At FREKKO, we believe life's too short for bad coffee. Whether you're at home with your espresso machine, on a weekend getaway, or en route to your holiday destination: a well-made espresso or filter coffee is always worth the detour.
To ensure you're never again dependent on bland coffee at a diner or tasteless gas station coffee, we've compiled our personal favourite coffee hotspots and tips into two handy Google Maps lists:
Save them to your own Google Maps, so you can always instantly see which specialty coffee bar is near you!
How to plan a city trip along good coffee bars?
Planning a city trip around coffee? We say: absolutely go for it. But try not to check off twenty coffee bars in one day. That would make even the biggest coffee fan a bit anxious. ;]
There are plenty of ways to make coffee part of your city trip. You can plan extensively in advance, but we definitely also recommend spontaneity.
Our approach:
- Choose your destination. Of course, you can choose a city because you want to go there, but you can also first check how many nice specialty coffee bars there are. Sometimes this leads you to a destination you hadn't thought of yourself yet.
- Find accommodation near a good coffee bar. For example, we sometimes deliberately choose a hotel without breakfast. Then you can just walk out the door in the morning and have breakfast at a nice coffee bar. Sometimes for the same price.
- Check out a few places beforehand. With our FREKKO’s coffee spots in Google Maps, you already have a good starting point. This way, you can easily see what's nearby during your trip.
- Allow room for spontaneity. You don't really need to plan every coffee in advance. Walking down a nice street and craving coffee? Open Google Maps, see what's nearby, and just try it. Sometimes this is how you discover the best places.
- Combine coffee with the rest of your day. A good coffee bar is often located in a nice neighbourhood, near a market, museum, park, shop, or restaurant. And often they also serve lunch or sometimes even cocktails and snacks. This way, you make coffee part of your entire city trip.
So whether you plan a complete coffee route in advance, book a hotel next to a nice coffee bar, or simply think at 11:00 AM, "I could really use a coffee,": there's no wrong way to do a coffee city trip. As long as there's good specialty coffee involved ;)
How can you plan your trip to visit the best coffee shops?
Many people stop out of habit along the highway or in the beautiful square full of tourists, and let's be honest, you never drink the best coffee there. And the nice thing is: sometimes a good coffee bar is just around the corner, a shame to miss!
Some of the best coffee bars and micro-roasteries are just a few minutes from a highway exit. It's worth taking that exit, stretching your legs, and enjoying a coffee lovingly made.
By the way, we often see that good coffee bars also have very tasty pastries or lunches.
Our tip for on the go:
1. Before departure, open FREKKO’s coffee spots pt. 1 and pt. 2 on your phone.
2. Check which hotspots are along your route or between stops.
3. Plan your rest stop around coffee or lunchtime directly at one of these places!
What makes a specialty coffee bar worth going out of your way for?
Not every coffee shop is the same. Every coffee bar has its own character, but what makes a place a FREKKO favourite for us?
- Equipment - we always check what kind of espresso machine, grinder, and filter is there. No automatic machines or dirty equipment found on our list!
- People - a friendly welcome and a barista who thinks along with you completes the coffee experience for us.
- Atmosphere - whether it's a minimalist magazine picture or a place with armchairs and 4 cats, you'll feel a good atmosphere naturally.
- Coffee - specialty coffee is a must, changing roasters is a plus, and a varied selection is great.
It's actually a total package. And to be honest, some places on the list are also there because they are the best spot in the area, even if they don't offer the full package.
Which coffee shops do we think are worth visiting?
You know, those places you've been to and recommend to everyone around you. These are the places we'd go out of our way for:
Of course, this doesn't mean these are the absolute best places in the world; we just like to share where we personally left with a good feeling.
Save and enjoy
Do you have a golden tip that's not yet on our lists? Let us know via Instagram or send us a message.
Have fun on your next trip and happy brewing!
