We help people find the best coffee shops in every city. Like the Michelin Guide, but for coffee.
Our ratings are done by anonymous inspectors who are experts in the specialty coffee industry.
There are no sponsored listings, no ads, and no fluff. Just expert ratings, by real professionals.
We award 1 to 3 stars for coffee quality alone. We also highlight other awards for ambiance, pastries, hospitality, and more.
Launching with first city guides in New York City and Los Angeles.
Specialty coffee deserves its own standard. It’s not the same as restaurants—and it can’t be judged the same way.
Our anonymous inspectors are professionals with deep experience in specialty coffee. Our team is backed by an advisory board of well-known leaders in the specialty coffee industry.
We’re objective. We’re thorough. And we’re setting a new bar for what “great coffee” really means.
(Stars are earned for coffee quality alone)
We also recognize cafés with excellence in:
Coffee shops are evaluated based on:
We hold the process to strict, objective standards:
Cafés are continually up for evaluation. Ratings can be added or updated at any time.
"If you’re paying $8 for a coffee, it should be good."
“There’s a hundred review websites out there. We’re not that. We’re experts showing you the very best.”
“These days, when you go to a coffee shop, you expect a mediocre cup of coffee”
“When I travel, I don’t want to go to 10 review websites and sift through 100 coffee shops with ratings that I don’t trust.”
"We live in coffee shops when we travel. We’re always looking for the best spots. The worst feeling is finding out about a great one after you’ve already left."
“We want to see the bar raised for coffee shops. And we want to highlight the ones who are doing a great job.”
These ratings are done by true experts and the process is designed with an emphasis to keep it objective.
No. We don’t accept sponsorships or paid placements. Also, our inspectors are not allowed to rate anything they have an affiliation with.
Thoroughly trained, anonymous inspectors who are experts in the specialty coffee industry. Every shop is reviewed multiple times and by multiple inspectors.
The stars are for coffee only. But we also give awards for ambiance, pastries, hospitality, and more.
Yes. Cafés are continually up for evaluation. Ratings can be added or updated at any time.
That doesn’t mean it’s not worth visiting. We also highlight many cafés, even if their coffee didn’t score quite high enough yet. They may receive a star in the future.
