5 Elephant

Run by a charming Austro-American couple – she bakes the cakes, he roasts the beans – you can feel the love in this café. Kris learned the coffee trade in New York and brought over a shiny, new Dietrich roaster from the legendary Idaho artisan factory, renowned for its state-of-the-art infrared heat drum system and its beautiful vintage styling. Two things are testament to his roast-mania: not only the many jars of test blends dotting the laboratory-like backroom but also the thick layer of discarded beans fertilising the tree out front (coffee is never made with beans roasted longer than three days ago). This kind of freshness is extremely rare in a city with so few micro-roasters. The house blend (with a majority Costa Rica-grown bean) makes for a delicious espresso or otherwise a variety of different filters are on offer. There are a selection of traditional cakes and tarts, but the Philadelphia cheesecake is transcendental: a wafer-thin layer of spice all that separates the custardy interior from its velvety cheese top. The wholesale supply side of things seems to be booming too - they recently opened a full-scale roastery on Glogauerstrasse where they do special cuppings every week.