Espresso Machines

New York City

There’s nothing quite like visiting New York City. Life in the Big Apple goes at a rapid pace, so it’s no wonder that you’ll find hundreds, if not thousands, of places to get a cup of coffee. There are small coffee shops on every corner that serve espresso with bold flavor. After one sip, you’ll get the jolt you need for the ultimate NYC expedition.

Abraco

Abraco offers some of the best espresso in New York. It’s a contemporary New York Espresso bar offering every concoction imaginable, from lattes to a macchiato. With standing room only, this coffee shop is perfect for grabbing your espresso to go on a busy morning in the big city.

• What to Order: Macchiato
• About the Space: Standing room only

Gasoline Alley

Gasoline Alley Coffee is another small, yet cozy, spot with a very cool interior that's worth checking out. The shop also has a great selection of donuts to pair with a cup of strong espresso.

• What to Order: Americano
• About the Space: Great window views and people watching

Little Collins

Little Collins is a great place that offers superior espresso and delicious baked goods. It’s the perfect place to grab hot or cold lattes and stay awhile. They have unique breakfast options that you can indulge in as well, from toast with vegemite to sandwiches with cured salmon and mascarpone.

• What to Order: Iced or hot latte
• About the Space: Outdoor seating perfect for the summer

Portland

Portland is arguably one of the best cities for coffee in the country. Its trendy, vibrant culture is intimately infused into its coffee scene. There are tons of cafes and micro-roasters across Portland that put their espresso machines to work. Almost any coffee shop in Portland is worth a visit, but below you’ll find the ones that stand out from the rest.

Heart (Downtown Location)

Heart is well known for light roasts. But in terms of espresso - single-origin and blends are where it's at. Want something a little more indulgent? The creamy vanilla lattes are definitely worth trying. Heart also features fresh gluten free pastries.

• What to Order: Vanilla latte
• About the Space: Relaxed and cozy ambiance

Extracto Coffee

Extracto is an all-around artsy place. You can find creative latte art and fun wall paintings! When the weather is nice, the outdoor patio is the perfect option to sit outside and chat with friends.

• What to Order: Latte
• About the Space: Perfect for instagramming your latte art

Coava Coffee Brew Bar

Coava has a stunning interior that feels like a repurposed garage. While the shop only showcases two singe-origin espresso drinks, they're both top notch.

• What to Order: Single-origin espresso
• About the Space: Colorful graffiti and wall art

Seattle

Seattle is a coffee cornerstone with its rich coffee history engrained in its roots; it's no wonder this West Coast city made our list. Although people think of Starbucks when they hear about coffee in Seattle, there are tons of great local shops that sell high-quality espresso. Explore Seattle's deep, rich coffee culture, which is widely considered the best the U.S. has to offer.

Elm Coffee Roasters

Elm Coffee Roasters has a hip, modern atmosphere. The single-origin espresso always changes but if Ethiopian is available, that is a great choice. For hot days, Elm also has excellent iced lattes.

• What to Order: Hot or iced latte
• Stay for: Plenty of room to relax and read your favorite novel

Milstead & Co

Milstead not only has excellent coffee, but it also has tasty pastries and wild desserts like pumpkin seed bread and something called the Nutella bomb. Don’t stuff yourself too full on their delicious treats because the cappuccinos and lattes are among the best in Seattle.

• What to Order: Cappuccino
• About the Space: Perfect for sitting down and enjoying a tasty treat and a cappuccino

Storyville Coffee Company - Pike Place Market

Storyville Coffee Company has a great vibe and impeccable ambiance. Not many coffee shops have a fireplace and also offers great views like the ones looking over Puget Sound. Storyville's lattes pair well with its selection of great desserts.

• What to Order: Latte
• About the Space: Breathtaking views of the Puget Sound

San Francisco

San Francisco has always been a coffee hub, dating back to the Gold Rush. Nowadays, the coffee scene is booming with independent coffee shops and cutting edge roasters. Smaller coffee shops have cultivated loyal followings with their high quality espresso beverages and their eclectic vibes.

Four Barrel Coffee

Four Barrel Coffee is a semi-industrial space. Tables are easy to come by and a good option if you want to get some work done. The espresso drinks are rich in flavor and the baristas are masters of latte art. And if you're not sold yet, Four Barrel even has a separate espresso bar that features new beans every week from around the world.

• What to Order: Latte
• About the Space: Sit back in comfy chairs and enjoy a drink with creative latte art

Sightglass Coffee - SoMa

Sightglass of SoMa has great atmosphere, with its industrial-style interior. A spacious floor plan with two floors creates and many areas to chill, including relaxing seats upstairs. Also featured upstairs is the affogato bar. That's right, you can make your own affogato – ice cream topped with espresso.

