Features correspondent
From Ethiopia to Cuba, Seattle to Colombia, which is your top choice for caffeine-fuelled travel?
It inspires passion, opinion and addiction. It is the world’s second most valuable commodity (after petroleum), and it will almost certainly play a memorable role in your travels, no matter where you go. We are talking about coffee, of course, and the best places to partake…
Addis Ababa
Some
claim that Ethiopia is coffee’s birthplace, so it is not
surprising that the good stuff is ubiquitous here. If you are invited to an
Ethiopian coffee ceremony, do not miss it: it is a unique and elaborate ritual that
you will never forget. If not, there is always Tomoca, a traditional Italian-style café that is
guaranteed to please.
Havana
Cubans
love their coffee, which is served strong, black and sweet in small
espresso-sized cups. Homegrown in the Escambray and Sierra Maestra Mountains, a
fresh brew will be brought out as an icebreaker wherever you go. Coffee houses
are sprouting by the minute in Havana, but you cannot go past local classic, Café de las Infusiones.
Istanbul
Surprisingly,
Türk kahve (Turkish coffee) is not as widely consumed in its homeland as
çay (tea). But do not worry: you will have no trouble getting your
caffeine fix in Istanbul. Traditional coffee houses like Etham Tezçakar Kahveci serve a brew thick and
powerful enough to put hair on your chest!
Medellín
Colombia
is famous for its rich, aromatic coffee. Unfortunately, it exports most of its
best beans, leaving a mainly mediocre brew for its own citizens. One exception
to this rule is groovy Le Bon Café in Medellín. You can also visit
plantations in the Zona Cafetera and purchase coffee directly from
the growers.
Melbourne
Coffee in
Melbourne is often trumpeted as the world’s best, lovingly prepared with both
Italian and supreme local roasts. The café scene is integral to much of the
city’s socialising; lingering over a coffee is sacred, whether with a newspaper
or with friends. Try stalwart Pellegrini’s for its old school, quintessentially
Melburnian experience, or hit one of the many Third Wave spots like Collingwood’s
Proud
Mary for an updated brew.
Rome
As
befitting the land of espresso, Italians take their coffee seriously. Do as the
Romans do, and be precise about what you are drinking: will it be un caffè,
un caffè macchiato, un caffè lungo, un cappuccino or un
caffè corretto? Famous throughout Rome, Caffè Sant’Eustachio is the perfect place to
practice your newfound vocabulary.
Santa María and Valle de Dota
Coffee is
probably Costa Rica‘s most popular beverage – you will be
offered cafécitos everywhere you go. Aware of its energising qualities,
the country’s government even decreed in 1840 that all labourers building roads
should receive a free cup every day. Visit Santa María and Valle de Dota for an
insight into the Tico coffee industry.
São
Paulo
Brazilians
like their coffee hot as the devil and sweet as love. In the morning they take
it with milk (café com leite). After that, it is cafezinhos,
regular coffee served in either a glass or an espresso-sized cup. Thanks to its
Italian heritage, São Paulo boasts Brazil‘s best cafés, with Café Floresta being one of our favourites.
Seattle
It is
hard to complain about Seattle’s weather when one of the best forms of rainy-day
solace, coffee, is available in such abundance. Trust us, this is one inviting
city to get a buzz on. Though Seattle is where Starbucks (and its terrifying “Trenta” size) originated, there is no need to go
the chain café route: not with one-off gems like Caffé Vita
to choose from.
Vienna
Vienna
has a strong claim to the “Coffee Capital of the World” title. Its Kaffeehäuser
(coffee houses) are as famous as its classical music, and an attraction in
their own right. The sheer number of coffee houses is staggering, but each has
its own flair and flavour. Aida is a 1950s timewarp of a place, with a
clientele to match and coffee to sing about.