5 of our Favourite Places Across the Globe for a Cracking Cup of Coffee

We're proud to say we've been around a bit when it comes to searching for the perfect cup of coffee. When we're overseas or inter-state, the first thing we do the next morning after arriving is hunt down the local specialty coffee scene. Why? Well because going a day without coffee is a little harder these days! But also we love to see how other countries and cultures embrace specialty coffee in their own way. Also, we're keen to learn what else we could be doing to bring the magic of specialty coffee to our customers and our business as a whole. So, if you want to know our top 5 places across the globe for a great cup, read on!

1. Reykjavik Roasters: Reykjavik, Iceland

Iceland felt like the perfect place to get cosy and cherish every warm sip of a great tasting coffee. Our visit to Reykjavik Roasters certainly didn't disappoint. With two cafes across Reykjavik, where one is just opposite the iconic Hallgrímskirkja church , this coffee spot features quirky furniture and small snacks in a very cosy setting. They're well stocked in filter coffee, equipment and great vibes and very knowledgeable about everything they do. 

2. Fabrica Coffee Roasters: Lisbon, Portugal

Next on our list are the Fabrica Coffee Roaster cafes in Lisbon, Portugal. These quaint cafes fit in perfectly with the cobbled and cosmopolitan streets of Lisbon and it was a pleasure to sit on their outdoor seating and watch the world (and vespas) go by. Inside the store, you'll be greeted by coffee enthusiasts and green coffee bags which made us feel right at home, just like our roastery. We had a great AeroPress from here and paired it with a Portuguese Pastel de nata to try and disguise as a local. 

They have a store right by the Cais do Sodré station, which is super convenient if you're taking a day trip to Lisbon. It's also very close to their iconic Lisbon Time Out food market, where you can fill up on (what we crown as) the best burger we've EVER had!

3. Watchhouse: London, United Kingdom

Now, over to our rainier cousin across the pond, London! London's coffee scene is growing FAST and we're big fans of it. We were amazed by every one of Watchhouse's cafes across London. We spent a lot of time at the St Mary's Axe branch (right by the hilariously named 'Gherkin' building), but on the weekend we enjoyed breakfast at their London Bridge cafe. What's great about this one is you're never to far away from a Watchhouse, and therefore never far from an amazing coffee.

This place has it all: QR code ordering, espresso to choose from in each drink, a range of different single origins and well presented fact sheets with every coffee you buy. That's right, their staff are super friendly and will come and explain all about your coffee with a cardboard mini fact sheet to come with it! Their food is also fantastic and it has a real sophisticated London vibe to it. 

4. Colonna and Smalls: Bath, United Kingdom

We can't mention the UK coffee scene without mentioning one if its greats, Colonna and Smalls in the beautiful town of Bath. You'll be transported to the scenes of a Jane Austen novel when you're here, but don't let that fool you into thinking it stops there! Bath takes its food and drink very seriously, and their coffee is a well researched phenomenon. 

Innovation and improvement is at the heart of this cafe, where its owner Maxwell has partnered up with scientists at the local and well renowned University of Bath to study coffee brewing, storage and water chemistry to get their coffee even better. Check out their research on storage temperature and grind effects if you don't believe us - these guys are smart!  

5. Pinhole Coffee: Singapore

Finally, just a 7 hour flight away from Melbourne now, these guys in Singapore know how to make a very good pour over. In their immaculately presented minimalist store, you'll find a large menu of single origin choices and very coffee obsessed staff who really know what they are talking about. 

Pinhole coffee features rotating options of single origin coffee brewed using V60 and their expert knowledge. We recognised some of their guest coffee roasters as being straight from Melbourne and even their staff had spent some time here , so we felt right at home. 

They are guns at making multiple V60s at once and not letting the quality slip either. On top of this, they're still flat white connoisseurs if that's what you prefer and it was a 10/10 experience on that drink too!