The 10 best coffee shops in Bucharest

Bucharest has quietly become a city of good coffee. Thirteen years ago, a properly made espresso was a rarity; today there are small roasteries in courtyards and garages, baristas who can tell you which farm the coffee in your cup comes from, coffees with notes of jasmine and bergamot, and at least one café ranked among the 100 best in the world. And if you pass through Aviatorilor on a Saturday morning, the crowd you see is outside a coffee shop, not a bakery.

For this guide we read the ratings and reviews on Google Maps (checked on 26 September 2026), the European Coffee Trip guide and the local press, and went through every café's menu and website, so we can tell you not just where to go but also what to order once you get there. The Google rating is the starting point, not the verdict: a 4.7 from more than five thousand opinions says more than a 5 from a few dozen, and a beautiful café is not necessarily one that takes its coffee seriously.

Bucharest is a big city, so for each café we also tell you which neighbourhood it is in. Under each name you will find the rating, address and opening hours from Google Maps. Prices are those on the menus published in 2026 and may change.

1. Origo: our pick, in the Old Town

Ask anyone in Bucharest where specialty coffee started and almost everyone gives you the same name. Origo was opened in 2013 by Mihai Panfil, at the entrance to the Old Town, on Strada Lipscani, in a 60-square-metre space, at a time when “flat white” still needed explaining. Since then it has opened its own roastery, supplies coffee to other cafés in town and has a second location, in Dorobanți. And thirteen years on, Lipscani has by far the most reviews on our list.

The menu is built around flavour profiles: the coffees are grouped as floral, fruity, citric and exotic, and the barista asks what you like before recommending one. By day it is a café; in the evening it turns into a bar, with coffee-based cocktails.

What to order

• a flat white (20 lei) or a cortado (15 lei), to hear how the house espresso sounds with milk
• an espresso (12 lei) or a long black (15 lei), if you take it straight
• from the 88+ menu, competition coffees served as a 20-gram dose: a washed Gesha from Peru, from Julio Chavez (30 lei), or a red honey Gesha from Costa Rica scored at 90 points (50 lei)
• syphon coffee (22 lei), if you have never seen how it is made
• in summer, a Cold Brew Tonic (28 lei) or Amber Summer, with cold coffee, tonic water and red apple juice (29 lei)
• on the side: blueberry loaf or a cookie; oat milk is 4 lei extra

The vibe: a small, minimalist and elegant space, with modern architecture and a terrace on Lipscani where a table is hard to get, because it is busy at almost any hour. It is not the place to open your laptop for a whole afternoon (a few customers say it is discouraged), but one where you chat with the barista about what is in your cup.

What people praise

• the baristas' recommendations, tailored to each person's taste
• the range of origins: “a place worth visiting for any coffee lover”
• the friendly team, who know a great deal about coffee
• the fact that it was one of the first specialty cafés in town and has stayed just as good

Good to know

• it is open until midnight from Tuesday to Sunday, rare for a specialty coffee shop
• food is limited to a few cakes and cookies: you come for the coffee
• budget: 20–40 lei per person

Why it is number one: it is the only café in town that is at once the pioneer of the scene, by far the most talked about and still one of the most serious about its coffee. Thirteen years on, Origo is not living off its name: it roasts, experiments and serves you a competition Gesha at a table in the Old Town.

2. BOB Coffee Lab: the champions' café in Aviatorilor

The only café in Romania on The World's 100 Best Coffee Shops list: 46th in 2025 and 55th in 2026, while in that year's European ranking it climbed to 11th. BOB started in 2017 in an interwar villa on the Charles de Gaulle roundabout, next to Herăstrău Park, with a roastery set up in the house's garage. One of its founders, Alexandru Niculae, was World Coffee Roasting Champion in 2016.

Since then BOB has grown into a small chain, with cafés on Lipscani, in Băneasa, at Promenada mall and at the airport. For the best experience, though, go to the first one, the one in the villa.

What to order

• a latte or a cortado, which reviews describe as intense, creamy and balanced
• a flat white, the simplest test for a champions' roastery
• in summer, the cold brew lemonade, a favourite with the terrace crowd
• on the side: the lemon cake with meringue, the house's most praised bake
• and, if you arrive towards evening, a craft beer, which BOB serves alongside the coffee

The vibe: an old villa with a playful interior (a pink Chewbacca, a dog called Bob as mascot, cups with a pair of puppy eyes looking back at you) and a sunny terrace on the roundabout where you will not find a free seat in summer. The space inside is small but welcoming; good for a short break or a relaxed meeting.

