Step aside, world: Australia just proved that our 'daily grind' is better than yours.
The second annual World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops global ranking has been announced at CoffeeFest Madrid, Spain, and Australia has once again shown the world that when it comes to coffee, we really know what we’re doing. Consider the bar raised, the beans roasted and the rest of the world officially put on notice.
In 2025, the list’s inaugural year, Sydney’s Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters was named as the world’s number one coffee shop. While Australia didn’t make it to the number-one spot this year – with Onyx Coffee Lab in the US taking out first place – we did prove our dominance on the world’s coffee scene, with seven Aussie cafes making it into the top 100, with five in the top 50.
Four Australian entries were in Sydney, which is no doubt a bitter pill for Melbourne to swallow, and one that won’t be helped by a splash of oat milk. Previously touted as Australia’s coffee capital, Melbs only scored two places on the list.
Previous champ Toby’s Estate landed in fifth place this year, but was topped by Only Coffee Project in Crows Nest, North Sydney, which came in at number four.
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“What an unbelievable honor [sic],” Only Coffee Project posted on its social account. “We are beyond grateful, proud, and feeling so incredibly loved right now.
“This achievement belongs to our amazing team who show up every day with passion and heart. To our loyal customers who choose us, support us, and fill our space with life, and we really thank you. To our families and friends who stand behind us through the early mornings and late nights!! We couldn’t do this without you.
“And to our incredible suppliers who source and provide the beautiful coffees we serve, your dedication to quality makes every cup special.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of this journey. This is our shared win.”
More than 15,000 cafes around the world were assessed for the ranking, which was decided both by more than 800 professional judges from all continents and by public votes, which exceeded 350,000 this year. The only nation to feature more prominently on the list was the USA, which had nine entries. When you consider the size difference between our countries’ cities and populations, this is a huge achievement for Australia.
Australia’s best coffee shops: where they came on the list
4. Only Coffee Project, Crows Nest, North Sydney
5. Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters, Chippendale, Sydney
13. Beta Coffee, Surry Hills, Sydney
27. Proud Mary Coffee, Collingwood, Melbourne
29. Coffee Anthology, Brisbane City
53. Single O, Surry Hills, Sydney
100. Vacation Coffee, Melbourne CBD
To see the full list, head to the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops website.
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