A coffee and cake crawl through Zurich

Zurich is a small city with an outsized specialty coffee culture. The World Brewers Cup has been won by Zurich-based baristas in 2018 and 2021, the Swiss Roaster of the Year trophy went to a Zurich-founded family operation in 2025, and a Q Grader from the city has built what is likely the only cafe in Europe devoted entirely to Indonesian single-origin coffee. This crawl starts in the Industriequartier west of the river and works south and east through Kreis 4 before finishing in the Altstadt, covering about three and a half kilometres on foot. Allow a full morning or a generous afternoon.

1. MAME — Josefstrasse 160, Kreis 5

Start at MAME, the cafe that put Zurich on the world specialty map. It was founded in 2016 by Emi Fukahori and Mathieu Theis; Fukahori won the World Brewers Cup in 2018 and Theis has been Swiss Barista Champion and a World Barista Championship finalist. The pair opened their own roastery in the Binz complex in 2019, and the Josef bar pours those in-house lots through a La Marzocco Strada alongside rotating European single-origins. The precision is competition-grade and visible in every drink. If you only go to one specialty bar in Zurich, make it this one.

2. Collective Bakery — Maschinenstrasse 8, Industriequartier

A short walk south in the Industriequartier, Collective Bakery pairs sourdough, croissants and handmade pastries baked on site with beans from Rose Coffee Roasters. Rose was founded in 2022 by Matt Winton, the 2021 World Brewers Cup champion, who roasts on a Stronghold S7X using renewable electricity. The combination of Winton's competition-pedigree beans and proper daily baking makes this one of the most compelling coffee-and-cake stops in the city. Buy a bag of Rose beans to take home.

3. Auer & Co. — Sihlquai 131, Kreis 5

Head north-east along Sihlquai to find Auer & Co. inside Impact Hub Zürich's restored brick riverside building on the Limmat. The bar pours beans from miró and Coffee Architects — the microroastery of Dario Stoop — through a Marco SP9 and a Kalita Wave filter set-up. The real draw on a fine day is the terrace running along the Sihl river, one of the most pleasant outdoor coffee spots in the city. Arrive mid-morning before the co-working crowd claims all the terrace seats.

4. miró manufactura de café — Brauerstrasse 58, Kreis 4

Cross the river into Kreis 4 to find miró, the roastery-cafe founded in 2013 by brothers Dani and David Sanchez that won Swiss Roaster of the Year in 2025. The Brauerstrasse flagship opened in July 2024 and combines the working roastery with a cafe floor, so you can often watch the drum turning while you order. Beans from miró supply SWISS Airlines European flights and are sold direct here alongside masterclasses for those who want to understand the roasting process. This is the most technically rigorous coffee stop of the afternoon.

5. Ombak Coffee — Stauffacherstrasse 105, Kreis 4

A few streets east on Stauffacherstrasse, Ombak is unlike anywhere else on this crawl or, arguably, in Europe. It was founded by Martin Ponti, an AST trainer and Q Grader with twenty years working in Indonesia, and his wife Alista. The entire menu is devoted to Indonesian single-origin coffee — Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi — all sourced directly and roasted locally by Henauer to Ponti's spec. If your coffee experience so far has been central American and East African lots, this is genuinely revelatory. Barista classes on the Indonesian terroir are available for those who want to go deeper.

6. Café Henrici — Niederdorfstrasse 1, Altstadt

End the crawl in the Niederdorf, the medieval quarter on the right bank of the Limmat where Zurich's old guild houses still line narrow cobbled lanes. Café Henrici at the start of Niederdorfstrasse has been serving specialty coffee under owner Martina Trachsler since May 2019, using beans from the respected Rast roastery alongside cold brew and coffee cocktails. It is a more accessible stop than the competition-circuit bars of Kreis 4 and 5, and the Old Town setting is worth the walk east on its own terms. Finish with a coffee cocktail if the afternoon has stretched into the evening.

The full crawl takes four to five hours at a comfortable pace. Zurich rewards the slow approach: the lakeside promenade, the view of the Alps from the old town towers, and the industrial-to-medieval contrast across the two river banks are all within easy reach. The crawl described here is the spine; Kafi Dihei on Zurlindenstrasse in Wiedikon and Bean Bank Coffee by Europaallee both make natural extensions if the afternoon allows.

Common questions

Is MAME Zurich worth visiting for a specialty coffee enthusiast?

Yes. MAME Josef was founded by Emi Fukahori (2018 World Brewers Cup champion) and Mathieu Theis (Swiss Barista Champion), who opened their own roastery in 2019. The bar pours in-house lots through a La Marzocco Strada with competition-level precision. It is the standout stop on this crawl and one of the most technically accomplished specialty bars in Switzerland.

Where can I drink Indonesian coffee in Zurich?

Ombak Coffee on Stauffacherstrasse 105 in Kreis 4 is devoted entirely to Indonesian single-origin coffee, covering Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi. Founder Martin Ponti is an AST trainer and Q Grader with twenty years of sourcing experience in Indonesia. It is the only cafe in Europe with this focus.

Is the Zurich coffee crawl walkable?

Yes. The six stops run from Josefstrasse in Kreis 5 south and east to Niederdorfstrasse in the Altstadt, covering about three and a half kilometres in total. Zurich's trams connect all the main districts if you prefer not to walk the whole route.

Which Zurich cafe is best for coffee and cake together?

Collective Bakery in the Industriequartier bakes sourdough, croissants and pastries on site alongside Rose Coffee Roasters beans from 2021 World Brewers Cup champion Matt Winton. Kafi Dihei on Zurlindenstrasse also bakes on site and is the most cake-focused stop in the wider city, combining specialty coffee with a grandmother-style neighbourhood warmth near Idaplatz.