What people praise

• the coffee: for many, “probably the best in Bucharest”
• the terrace, with sunshine and nice people all around
• baristas who know what they are doing, and a friendly team
• the lemon cake

Good to know

• it is always busy, especially at weekends: come early in the morning
• a few recent reviews complain about the cold drinks (matcha, lemonade, around 25 lei): stick to the coffee
• budget: 20–40 lei per person

3. MABÓ Vulturilor: at the world roasting runner-up's

The highest rating on the list, tied with three others. Behind MABÓ is Bogdan Georgescu, runner-up at the 2019 World Coffee Roasting Championship, who left IT for coffee. The story began in 2020, right here on Strada Vulturilor: a roastery serving coffee through a window. The name comes from the two founders, Marius Beju and Bogdan. MABÓ now has three cafés in town, and in 2026 the roastery moved to a bigger space, so Vulturilor has become a café in its own right.

What to order

• a single-origin espresso; for 6 lei more you get a rare origin, which one customer put “easily in the top 2” coffees he has had in Bucharest
• a V60, hot or over ice, the house's most praised brew
• a cappuccino or a cortado, for milk coffee made exactly right
• for a special occasion: a cup of Gesha or a competition coffee; one customer paid 12 euros for the most expensive cup of his life and did not regret it
• on the side: one of the little cakes in the display
• and, on your way out, a bag of freshly roasted beans

The vibe: a warm, quiet café on a street in the Traian area, where conversations with the barista about roast levels and processing methods come naturally. Dogs are welcome, with a water bowl ready.

What people praise

• the coffee: “possibly the best in Bucharest”
• the team, who tell you where the coffee comes from and how it was roasted
• the beans to take home, which enthusiasts rank in their personal top lists

Good to know

• it closes at 17:00, so it is a morning and lunchtime café
• the other MABÓ cafés are on Strada Petru Rareș (MABÓ ONE) and in Berceni, on Bulevardul Metalurgiei (with a bakery)
• budget: usual specialty coffee prices, plus 6 lei for a rare origin

4. Saint Roastery: a roastery with a terrace, near Piața Victoriei

One of the best combinations of rating and number of reviews in town. Saint Roastery was started in 2019 by Simona and Ionuț Croitoru: he learned to roast after repeated trips to farms in Africa, she spent almost a year working in specialty coffee shops in Amsterdam. In 2020, on Strada Maltopol, the street that links Piața Victoriei to the North Station, they served coffee through a window and did not even have a chair. Today the same address is a busy café, with a terrace and the roastery at the back.

Around 100 kilograms a week are roasted here, from six to nine origins at a time, bought directly from farms in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Colombia, Brazil and Costa Rica, and the beans are bagged within 24 hours of roasting.

What to order

• a V60 of a Colombian coffee: one customer described it with notes of mango, citrus and flowers
• a cold brew, “smooth, rich and perfectly balanced”, especially in summer
• a flat white or a cappuccino, with a choice of plant milks
• on the side: the pistachio croissant, which reviews recommend one after another

The vibe: warm and lively, with good music and a small, cute terrace. Coffee is brought to your table. When it is full, the buzz is closer to a pub's than a café's; when it is not, you can work on your laptop in peace.

What people praise

• the coffee, consistent and better every year
• the pistachio croissant
• the friendly baristas, who speak several languages
• the journey: from a window with no chairs to one of the best-loved cafés in town

Good to know

• it is open every day, from 8:00 to 19:00
• Saint Roastery also has cafés in Băneasa and in the Business Garden building, near Grozăvești
• budget: 20–40 lei per person

5. Coftale: coffee and breakfast in a villa with a garden

The most beautiful house on the list. Coftale occupies an old, restored villa on a quiet street between Foișorul de Foc and Calea Călărașilor, with high ceilings, chandeliers and a courtyard of old trees. You cannot tell from the street what it hides, and for many customers it is one of the oldest and still one of the best breakfast spots in Bucharest.

The coffee comes from guest roasters (European Coffee Trip lists JB Kaffee from Munich and Arusha Roastery from Maramureș) and you can have it as espresso, V60, syphon, Aeropress or cold brew.

