WE ARE ALL A LITTLE WEIRD.
Life’s too short
for dull brews and predictable decor.
Get ready to caffeinate your curiosity because we’ve found the world’s craziest cafes you simply have to visit. Travel to Vietnam for its cheap street eats and stay to place a post-it on the walls of the Note Coffee in Hanoi. Or fly to Egypt for its stunning desert landscapes and stay to toast your travels in an Aladdin-like setting.
Wherever you go, are you ready to sip your way through the craziness?
1. The Attendant
LONDON, ENGLAND
Once a Victorian loo (and now a caffeine-fuelled temple of brunch), Attendant Coffee Roasters in Fitzrovia takes the phrase ‘hidden gem’ to a whole new (underground) level.
Built in the 1890s and abandoned in the ’60s, this former gents’ toilet has been scrubbed up and transformed into one of London’s quirkiest coffee haunts. And yep, the original porcelain urinals are still there, just repurposed as seating (genius).
But don’t let the loo legacy put you off. These guys take coffee seriously, serving up expertly brewed specialty beans alongside a brunch menu that could tempt even the most serious cereal-at-home types. Think stacked sourdough, smashed avo, and eggs so perfectly poached they could bring a tear to your eye.
It’s certainly the kind of place that makes you wonder why more public toilets aren’t serving flat whites.
The cup o' crazy scale
— 5. FLAMING CRAZY
— 3. Steaming mad — 2. Half full of huh? — 1. Slightly stirred
2. The Note Coffee
HANOI, VIETNAM
If walls could talk, The Note Coffee in Hanoi would never shut up.
This quirky, feel-good café is a rainbow explosion of handwritten messages, with thousands of Post-it notes covering every inch of space. Love letters, travel tips, inside jokes, you name it; each scribbled note tells a story, making this place a living scrapbook of human connection.
The magic isn’t just in the décor though. This is the spot to try Vietnam’s legendary egg coffee - a rich, frothy, dessert-like masterpiece - or cool off with a creamy coconut coffee. Need food asap? Their banh mi and sweet treats are just as memorable as the walls.
This unassuming place is proof that sometimes the smallest messages can leave the biggest impact. So, come for the caffeine, stay for the love notes, and then leave one behind to become part of the story.
The cup o' crazy scale
— 5. FLAMING CRAZY — 4. Overflowing with oddness — 3. Steaming mad
— 1. Slightly stirred
3. Cafe & Snake
TOKYO, JAPAN
Things are about to get wild, and no, we’re not just talking about what’s on the menu…
This place isn’t your average café; it’s a place where you can sip your mango milk iced tea while a 5-foot ball python lounges beside you, eyeing your chocolate croissant like it hasn’t eaten in days.
Café & Snake features an eclectic mix of slithery stars from the checkered corn snake to the brightly coloured Brazilian rainbow boa (that’s a mouthful). If you’re feeling bold, you can grab a snake and hold it, pretending you’re just besties having a yap and a snack. Or you can feed ‘em (the more reasonable option), playing the role of ultimate snake snack provider.
It’s not exactly a vibe, but the snakes can be quite cuddly if you can get past the whole ‘they could bite you at any moment’ thing. Tokyo, you’ve done it again.
The cup o' crazy scale
— 4. Overflowing with oddness — 3. Steaming mad — 2. Half full of huh? — 1. Slightly stirred
4. Farsha Mountain Lounge
SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT
You’re perched on a mountain, tucking into a mix of hearty Egyptian fare while gazing at panoramic desert views…
This is Farsha Mountain Lounge in Egypt, and it’s the most Aladdin-esque type of café you’ll ever go to. The menu is a casual blend of grilled meats, fresh salads and perfectly spiced hummus (of course); it’s a foodie’s dream in the heart of the Sinai.
But here’s the thing, this place isn’t just about the food. Once the sun sets, the whole café lights up like a scene from, you guessed it, Aladdin – all it needs is a magic carpet zipping around, which to be fair, could be hiding behind all the antique collectables lying around.
Twinkling lights, lanterns, and the whole vibe of a Bedouin dream adorn the table-and-comfortable-bean-bag strewn setting, and as the stars start to wake up, you’ll wonder if you’ve slipped right into a Disney-fied universe. Which, you probably have.
Whether you’re sipping on mint tea or munching on falafel, Farsha’s got that ‘wow’ factor every café wants but only a few ever accomplish.
The cup o' crazy scale
— 5. FLAMING CRAZY — 4. Overflowing with oddness
— 2. Half full of huh? — 1. Slightly stirred
3. Nuldam Space
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
Ever wished you could give your future self a pep talk?
At Nuldam Space in Seoul, you can—over a damn good cup of coffee. This cosy vegan café lets you write a letter to yourself, seal it up, and choose a date for it to be posted. Like what??? It’s practically 25% caffeine fix, 75% time travel, and 100% a brilliant excuse to get a little sentimental.
But of course, no deep thoughts should happen without great snacks. This place serves up dreamy almond cream lattes, rich black sesame drinks, and a peanut butter croffle that will almost certainly change your life (or at the very least, your tastebuds).
Nuldam Space is proof that a letter, a latte, and a little self-love go a long way. All you need to figure out is what advice future-you needs to hear. Better order another pastry...
The cup o' crazy scale
— 5. FLAMING CRAZY — 4. Overflowing with oddness — 3. Steaming mad — 2. Half full of huh?
get in the know In the 15th century, governments around the world banned coffee because they thought it stimulated radical thinking.
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