Is it the coffee, ambience or customer service? Marta Bueno Arcos explores why two Irish coffee shops made the top 100 best coffee spots globally.
With such variety on offer, finding the best coffee spot in Dublin can seem impossible, let alone identifying the finest in the world. Yet this February, The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops, sponsored by DaVinci Gourmet, were announced during CoffeeFest Madrid 2026.
With so many ways to make and enjoy coffee, how can a single competition claim to reflect the best coffee spots worldwide? And what led to two Irish cafés, Coffeewerk + Press in Galway and Unfiltered Coffee in Dublin, being ranked among the best?
The ranking is determined through a combined voting system. An expert panel accounts for 70% of the final score, while public voters contribute the remaining 30%. Coffee enthusiasts from around the world were invited to vote online based on their personal experiences, while a panel of industry professionals and coffee specialists assessed nominees according to a set of established criteria.
Among such a wide range of voters, taste can be subjective, so what exactly were those criteria? The competition was notably rigorous, focusing on eight key aspects: quality of coffee, barista expertise, customer service, innovation, ambience and atmosphere, sustainability practices, food and pastry quality, and overall consistency.
In other words, voters were not judging coffee alone, but the entire experience, from the moment a customer steps through the door. The ranking’s official website states that by applying these criteria they “aim to present a definitive guide to the best coffee shops around the world,” while also “celebrating those that excel in every aspect of the coffee experience.”
To make it into the top 100, nominees needed to excel not only in their brewing but across every dimension of customer experience. Galway’s Coffeewerk + Press secured the 32nd spot, thanks in part to its use of beans from more than 80 roasters, offering customers both variety and quality. The café also doubles as a gallery space, showcasing international art available for purchase, suggesting that exceptional coffee may pair well with a touch of culture.
“To make it into the top 100, nominees had to excel not only in their brewing, but in every other aspect of customer experience.”
Unfiltered Coffee in Dublin followed a similar philosophy and secured 56th place by treating coffee-making as an art form. Roasting beans in-house, sourcing local Irish milk chosen for its “harmony” with their tailored blend, and paying meticulous attention to balance and flavour, the café demonstrates that the secret to great coffee often lies in the smallest details.