• What to Order: Affogato
• About the Space: Great place to hang out and socialize

Wrecking Ball Coffee

Wrecking Ball Coffee is a cute, small place, ideal for a quick shot of espresso thanks to its assortment of high-quality espresso beans. You'll definitely want to put this trip on your Instagram account, since the shop is lined with pineapple wallpaper that's screaming for a photo op.

• Order: Espresso
• About the Space: Fun interior, including a pineapple wall that’s perfect for selfies

Denver

Denver is an under-the-radar city with a lot to offer in terms of coffee. From trendy little coffee shops to great customer service, Denver is another great city to visit if you’re looking for local coffee shops and roasters. The Denver coffee scene is booming so much that some consider it to be the best city for coffee in the U.S. outside Seattle and Portland.

Corvus Coffee

Corvus is considered a trendy place. There's free Wi-Fi and tons of outlets, so it's an ideal place to hunker down and get some work done. Corvus baristas are known for making latte art featuring dragons. We recommend trying an espresso drink with their house-made almond milk.

• What to Order: Dragon art latte
• About the Space: You can stay as long as you'd like

Little Owl Coffee

Little Owl Coffee is a small, unassuming space that is sleek and modern in style with a relaxed hipster vibe. At Little Owl, you’ll find high quality lattes and delicious chocolate croissants.

• What to Order: Winter spice latte or cortado
• About the Space: Hunker down with a delicious pastry and a warm drink

Steam Espresso Bar

Steam can get crowded on weekends, but on weekdays it's great spot for getting some work done. The shop has a nice industrial vibe to it, characterized by exposed brick, and garage doors. Want to enjoy the great outdoors in one of Denver's best neighborhoods? Steam Espresso Bar also has plenty of outdoor seating.

• Order: Mocha
• About the Space: Relaxing and tranquil ambience

London

If you're traveling to London, you'll definitely want to get a taste of the coffee scene. There is an abundance of coffee shops that serve delicious espresso roasts. You’ll find lots of different styles of artisan coffee shops while in London. You can visit traditional-style coffee shops that rejuvenate the old-fashioned coffee shop feel or hip and modern coffee shops – the choice is yours! In either store, you’ll find espresso machines that produce the best coffee!

Department of Coffee and Social Affairs - Leather Lane

With warm, friendly baristas and an espresso that's top-notch in London, DCSA is certainly worth a visit. DCSA spreads good coffee with a focus on social impact. For every cup of coffee you drink at DSCA, you’re supporting domestic and international charities. Each shop is beautifully designed, featuring iconic coffee house exposed brick to create a mellow ambience.

• What to Order: Flat white
• About the Space: Cozy and comfortable conversation areas

Monmouth

Monmouth is a well-known London favorite. It's often pretty crowded, because Monmouth prides itself with carefully sourced espresso roasts, which tends to draw in the crowds. Regardless of what you order, every cup of Monmouth coffee or espresso features unique flavors.

• What to Order: Cappuccino
• About the Space: Group tables are perfect for meeting new friends and fellow coffee lovers.

Prufrock

Prufrock absolutely needs to be on your London coffee list. The luscious space features top-notch staff of well trained and friendly baristas. The baristas even host community trainings, in case you want to improve your skills for working with your at-home espresso machine! There are plenty of other benefits you’ll enjoy when visiting Prufrock, like lots of seating, excellent latte art, and the flavorful cappuccinos and lattes.

• What to Order: Latte
• About the Space: Plush sofas and elegant paintings

Rome

Coffee is an integral part of Italian life and is often engrained in Italians' daily routines. If you travel to Rome, you can visit some of the oldest coffee shops in the world. There are plenty of fun and elegant coffee shops that provide a glimpse into Italy’s coffee culture. After centuries of perfecting the cappuccino, macchiato, and latte — Rome has some of the most flavorful espresso drinks in the world.

Antico Caffe Greco

A historic place to get an espresso, Antico Caffe Greco has elegant paintings and architecture that encapsulates old Italy. Its exquisite ambiance makes it worth staying awhile to sip on espresso. You’ll find community events every week and so it is one of the best coffee shops to get an idea for the local culture in Rome.

• What to Order: Freddo cappuccino
• About the Space: Elegant and tranquil ambience

Sciascia

Sciascia is a great spot with a splendid, authentic atmosphere. It's located close to the Vatican, but it is not considered to be too touristy or crowded. There's a very relaxed atmosphere, and it's a great spot for trying unique top-notch espresso drinks in Rome that are hard to find elsewhere.