What to order

• Sweet Coftale, the house drink, which one customer called the standout of the table
• a double flat white or a dirty coffee, for more coffee in the cup
• a syphon coffee, rare to find in town
• a cappuccino or a cortado, “creamy, with perfectly balanced aroma and texture”
• on the side: scrambled eggs or the Meat Lovers breakfast, both praised in reviews

The vibe: a house with a bohemian, vintage feel, several rooms inside and a green, peaceful terrace in the garden. Even when the city is packed, it is quiet here. It is the right place for a family breakfast, a catch-up with friends or a few hours of work; dogs and children are welcome.

What people praise

• the garden terrace, green and peaceful
• the villa, with its old-world air
• the breakfast and the coffee, both good
• the attentive, well-organised team

Good to know

• it is open daily until 21:00, the latest on the list after Origo
• parking is on the street, in the city's paid spaces
• budget: 40–60 lei per person

6. Two Minutes: the neighbourhood café between Dorobanți and Floreasca

A tiny café with a huge rating: 4.9 from more than 600 opinions. Two Minutes is the kind of place where the barista knows almost every customer, and some of them have been coming here every morning for years. The coffee is specialty, from different origins, in medium or light roasts, good for experimenting.

What to order

• the flat white, praised as one of the best in town
• a latte, with a “perfectly creamy” texture
• a hot chocolate, for whoever is with you and does not drink coffee
• on the side: a freshly baked cookie

The vibe: warm and neighbourly, in a very small space with a few seats outside. It is designed more for coffee to go and five minutes of chat with the barista than for an afternoon at a table.

What people praise

• the coffee, with an intense, distinctive aroma
• the man behind the bar, with coffee experience from “all over the world”
• the community feel, with customers who have been coming back for years

Good to know

• it is very small: if you come as a group, you may have nowhere to sit
• it is usually busy, but the wait is worth it
• budget: 20–40 lei per person

7. Kopp: specialty coffee and “Liceenii”, in Cotroceni

The newest café on the list, opened on 1 February 2025, and the one with the loveliest story. Kopp is on the ground floor of the Cotroceni house where director Nicolae Corjos, who made the film “Liceenii” (The High-Schoolers), lived from 1971 to 2022, and the interior is a tribute to him: a room with 1980s décor and film sequences projected on the wall. The coffee comes from Bugan Coffee Lab, an internationally awarded micro-roastery.

What to order

• a flat white, “excellent and aromatic”, or a cappuccino and a cortado
• an iced latte, in summer
• on the side: banana bread with hazelnuts and chocolate, a big slice for just 14 lei
• for something more filling: the Greek chicken pie or a raspberry croissant
• or something lighter: granola or chia

The vibe: probably the most spacious café in Cotroceni, with several rooms, sofas, private corners and a charming terrace. On the tables you will find handwritten notes with messages that make you smile. Good for a date, for friends or for a few hours of work.

What people praise

• the atmosphere: “sometimes you even forget to drink your coffee, it is all so pleasant”
• the handwritten notes
• the consistently good coffee and the snacks
• the restoration of the house and the very warm staff

Good to know

• it opens at 7:00 on weekdays, the earliest on the list
• budget: 20–40 lei per person

If you grew up with “Liceenii”, it is the only café in town that serves you both coffee and nostalgia.

8. Emozia Coffee Manifesto: coffee and stories, near Piața Unirii

The first coffee was served here on 19 May 2018, a Saturday, at 7:00. Emozia belongs to radio host Mihai Morar and his wife, Gabriela, and began as a labour of love: a “manifesto” for people who want to put their phones away and talk. When it opened, the shop window read “Specialty Coffee and Love Stories”.

The coffee comes from Sumo Coffee Roasters, a roastery in Dublin, and there are always two: one for espresso and one for milk drinks.

What to order

• an espresso from the dedicated coffee, to taste the difference
• a flat white or a latte, from the other one
• a V60, for an unhurried morning
• and do not ask for sugar: it is not served here

The vibe: a small space in turquoise and natural wood, full of details, at the entrance to the Old Town, between the crowds and the quiet. There are few seats inside, but more tables outside. Perfect for a coffee before a walk around the centre.

