

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