The 13 Most Impressively Designed Cafes Around the World

Don’t be surprised to learn that Jury, before becoming a cafe, was once a prison in Victoria, located about 8km from Melbourne’s city center. In 1997, the Pentridge prison closed, and soon after, Biasol Design Studio completely transformed the space. Today, the cafe’s design features light wooden beams, plywood furnishings, and an industrial concrete ceiling, creating a distinct monochrome look.

Dreamy Camera Café was inspired by a Korean couple’s love for vintage cameras. They created a one-of-a-kind cafe to recreate the classic twin-lens Rolleiflex cameras, opening its doors in 2013. The husband, Park Sung-Hwan, and wife, Kwak Myung-hee, both pilots passionate about the sky, left their careers to pursue their love by establishing a small family cafe. They invited neighbors to enjoy it, aiming to capture joyful moments and reconnect with nature. The cafe features two levels designed after classic twin-lens cameras, with interior displays showcasing Park's extensive camera collection. Dreamy Camera Café offers a stunning view of the Korean countryside.

The Cake, a vibrant cafe, is a masterpiece of Koons. It seems that everything here is handcrafted with great attention to detail, from the walls to the chairs.

This cafe, specializing in French pastries, is adorned with massive pink balloons arranged to form the shape of a poodle getting its fur trimmed. The other levels are encased in 10,000 handcrafted bricks, each thoughtfully placed with precision. The result is a cheerful, colorful space, from the exterior to the interior.

East Beach Coffee is a café owned by Jane Wood and her daughter Sophie Murray, located along the coastline next to the small town of Littlehampton. The cafe’s standout design is its integration with the surrounding environment, resembling a piece of driftwood. Local craftsmen used raw steel to build the structure, and the edges of the walls are cleverly hidden within the shutters, visible only when the cafe is closed. This design is a unique creation, harmonizing with the seaside village’s natural beauty.

The highlight of Café Ki is its minimalist design, simple yet refined, with the image of a tree at its core. In Japanese, the word “Ki” means tree.

The café’s space is dominated by just two colors: coffee brown and white. Coffee-colored wooden posts stand beside white tables, creating a calm, peaceful atmosphere, like sitting under a tree. Here, you can conveniently hang your hat, coat, or bag on these wooden posts.

Vietnam also boasts a café that made it to the top 10 most impressively designed cafés in the world: Salvaged Ring Café, located on the outskirts of Nha Trang city, next to a highway.

Built by local craftsmen, the café's highlight is its unusual wooden 'arched roof' and a long ‘mural’ stretching from the highway down to the riverbank, connecting two buildings despite their contrasting structures.

In 2014, Salvaged Ring Café was honored with the Wood Excellence Award at a global architectural awards event.

Bar Topolski is a unique business that combines a café, bar, and art gallery. The café was created as a tribute to the Polish artist Feliks Topolski, the former owner.

Here, visitors can enjoy a relaxing coffee or sip on a traditional drink while appreciating the art. The café also regularly hosts celebrations and art exhibitions, including the final shows from Feliks Topolski, all within a charming vaulted space.

If you're in South Korea, you'll be amazed by a unique concept: a book café with individual rooms, each offering a private space or a study area for groups. This is one of the most impressive café designs worth checking out.

If you're trying to study but your brother is watching TV, your mom is chatting loudly, and your dad is cheering for his football team, a book café provides the perfect place for quiet, focused work at any time of day.

Knoll Ridge Café is perched on the steep slopes of Mount Ruapehu in New Zealand's Tongariro National Park. It’s not only an architectural marvel but also part of the country’s largest commercial ski area.

If you’re a coffee lover with a taste for adventure, Knoll Ridge Café is the place to be. The café is crafted with 25 tons of glass, covering a 415-square-meter area. When you visit, you can savor a delicious cup of coffee while taking in breathtaking panoramic views of the snow-capped mountains, all without any obstructions.

Located next to the Dubai Ski Dome, the Chillout Ice Café opened in May 2013 and is entirely constructed from ice. The café features ice curtains, tables, chairs, chandeliers, and even sculptures. All dining ware, including plates, glasses, cups, and cutlery, are also made from ice. Due to the freezing temperatures, many of the staff are from colder countries such as Russia and Romania.

When visiting Chillout Ice, you'll be given a thick, warm jacket to keep cozy while enjoying a hot cup of coffee in this frosty wonderland.

Knoll Ridge Café is not just known for its impressive design perched atop the towering Ruapehu Mountain, but also as part of New Zealand's largest commercial ski resort. Located within the Tongariro National Park, this café offers more than just a great coffee experience.

Knoll Ridge Café stands as a perfect example of creative architectural ingenuity, with a structure designed to withstand the harsh mountain weather. All building materials had to be flown in by plane, showcasing the skill and imagination of the architects behind it.

The café features a 415-square-meter façade, made up of 25 tons of glass. Here, you can enjoy a hot cup of coffee while admiring the breathtaking view of the surrounding snow-capped mountains, unobstructed by any barriers.

As its name suggests, Mirrors café makes a lasting impression with its long mirrors that surround the building, reflecting the iconic Cherry Blossom trees outside. While visiting Gifu Island, make sure to stop by this beautifully designed house by Bandesign and experience its unique welcoming atmosphere.

One of Japan's traditional symbols, the Camellia tree, is placed right in front of the building, which is painted white, creating a stunning aesthetic balance.

Inside the café, the design is equally impressive, with dark wooden beams against white walls, complemented by the green and red hues of the surrounding plants. Here, you can enjoy your coffee while taking in the vibrant scene, where the Cherry Blossoms and the Camellia flowers bloom in vivid colors during winter and spring.

Café culture in Japan gave birth to the concept of the cat café, which has since spread globally and become a familiar idea. True to its name, Romeow Cat Bistrot is a cat café located in Rome, Italy, with interior designs specially crafted for cats and their owners.

Designed by Tommaso Guerra, this establishment doubles as both a café and a bar. The space inside is elegantly adorned, featuring a large window, a piano, and soft furnishings. The creative shelves, though quirky, are perfectly suited for the playful nature of cats. Here, you can either feed and play with the cats or find a quiet corner to relax without being disturbed by the roaming felines.