In honour of International Coffee Day (29 September), take a caffeinated trip around the world with us to some of the finest java joints around. From London and New York to Seoul, Bangkok and Hong Kong, here are our top spots to get buzzed:
Kaffeine, London
Run by long-term transplant Peter Dore-Smith, Fitzrovia’s Kaffeine was an early arrival on the scene, and seven years on it continues to serve up ripper single-origin flat whites and lush lamingtons amidst the requisite bare-bricked and Edison-bulbed surrounds.
Kaffeine, 66 Great Titchfield Street, Fitzrovia, +44 20 7580 6755, kaffeine.co.uk
Dukes Coffee Roasters, Melbourne
In a city where good baristas earn more than most bankers, getting your midday latte at Starbucks screams Tina Tourist. Head instead to this wood-wrapped wonder that’s a firm fave for its carefully sourced, locally-roasted beans and smooth espresso blends – thankfully served without the sneer and condescension that come as standard at some CBD coffeehouses.
Dukes Coffee Roasters, Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane, dukescoffee.com.au
Halfway Coffee, Hong Kong
Vintage treasure-seekers flock to this hipster coffee haven tucked between the kitschy antique, art and souvenir vendors on busy Cat Street. Pic-pretty lattes are served in vintage Hong Kong porcelain cups against an industrial-chic backdrop. Tip: Try the longan honey latte for a change.
Halfway Coffee, 26 Upper Lascar Row, Sheung Wan Central and Western, +852 9511 7197
Coffee Hanyakbang, Seoul
Character-packed java joint replete with vintage mother of pearl wood panels and retro furniture. Its name translates to Oriental Medicine Shop, but the only prescription you’ll need is for one of their potent hand-dripped brews.
Coffee Hanyakbang, 16-6 Samil-daero 12-gil Jung-gu, +82 70 4148 4242
Bar Nine, LA
Industrial roaster-cum-cafe Bar Nine in Culver City’s Hayden Tract sports a raw timber bar, which is all the better for serving up niche global blends, including Tawo Mok and Nitsu Ruz — both sourced from Ethiopia. Don’t leave without picking up a fun take-home coffee-making kit.
Bar Nine, 3515 Helms Ave, +1 310 837 7815, barnine.us
Nømad Coffee, Barcelona
A hipster’s wet dream in cream (and one of the few serious java joints in Barça), this too-cool coffee lab roasts some damn fine globally-sourced beans. Espresso, flat white, V60, aeropress, cold brew, and cold drip are just some of the means to a killer brew. If you’re not already sweet enough, BYO sugar!
Nømad Coffee, Passatge Sert, 12, +34 628 56 62 35, nomadcoffee.es
Panther, Miami
Like moths to a flame, artists n’ scenesters swarm to this artisanal coffee shop for its original Art Basel-graffiti exterior and industrial-chic interiors. Ogle the pretty peeps while baristas prep your beans using a vintage cast-iron roaster, natch.
Panther, 2390 NW 2nd Avenue, +1 305 677 3952, panthercoffee.com
Hardware Société, Paris
The ultimate Parisian cliché may evoke the image of a chain-smoking, cafe au lait-sipping, beret-clad ingenue, but until relatively recently a truly good java jolt was as hard to find in the French capital as sneer-free service. Today, however, in the moody shadow of Sacré-Cœur, Melb’s beloved bruncher Hardware Société is schooling the City of Light in the art of the froth, with its arsenal of beaut Brunswick beans, dreamy poached eggs, and melt-in-the-mouth pork belly. Plus, there’s upstairs seating replete with swoonsome views over the Montmarte rooftops… Charmant!
Hardware Société, 10 Rue Lamarck, 8th, Paris. +33 1 42 51 69 03, hardwaresociete.com
Loading T, Hanoi
Let the ornate tiles and rustic olive green shutters take you back as you step into this century-old French colonial mansion. Set in the scenic old French quarter, this caffeine charmer attracts not only coffee snobs but architectural and history geeks too. Don’t miss the homemade cakes.
Loading T, 8 Chan Cam, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Ha Noi, +84 90 334 20 00, facebook.com/cfLoadingT
Rocket Coffeebar, Bangkok
Nordic-style, artisanal coffee champ fuelling hungry (and oft hungover) Bangkokians with wholesome, Swedish brekkie plates, salads n’ sarns. The rye or wheat pastries are baked inhouse, eggs herald from the hill tribes and sustainably sourced ingreds = ‘thentic feel-good food. Book ahead on weekends.
Rocket Coffeebar, 149 Sathorn Soi 12 Sathorn, +66 096 791 3192, instagram.com/rocketcoffeebar
Hero image: Karl Fredrickson/Unsplash.com
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