23 February 2026
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A new, yet slightly-sketchy, global power ranking list has named the 100 best coffee shops in the world, with seven Australian venues making the top 100.
The list comes from a seemingly-Spanish company (its press releases are issued out of Madrid, hence the assumption) that claims to have "analysed" over 15,000 coffee shops through a mix of public votes and a panel of "more than 800 professional judges". Sponsorship also plays a visible role, with several global coffee equipment and beverage brands backing the initiative.
Regardless of the list's potentially questionable methodology, it's always fun to argue about coffee. How one drinks it, brews it, sweetens it and even where one purchases it from. And seeing as how coffee snobs are always looking for the Holy Grail in a cup, we now have 100 more places for them to look.
The top spot was scooped by Arkansas-based Onyx Coffee Lab. The US led the rankings overall with nine coffee shops in the top 100.
In excellent news for local bean juice lovers, however, Australia followed with seven of the top 100 spots. Other countries that were well represented included Peru with five, as well as Spain, Honduras and Taiwan with four venues each on the list.
Judges assessed coffee quality, barista technique, service, innovation, design, sustainability and food. Podium-holder Onyx was recognised for its focus on specialty coffee, roast control and sustainability, including the use of solar energy.
As for Australia, here are the seven venues that made the list:
The result reinforces Australia’s (but mostly Melbourne's) long-standing influence in specialty coffee.
Whether or not your local favourite made the cut, the list offers a reminder of how competitive the global café scene has become.
The full top 100 can be viewed here.
