Few cities have made an impression on me like Zurich. Sure, the labels “sleepy” and “conservative” are sometimes hurled at it.  But Zurich is the understated sort of city that doesn’t need to impress you. It’s confident, self-assured, and surprisingly thoughtful. It’s also a city with a number of great places to get a cup of coffee.

Miró Manufactura de Café

Every few years the zeitgeist calls for a new café aesthetic, and it’s been the era of stark white gallery-like spaces with lots of foliage for some time now. Although many cafés have gone for this look, Miró Manufactura de Café has perfected it at their roastery and café on Brauerstrasse. Expect Nordic-style ultra-light roasts brewed by the cup or prepared on their shiny La Marzocco Strada. I opted for a bright and fruity Kenya, brewed as a pour-over.

MAME

Yes. We already did a full post singing MAME’s praises, but their second location deserves recognition in its own right. The café shares a space with a bicycle shop and offers a completely different café experience. It’s also one of the few specialty cafés open on Sunday, which proved fortunate for us when we needed a pick-me-up after a red eye flight. Like MAME’s first location, the menu is organized around a riff on the SCA flavor wheel, allowing customers to pick their coffee on flavor profile rather than origin.

169 West

The focus on 169 West is undoubtedly on their enviable selection of of natural wines, but the vibes here are decidedly “coffee shop.” I’ve written about their wine program for Sprudge Wine, but the coffee program is just as worthy of attention. The coffee hails from Swiss roaster Vertical Coffee Roasters. Our Brazil Diamond espresso tasted great in a cappuccino and as a straight shot.