Site icon Dezeen
Dezeen roundups: City cafes

Ten visually striking cafes to visit in cities all around the world

For those who enjoy cafe culture, interiors reporter Natasha Levy picks out 10 eye-catching examples from cities around the world, from a Canadian coffee shop that doubles as an artists' workshop to a Vietnamese eatery with its own fish pond.


Pastel Rita, Montreal, Canada, by Appareil Architecture

Appareil Architecture used a trio of colours to loosely define different areas of this cafe and artists' workshop.

While glossy green paint is applied to the bar counter and stools, arched display niches and extra seating booths are in a dusky pink shade. There is also a gold corridor that runs through the cafe's centre.

Find out more about Patel Rita ›


Orang+Utan, Kiev, Ukraine, by AKZ Architectura

After noticing that this Kiev cafe had only one slim window, AKZ Architectura employed stark white tiles and neon signage to create a bright interior.

The space also features a selection of tropical plants and bright pink faux-fruit in the bathroom, to play on the idea that "the city is a jungle".

Find out more about Orang+Utan ›


Koi Cafe, Hanoi, Vietnam, by Farming Architects

This cafe in Vietnam's capital takes its name from the colourful koi carp that swim in a pond on the ground floor.

The space also features an indoor waterfall and a rooftop vegetable patch. The rest of the decor is kept simple, with exposed concrete walls and boxy timber stools as seats.

Find out more about Koi Cafe ›


Cafe Mollien, Paris, France, by Mathieu Lehanneur

These pink, pill-shaped lights installed by Mathieu Lehanneur in the Louvre's Cafe Mollien offer a contemporary contrast to the art museum's ornate surroundings.

Lehanneur, who carried out a very subtle renovation of the eatery, also dressed the space with white chairs and tables edged with brass.

Find out more about Cafe Mollien ›


Xie Xie Cafe, Hangzhou, China, by Kooo Architects

Zigzagging timber ceiling beams add a touch of warmth to this cafe in Hangzhou, which had been largely comprised of steel and glass prior to Kooo Architects' revamp.

Oriented strand board frames the bar area, where pendant lamps sourced from a local market hang overhead.

Find out more about Xie Xie Cafe ›


Devoción, New York, USA, by LOT Office for Architecture

LOT applied yellow patterned tiles and wooden panelling inside this Brooklyn cafe to evoke the spirit of Colombia – the country from which it sources fair-trade coffee beans.

Adding to the South American aesthetic, the space is centred by a concrete seating platform lined with tropical plants.

Find out more about Devoción ›


Bentwood, Melbourne, Australia, by Ritz & Ghougassian

The faded red-brick facade of this cafe in Melbourne inspired the colour palette of its interiors, which feature walls lined in panels of russet steel and clay-coloured leather cushion seats.

Ritz & Ghougassian dressed the space with wooden tables and chairs, as a subtle nod to the building's past as a timber furniture manufacturer.

Find out more about Bentwood ›


Farmer J, London, UK, by Biasol

Cloudy concrete walls feature inside this central London cafe, which transitions into a cocktail bar at night.

The main drinks counter is clad in sage green tiles, complemented by a variety of potted succulents and vine plants that wind down from shelving units.

Find out more about Farmer J ›


Bana, Tel Aviv, Israel, by Amit Studio

Chillis, bananas, butternut squash and other pieces of fresh produce add a bold splash of colour to the white-painted surfaces of this vegan cafe.

Amit Studio further revived the space with baby-pink window frames and a mint-green wire shelf suspended from the ceiling, which contains overflowing potted plants.

Find out more about Bana ›


Public Space, Amsterdam, Netherlands, by HOP

The open-plan layout of this Amsterdam cafe allowed architecture studio HOP to scatter mid-century furniture around it. The result is a series of living-room style seating areas for customers.

Grey patterned rugs form a series of "islands" throughout the space, complemented by stucco walls.

Find out more about Public Space ›

Exit mobile version