Coffee shops have always been more than just a place to drink coffee: starting out as a gathering place for artists and writers, they have become places for eating out, meeting people, and even working. A coffee break can become a true experience when you decide to combine the taste of a specialty blend with a stylish environment. The more welcoming, aesthetically pleasing, and recognizable the environment is, the more customers are willing to return.
What are the best design venues to order specialty coffee in the world? Here’s our selection.
Cafezal, Milan – Italy
In the Brera neighborhood, Milan’s fashion and design district, you can find Cafezal, which means “coffee plantation” in Portuguese. At the center of the venue, clearly visible to the public, is the roasting machine: beans from the best plantations around the world are ground there, each one handpicked to offer customers a fine selection of specialty coffees. The dark marble interior is set off by the satin-finished copper inserts and custom-made furniture by major design brands.
PlantShed Café, New York – USA
A renowned New York florist decided to turn one of his stores into a floral café, with the aim of creating a tranquil escape, inspired by nature. It now is an oasis of greenery and flowers from around the world where busy citizens or curious tourists can find a moment of pause and peace. The venue, which often hosts installations by emerging artists, has also become a gathering place for creative people.
Noc Coffee Co., Sheung Wan – Hong Kong
Urban style and industrial design for Noc Cafe in Hong Kong: steel and glass paired with minimalist decor. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the long shared tables with natural light. Coffee-themed pictograms are painted across the floor, inviting customers to move from the roasting area to the coffee storage displays, as if admiring an art exhibit.
TRUTH Coffee Shop, Cape Town – South Africa
Truth Coffee Roasting specializes in selecting and roasting the most exclusive coffees and has been voted the best coffee shop in the world by the Daily Telegraph for two consecutive years.
Its steampunk-themed coffee shop in Cape Town is impressive: wooden floors, metal pipes and beams, and the deliberately exposed and seemingly random electrical system create a secret club atmosphere where it seems as if something exciting and very special is always about to happen.
Veneziano Coffee Richmond, Melbourne
To call it a café would be reductive: the Melbourne location of Veneziano Coffee Roasting offers brunch, specialty coffees, as well as roastery tours, barista or latte art classes. Focusing on the sustainability of the coffee supply chain, they narrate the “bean to cup” journey inside a former industrial building featuring blue and bronze furnishings, soaring ceilings and potted trees.