• What to Order: Coffee and chocolate
• About the Space: A local coffee shop filled with the history of Rome

Tazza d'Oro

One of the oldest cafes in Rome, Tazza d'Oro has amazing options for savoring espresso. A bag of espresso beans makes for a great souvenir to take home, but make sure you get a drink while you’re visiting. The shop’s state-of-the-art espresso machine produces some of the most flavorful coffee in Rome.

• What to Order: Cappuccino
• About the Space: Relaxed space with incredibly friendly service

Image Credit: Foursquare (Yui B.) (Brother Baba Budan)

Melbourne

Melbourne is considered by some to be the coffee capital of the world, so it's no wonder that have some of the best cafes in the world. Believe it or not, the café scene in Melbourne only began to really began to pick up over the last two decades. Nowadays, there are cafes on every corner in Melbourne, and with competition comes increased quality and customer service. With so many quality cafes to choose from, we narrowed it down to three you must visit.

Dukes Coffee Roasters

Dukes is small coffee shop with a warm, cozy atmosphere. Try a long black (a double-shot of espresso), which pairs nice with the selection of rich pasties they sell.

• Order: a long black
• Stay for: for a donut to pair with your coffee

Brother Baba Budan

An iconic coffee shops in Melbourne, the coffee at Brother Baba Buda is worth the long wait in line. You can't go wrong with many of the espresso options here. The shop is small but it has a big personality. Be sure to look up because the ceiling has chairs hanging from it –a sight you definitely don't see every day!

• Order: a latte
• Stay for: brunch

Patricia Coffe Brewers

Considered a local secret, Patricia Coffee Brewers is a little shop that is not easy to find or identify. Once you're there though, they have a great selection of unique donuts on top of excellent espresso beverages. With a warm and welcoming staff, this is definitely a place you'll want to hang out in, but it's unfortunately standing room only.

• Order: a flat white
• Stay for: a quick visit

Image Credit: The Artful Desperado (Revolver)

Vancouver

Vancouver is undoubtedly a growing spot for coffee, and you can safely consider Vancouver as Canada's coffee hub. Known for refined roasts and slow brew coffee, Vancouver is serious about brewing. Specialty coffee shops offer awesome interiors to sit, relax, and enjoy a great cup of coffee.

Matchstick Coffee

As one of Vancouver's prized local coffee houses, this place definitely gets busy. It makes sense though, because the interior is stunning and it is a great place to hang out. Its single-origin coffees are simple and pure in taste, originating in Columbia, Costa Rica, and Peru.

• Order: a macchiato
• Stay for: an almond croissant

Revolver

Revolver gives off a hipster vibe. You seriously can't go wrong with any espresso drink, but cappuccinos are especially delicious. Keep an eye out for the brew flights; they're a great way to try different types of espresso as well.

• Order: a macchiato
• Stay for: a brew flight with friends or family

Timbertrain

Timbertrain has rich espresso with a few unique choices, including an Ethiopian espresso that will knock your socks off. Timbertrain is a fine place to have a chat over coffee – it has a great atmosphere and a simplistic interior design.

• Order: an Ethiopian espresso
• Stay for: good conversation with your coffee

Image Credit: Thatfoodcray.com (Coffee Lab)

Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo is among one of the largest coffee-producing cities world-wide, which has developed into the cultural coffee industry it has become today. There are many cafes in Sao Paulo that serve outstanding espresso drinks and have a friendly staff that will enthusiastically discuss everything coffee.

Coffee Lab

Coffee Lab is a trendy style shop with a mellow atmosphere. The shop prepares each patron's coffee at your table, so it's a good opportunity to ask a few questions about brewing methods.

• Order: a shot of espresso
• Stay for: a nice relaxed atmosphere

Beluga Cafe,

Opened in December 2014, Beluga Café features coffee and espresso beverages with a progressive roasts and robust flavor. The café itself is sleek and modern, with bright colors instilled. The selection of Brazilian beans makes for a fresh, satisfying espresso-based drink.

• Order: an espresso tonica (espresso with tonic water and ice)
• Stay for: the unique vibe

The Little Coffee Shop

You probably already guessed, but The Little Coffee Shop is a tiny spot in Sao Paulo to grab a coffee. But for a small place, it has huge flavor, and it might just have the best espresso in the city. With strong coffee, this is the ideal grab-and-go option to kick-start your day.

• Order: an espresso
• Stay for: conversations with locals