What does a creative soul need. Not much, I’d say. A pen and a warm, comfortable place to sit and daydream for hours. The kind of a place that feels familiar even the first time you go there. Brimming with conversations and steeped with the smell of freshly brewed coffee, café visits are a must to get to know the true vibe of a city.
A trip to the local café is the best way to observe and ingest the culture of a town (pun intended). Here’s a glimpse of some of the most unique and passionately made cafés and bars around the world.
Partners with London’s award-winning Union Coffee Roasters, you would want to come to Élan for their excellent, perfectly brewed coffee as much as you’d for their magical interiors. Whimsical & pink themed, with soft, complimenting pastel colors, it looks more like a dream than a café. With a team dedicated to dishing out wholesome, natural food, you will also find here a range of yummy and sustainable beauty products. Élan is a must-visit in London! Instagram : elan_cafe
Feast of merit is a café that is hard to miss. The first thing you will notice about this hip, trendy café is the gigantic street art, painted for free by a group of artists. Featuring reclaimed, salvaged material and vintage furniture as part of their Modern Industrial style interiors, Feast of Merit is a café by day and restaurant by night. A social enterprise restaurant by YGAP, inspired by the people of Nagaland, the profits from business go to their aid projects. Go enjoy a guilt-free feast while you feast your eyes at this quintessential Melbourne café! Instagram : feastofmerit
A quaint photography / art bookstore and coffee shop tucked away in a quiet corner in Istanbul, FiL is a café that promotes and hosts talks by photographers, artists and publishers. Over coffee, cake and sandwiches, this collaborative space is used by art lovers to conduct workshops and bond with like-minded people. This cosy space is as creative as the customers, the pipe themed interiors give it a unique charm and alluring look. Instagram : filbooks
A visual cocktail, Saúl Bistro is a modern tropical-themed haven located next to a highway. A red cube with cars flying in, the eccentricity of the facade perfectly matches the interiors. The lush green, open-air café is decorated with tropical plants that compliment the vibrant interiors. The design is a melange of local patterns, textures, colors & materials. From the hand-made tiles on the floor to the car installation in the café this enchanting beauty is not to be missed. Website : https://saulemendez.com/gt/
This award-winning steampunk themed café is designed by Haldane Martin. A stylish mix of steel and leather, the interiors of this café will leave you spellbound. The bar counter is a classy and chic combination of wood and metal. Every element complements the steampunk theme and is thought of in detail by the designers. Tolix chairs, iron pillars, machinery inspired stools, hanging bells and other bespoke details give this place it’s retro-futuristic look. This café is a must visit in Cape Town. Instagram : truthcoffee
The Giger Bar is a one of a kind experience, designed and created by Swiss artist H. R. Giger. All the elements of the bar, fittings, furniture, ceiling, floor etc. are modelled by the artist in his bio-mechanical style, based on his “Alien” movies. This awe-inspiring space is an exemplary example of art & design. Website : www.gigerbar.com
Another art friendly bar, this Bicycle themed place hosts events such as workshops, musical nights and creative exhibits by artists. Its one-of-a-kind décor definitely makes creative juices flow. The most fascinating part of this concept is that the designers dismantled vintage bicycles and cleverly used their parts as elements in this bar. Chairs with arms made with bicycle handles, stools made out of seats, tables made out of wheels, this cosy bar is a must visit and a visual delight. Instagram : labicicletacafe
Prepared to be awe-struck when you step into this cool Cowboy themed bar in Mysore. Right from the facade to the horse cart bar counter, barrels turned into tables and an amphitheater for live performances, this spacious bar greets you with a surprise every now and then. But the icing on the cake is their micro brewery where they brew special flavoured beer. Double Barrel is the place to chill in Mysore! Instagram : doublebarrelmysore
Inspired by the graphic aesthetics of Bauhaus and De Stijl Movement, Logomo café is the result of a creative collaboration between German artist Tobias Rehberger and the furniture company Artek. White space with graphic black lines and an fluorescent orange accent running through is what the interiors comprise. Tables, chairs, sofas, walls everything is plastered in this theme. The astounding beauty of this café can only be experienced in person as pictures don’t do justice to it.
Jekyll and Hyde club is a fun, incomparable experience that you should not miss when in New York. Be prepared to be spooked by special effects in this “haunted” bar & restaurant. If Frankenstein's Monster doesn’t scare you, your rendezvous with Dreadmina the Vampire or Claw the Gargoyle will. You will be surprised by what happens every 10 minutes! Do visit the restaurant for a mind boggling experience and delicious food. Website :
www.jekyllandhydeclub.com/