Sydney has officially claimed the title of having the world’s best coffee shop, according to a new global ranking that placed the Australian city ahead of its long-standing coffee rival, Melbourne.
Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters, a Sydney-based café, topped the list of the “World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops,” beating out competitors from across the globe.
Onyx Coffee Lab of Arkansas took second place, followed by Gota Coffee Experts of Vienna, Proud Mary Coffee of Melbourne, and Tim Wendelboe of Oslo, Norway.
The ranking, which considered factors such as coffee quality, food offerings, sustainability practices, and customer service, drew on both public opinion and expert evaluations. The top 10 cafés also included entries from Singapore, France, Malaysia, and Colombia.
Jody Leslie, general manager of Toby’s Estate, expressed excitement over the recognition. “We’ve been in the coffee game a long time and we know what we do is amazing and we try very hard to be consistent and so to be recognized like this is just amazing,” she told CNN Travel.
While the award was given to its flagship store in Sydney’s Chippendale neighborhood, Toby’s Estate operates multiple locations across Australia, as well as in Singapore, Indonesia, and the Middle East.
Following the announcement, Leslie noted an increase in sales, with more visitors eager to experience the coffee. To show appreciation, the café will host a free coffee day on February 27.
Founded in 1997 by lawyer-turned-coffee-entrepreneur Toby Smith, the chain started in a garage in Woolloomooloo and has since grown into a renowned specialty coffee brand.
Onyx Coffee Lab, which ranked second, has three locations in Bentonville, Fayetteville, and Springdale, Arkansas, though it was not specified which branch earned the recognition. Gota Coffee Experts, which placed third, celebrated the honour on social media. “This journey has been fueled by passion, precision, and the incredible support of our coffee-loving community,” the Vienna-based café posted.
Australia’s café culture has long been recognised for its influence on global coffee trends, from the popularity of flat whites to the rise of minimalist, high-quality coffee bars. However, the country’s two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, have battled over which brews the best cup.
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Melbourne has traditionally held the title of Australia’s coffee capital, thanks to its strong espresso culture, introduced by Italian immigrants in the post-World War II era.
However, Sydney has been challenging that reputation, ranking higher than Melbourne in recent years in global coffee rankings. In 2024, Food & Wine magazine placed Sydney third among the world’s best coffee cities, while Melbourne landed at number 10.
Proud Mary Coffee, one of Melbourne’s most celebrated cafés, ranked fourth on the world’s best coffee shop list, with the magazine calling it a standout.
The latest ranking is another boost for Sydney’s coffee scene, though Leslie insists the real winner is Australia as a whole.
“I think our win is a win for the country. Australian coffee is, I think, the best in the world and so it doesn’t come down to Sydney and Melbourne,” she said. “We want to be strong as a country, and that helps everyone.”
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