We use to say we turn coffee into code, and this is certainly true.
The coffee places we hunt down offer free WiFi along with delicious coffee and/or pastries.
And we love to share those places with you in our Geeky Guides and on Instagram.
Many members of our Hostelgeeks family asked us how we keep finding those beautiful design Cafes.
Time to let you know!
Therefore, here is an article on HOW we do find cool design cafes around the world.
It is actually nothing magic, it’s simply the experience and some tricks that work for us.
At the end of this article we also included a short intro to the coffee culture at Hostels.
You might be surprised, but some hostels offer super creamy coffee in highest quality.
Isn’t that right, Wallyard Concept Hostel in Berlin and We Bologna Hostel?
So, let’s talk good coffee!
1. The power of Instagram Hashtags
Our love for coffee and instagram is deep. And it’s quite cool that they come together here. Just open the app, and search for the hashtag: #coffeeCITY!
Let us give you a few examples:
- Barcelona: #cafebarcelona
- New York City: #coffeenyc
- Sydney: #coffeesydney
And yes, it works!
As Instagram is a photo-sharing app you obviously can see the coffee place to get an idea.
Just swipe through the photos.
Coffee lovers love to take photos of the place itself as well.
Shameless note: Follow us on Instagram and share your best good-morning coffee with us!
2. FourSquare, baby!
Foursquare is a dirty little secret for everybody hunting secret tips.
You can read more about how to find secret travel tips here.
As Foursquare is not too popular anymore (did we just offend anyone?), it kept the authentic style.
At least, we think it does.
You can download the free app and start filtering for different topics like
- restaurants
- bars, and
- design Cafes.
Usually, there are plenty of comments and photos.
Foursquare shows you the most popular comment on the top, which is supposed to be the most helpful one.
So far, we only had good experiences.
We also included Foursquare in our list of the 8 favorite travel apps!
3. There is an App for cool Design Cafes
Now, obviously, there is also an app for that!
The Work Hard Anywhere App is an application for the iPhone.
Here is how it works.
- Download the app
- Give permission to access your Geo Location
- Start browsing coffee shops in your area
Simple. As. That!
The Design Cafes are shown on a map.
You can filter the results by WiFi, coffee quality and so on.
Usually, there are photos attached. However, some cities are not yet on it, or photos are missing.
We added some of our favorite design cafes in Barcelona.
4. Ask your Hostel, buddy!
Seriously, easy as that.
More than asking the hostels reception, make clear that you actually would like a cool design Cafe.
Now, usually here the receptionist needs to think first.
Give her/him a few minutes.
In our experience, she or he always came up with sentences „OH RIGHT…there is this super cosy XYZ place.“
Again, this one is pretty easy!
In a nutshell, we use these “tactics”:
- FourSquare
- Specialized App
- Ask Hostels
The Coffee Culture at Hostels
Putting the gorgeous coffee places aside, there are also 5 Star Hostels which come with awesome design Cafes inside.
The Wallyard Concept Hostel in Berlin serves one of the best coffees in town, and so does the We_Bologna in Bologna, Italy.
The breakfast at both Wallyard Concept Hostel and We_Bologna is extra and not included in the price.
Question is: is it worth it?
We give you a very clear: YES!
The coffee is great in both hostels, the quality of the food exceptional.
Therefore, we highly recommend to take it as an extra!
Imagine how AWESOME this combination is for us at Hostelgeeks.
Stunning hostel + top coffee = love!
The Oxotel, one of the coolest hostels in Chiang Mai has an own in-house coffee bar which is open to public.
Locals love, travelers love it! It is one of the hippest design Cafes in Chiang Mai.
So whatever you do, do not miss this!
Also, the Hektor Design Hostel comes with an in-house coffee lounge.
A chic place to hang out, and plan the itinerary of the day exploring Tartu, Estonia.
Summary on Design Cafes
We also tried to find a cool website to find unique design cafes. So far, we couldn’t find any. Do you have any recommendations?
Do you have your own way to find cool coffee places?
We NEED to know.
When you have good WiFi in your coffee shop, type in your tips and hacks below.
And by the way, Matt found his favorite café in Barcelona thanks to a book.
Apparently, that’s another way to find cool coffee places.
Happy coffee sipping!
Pin it for later
Best Travel Websites we recommend ❤️
(Fresh Update 2023)
Booking Hostels and Discounts 👏👏👏
As a user of Hostelgeeks, you also have access to exclusive hostel discounts. For booking hostels, we use:
- Hostelz.com - hostel price comparison
- Hostelworld
We recommend installing the Hostelworld App. It is very useful!
How to find cheaper Flights ✈️
The first websites we always check are Skyscanner and Google Flights.
Find our step-by-step process in our review about Skyscanner.
Travel Insurance made easy 🤒
We are currently using Safetywing and Hey Mondo. We wrote detailed guides about these insurances:
- Our review of Safetywing, compared to others
- a detailed review of HeyMondo Travel Insurance
Smartest Travel Tools you need to know 🤓
- Airalo.com - eSim Cards for traveling worldwide
- Onward Ticket - get proof for onward travel
- iVisa - get your visa online fast
- Get Your Guide - for activities and sightseeing tickets
- Omio.com - for all types of transport
Find all our recommended travel tools and websites here.
Get your Smart Packing List (Free Printable)
Knowing what to pack and what not to pack is key. As an example, you need a one-fits-all padlock.
We put together the ultimate list of smart items to bring.