Every cup, scored the same way.
One 10-point scale. Three things that matter. Every venue reviewed before it goes on the list.
Three things make up the *score*
Ten points, split across what actually makes a specialty coffee bar great.
Coffee quality
6.0 / 10The biggest share of the score. Sourcing, roasting, and what actually ends up in the cup. A place has to be about the coffee to score high here.
Craft and service
2.5 / 10Barista skill, consistency from cup to cup, and genuine care behind the bar.
Ambiance
1.5 / 10The room, the feel, and whether it is somewhere you actually want to stay.
Coffee identity, not just a nice *room*
We score coffee identity, not simply whether a place is pleasant to sit in. A great restaurant with decent coffee is a great restaurant. It is not a coffee destination, and the score says so, even if the espresso machine cost more than a car.
Nothing scores a perfect ten. The scale is capped on purpose, because there is always another cup out there that could be a little better.
What the *labels* mean
Below 8
A dependable specialty stop. Worth going.
8 and up
One of the better cafés in its city. Go out of your way.
9 and up
A genuine destination. Plan the trip around it.
No favours, no *filler*
- ✦Every venue is researched and reviewed before it is listed.
- ✦No ads, no pay to play, no sponsored placements.
- ✦Ties are broken by the consistency of the coffee programme.
- ✦Being on the list is the endorsement.
Same questions, asked of *every* café
Every venue is researched against the same fixed rubric: who roasts the beans, where they come from, how the coffee is made, what the room is like to sit in. That research draws on what the café publishes about itself, on roaster listings, and on other public sources.
Every verdict is then read and approved by an editor before it goes on the list. Nothing publishes itself. If a venue does not clear the bar, it does not appear at all.
See the scores in action.
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