What people praise

• the coffee, “made and served with love”
• the barista, kind and attentive
• the warm feel of a neighbourhood café right in the centre

Good to know

• there is no sugar, honey or sweetener: specialty coffee is drunk as it is
• it is very small inside
• budget: usual specialty coffee prices; the menu with prices is not published online

9. Nomonym: the neighbourhood roastery near Piața Iancului

The place for anyone who wants to try something new on every visit. Nomonym is a small roastery on a quiet street near Piața Iancului, run by Andrei and Aleka. The roaster sits in a corner of the café, the origin of the house coffee changes daily, and alongside it there are always a few rare and exotic varieties to choose from.

What to order

• a V60 of one of the exotic coffees, which one customer calls “a dream”
• the coffee of the day, as an espresso or in a flat white, “perfectly balanced”
• a cappuccino, whose latte art reviews single out for praise
• in summer, a cold brew tonic
• on the side: a cookie or a slice of cake; and, for home, a bag of beans (75–150 lei), with a Gesha from Panama among them

The vibe: a very small café, with a few tables inside and a bench outside, in the sun, on a quiet street. The calm is part of the charm. Dogs are welcome.

What people praise

• the V60: “I haven't yet found one as exquisite”
• the origins that keep changing
• the passion of Andrei, who roasts the coffee, and of the team
• the peace and quiet

Good to know

• it is small, so ideal for one or two, or for a coffee to go
• budget: usual specialty coffee prices; beans are 75–150 lei a bag

10. Beans & Dots: coffee from Berlin, in the Universul Palace

Bucharest's creative crowd's café. Beans & Dots was opened by Anca Ungureanu, who came from marketing, and Adelina Ivan, a designer, on the mezzanine of the Palatul Universul, the former newspaper building turned creative quarter, with offices, studios and event spaces. It is a café and a concept store at once, and the coffee comes from The Barn, the internationally awarded Berlin roastery, for which it is the exclusive distributor in Romania.

What to order

• a flat white or an espresso from The Barn coffee of the month
• a filter, if you want to taste the difference between the origins on the shelf
• a Companion Tea, for anyone who does not drink coffee
• on the side: something from the brunch served daily between 9:00 and 17:00, or a tin of French sardines, if you dare

The vibe: a large, industrial space with design magazines, things to buy and long tables. Laptops are welcome at the dedicated tables, not at all of them. Good for a break after a walk in Cișmigiu Park or for a working day in town; dogs are welcome.

What people praise

• the coffee, “top-notch”
• the space, big, relaxed and stylish
• the fact that it is a good place to work in the centre

Good to know

• the entrance is at the back of the building and is hard to find: follow the small signs in the courtyard
• some customers complain about the service and the loud music
• Beans & Dots also has a second café, at Strada Mântuleasa 22, inside the Suprainfinit gallery
• budget: usual specialty coffee prices

In short: where to go, depending on what you want

• the best café in Bucharest: Origo
• for enthusiasts, with rare coffees: MABÓ, Nomonym or the 88+ menu at Origo
• a terrace in the sun: BOB, Saint Roastery or the garden at Coftale
• with a laptop: Kopp, Coftale or the dedicated tables at Beans & Dots
• breakfast with your coffee: Coftale or Kopp
• late in the evening: Origo (until 00:00) or Coftale (until 21:00)
• in the Old Town and near Cișmigiu: Origo, Emozia and Beans & Dots
• in the north, towards Herăstrău: BOB in Aviatorilor and Two Minutes, between Dorobanți and Floreasca
• near Piața Victoriei: Saint Roastery
• in the east: MABÓ in the Traian area, Coftale near Foișorul de Foc and Nomonym near Piața Iancului
• in the west: Kopp, in Cotroceni

A few tips

• most specialty cafés close at 17:00–19:00; the exceptions are Origo, open until midnight from Tuesday to Sunday, and Coftale, until 21:00
• buy beans at the source: Origo, BOB, MABÓ, Saint Roastery and Nomonym roast their own coffee, so you take it home a few days after roasting
• Origo, Two Minutes, Emozia and Nomonym are small: come alone or as a pair, and for a group choose Coftale or Kopp
• ask for a recommendation: almost everywhere the barista will suggest a coffee based on what you like, and at MABÓ and Origo it is worth trying a rare origin at least once

Opening hours, menus and prices change, and Google ratings move with the reviews. Check each café's page before you set off.