What coffee where in Europe?

The approach to coffee varies wildly across Europe.

In Italy, for example, where coffee drinking is a widespread custom, you may encounter gasps of horror, shock or disapproval if you drink it with milk any time but in the morning! In Rome, it’s unheard of to order a cappuccino in the afternoon!

Copenhagen in Denmark is widely viewed by travel writers as an excellent place for coffee drinkers. It is said the city was at the forefront of the third wave coffee movement, which takes the tasks of roasting and brewing very seriously.

Vienna is another acknowledged European coffee paradise, and UNESCO has even listed it as an official part of Austrian heritage. The love of coffee is traced back to the Turkish invasion in the 17th century. Parisians, too, have a reputation for lingering over a cup of coffee, a tradition that dates back to Simone de Beauvoir, Oscar Wilde, F. Scott Fitzgerald, among many others.

The Croatian capitals of Zagreb and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, are perhaps less obvious coffee destinations, but the Balkan capital cities are acknowledged to be amazing places to relax at a café, with coffee shops on every corner.

Tirana, Albania, is another place you might not think of when looking for coffee lovers. But, perhaps because it is close to Italy, it has a coffee tradition.

In Stockholm, Sweden, there’s even a special word for a coffee break, the tradition of “fika”.

Lisbon, Portugal, has benefited from the Brazilian influence because, as you know, Brazil was a colony of Portugal, and the country is the world’s largest coffee exporter. Today, you’ll find Lisbon residents parked on a terrace with a caffeinated beverage at all hours of the day, and they’ll be more than happy for you to join!

If you’re looking for excellent small coffee bars across Europe, this website is a good place to start: