5 Best Cities for Coffee in Europe

By the 17th century, coffee made its way to Europe, according to National Coffee Association USA. It first arrived in Venice in 1615 and spread through major cities in England, Austria, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Coffee culture is still strong throughout Europe today. Each city has their unique renditions of specialized coffee shops. Having coffee in Europe is so much more than a good cup of caffeine. Each coffee culture is tied to the charm of the city – the architecture, people, food and way of life.

Take a look at Travelmath’s 5 best cities for coffee in Europe:

One: Vienna
The tradition of coffee houses in Vienna started in the late 1700s. By 2012, the city had over 2,500 coffee houses and 900 of these are traditional coffee houses, mostly located in the Old City. In 2011, Vienna’s coffee house culture was included by the UNESCO in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Some of the traditional coffee houses include Café Central, Café Bellaria, Café Mozart and Café Schwarzenberg.

Vienna’s attractions include the Old City’s (Historic Center) Baroque castles, museums, gardens, monuments and parks. Vienna is a city of music and famous composers like Mozart and Strauss are from Vienna.

Travel tips:
Airlines flying to Vienna
Nearest Airport: Vienna International Airport (VIE)
Hotels in Vienna

Information: List of cafés in Vienna

Two: Reykjavik
Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland has plenty of cozy coffee shops. And if you want out of the norm type of place to get your coffee, there is Puffin Coffee, also known as ‘charity café’. The owner serves coffee from his kitchen window.

For those looking for a cozy place to enjoy freshly brewed coffee with free refills and great food, there is Tiu Dropar located on Laugavegur Street. Or check out one of the Te&Kaffi Shops at Eymundsson Bookstore- Iceland’s ‘Barnes and Noble’.

Read these articles for things to do and travel tips in Reykjavik:
5 Things to Do in Reykjavik
5 Reasons to Travel to Iceland

Three: Rome
After Caffe Florian in Venice, the oldest coffee shop in Italy is Rome’s Antico Caffe Greco located on Via dei Condotti. Interestingly, it was not founded by an Italian. Antico Caffe Greco, according to Italia.it was founded in 1760 by Nicola della Maddalena, a Greek. It was a coffee shop for foreign and Italian musicians and artists. Today, guests can still find over 300 artwork hanging on the walls.

If you ask for un caffe (one coffee) you will get espresso. Italians drink their coffee short and strong. Of course there are variations of coffee like macchiato, cappuccino and cortado.

Read this article for things to do and travel tips in Rome:
5 Things to Do in Rome

Information: Historic coffee shops in Rome

Four: London
Despite a strong tea culture for centuries, there is an increasing amount of habitual coffee drinkers in London. These coffee drinkers are looking for well-run, service-driven independent coffee shops, according to the Telegraph.

While in London, check out:
1.Workshop Coffee – currently there are four locations.
2.Brickwood London
3.Terrone Coffee London
4.London Grind
5.Ozone Coffee

London’s coffee houses are similar to those in New Zealand and Australia. Some of them are actually owned by Kiwis and Australians.

Travel tips to London:
Read Visit London in 48 Hours
London Airports Guide

Five: Helsinki
Finland is one of the world’s most caffeinated country. In Helsinki, you can find traditional and contemporary coffee shops mostly around Senate Square and Market Square.

Some of these coffee shops recommended by Visit Helsinki include:
1.Allotria
2.Fratello
3.Briossi Café and Bakery
4.Café Cavalier
5.Café Kiasma
6.Villipuutarha
7.Johan and Nystrom
8.Good Life Coffee
9.Kaffa Roastery
10.Freese Coffee

More information: Helsinki

Travel tips to Helsinki:
Airlines flying to Helsinki
Airport

Do you have a favorite coffee shop in Europe? Let us know.