It’s no secret that Melbourne is a city of coffee lovers, with an abundance of excellent cafes, late-night spots and even a World Barista Championship winner. So, when The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops announced their list for 2026, we weren’t surprised to see a few familiar names among the rankings. But, in a startling twist for our worldwide reputation, only two of the best Australian coffee shops were from Melbourne. Sydney absolutely dominated the list, with four out of seven spots. Meanwhile, Brisbane also received a nod, with one shop on the list. Let’s take a look at the results.
The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops for 2026
Back for its second year, this list celebrates the best coffee shops around the world. To figure out the cream of the crop, they used a number of criteria to determine the results, including barista expertise, coffee quality, customer service, innovation, ambiance, sustainability practices, consistency and the quality of food and pastry served in the shop.
Coffee enthusiasts from the public were welcome to vote online, and a panel of experts were used to evaluate the votes, leading to the final guide. The results were announced yesterday in Madrid.
Here are the Top 10:
- Onyx Coffee LAB, USA
- Tim Wendelboe, Norway
- Alquimia Coffee, El Salvador
- Only Coffee Project Crows Nest, Australia
- Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters, Australia
- Apartment Coffee, Singapore
- Gota Coffee Experts, Austria
- Story of Ono, Malaysia
- Tropicalia Coffee, Colombia
- Tanat, France
Both Only Coffee Project and Toby’s Estate are based in Sydney. However, Toby’s Estate does have a cafe based in Fitzroy if you would like to check it out.
As for the Melbourne cafes, Proud Mary Coffee received a nod, appearing at number 27. This cafe in Collingwood was named as a ‘must-visit’, with high quality coffee, stylish décor, friendly service and warm atmosphere. The menu was also praised its range of indulgent breakfast options and lighter bites.
Meanwhile, Vacation Coffee on Exhibition Street just made it onto the list, coming it at exactly number 100. This cafe was praised for its ‘freshly roasted’ specialty coffee and vibrant atmosphere. The list also recommended pairing your coffee with their ‘chicken jalapeño grilled sandwich’. If you can’t make it to the cafe in the city, Vacation Coffee also has stores in Cremorne and Richmond.
The rest of the Australian cafes on the list were Sydney’s Beta Coffee at number 13, Brisbane’s Coffee Anthology in 29th place and Sydney’s Single O in 53rd.
You can see the full list here.