Brazil Lands Two Cafes Among the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops

Brazil · Lifestyle

For a century, the world drank Brazil’s coffee without ever thinking of Brazil as a place to sit and enjoy it. A global ranking of the best coffee shops, released in Madrid, has quietly started to change that.

Brazil has been the planet’s biggest coffee producer for more than 150 years. Yet foreigners who land in São Paulo or Rio often complain that a good cup is surprisingly hard to find.

That gap between growing coffee and serving it well is the backdrop to a small but telling piece of news. Two Brazilian cafes have made the 2026 edition of The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops, an international ranking unveiled in February at a trade event in Madrid.

The two Brazilian coffee shops that made the cut

The higher of the pair is Cupping Cafe in São Paulo, which landed at number 81. It sits in Vila Madalena, a hilly district known for street art and small galleries, and has been open since 2017.

Cupping roasts its own beans and supplies other businesses, focusing on growers from São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Bahia states. The second Brazilian entry is Coffee Five, which took number 92.

Coffee Five sits on Rua da Quitanda, a street in Rio’s old downtown business quarter rather than the beach zones most visitors know. Local press described the city as waking up to the smell of an award-winning cafe in a part of town tourists rarely reach.

How the ranking actually works

The list is run by an organisation called The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops, backed in 2026 by a beverage brand as title sponsor. It works in much the same way as the better-known restaurant and bar rankings that shape global dining reputations.

Scores come from two groups. A panel of roughly 800 coffee, food and hospitality professionals supplies 70 percent of each result, and a public vote of about 350,000 people supplies the other 30 percent.

Judges weigh eight things: coffee quality, barista skill, service, consistency, innovation, atmosphere, food and pastry, and sustainability. The 2026 edition was drawn from more than 15,000 nominated cafes around the world.

At the very top, Onyx Coffee Lab of Rogers, Arkansas, became the first United States cafe to be named number one. The United States placed nine cafes on the list overall, ahead of Australia, Peru, Spain, Honduras and Taiwan.

A grower learns to pour

The interesting part for outsiders is what the result signals. The organisers describe their 2026 edition as a snapshot of where coffee culture is heading, and one clear trend is producing countries finally being recognised for drinking their own product well.

For decades the best Brazilian beans were shipped abroad while locals drank cheaper, mass-market blends. A wave of small roasters and specialty cafes has slowly changed that, keeping more high-grade arabica at home for a more demanding local crowd.

Brazil is also the world’s second-largest coffee-consuming nation after the United States, so the home market is large as well as growing. The two ranked cafes are the visible tip of that shift.

Brazil builds its own award in Rio

The momentum now has a local follow-up. Brazil is launching a national version of the format, called The Best Coffee Shops, with its first awards set for Rio de Janeiro on October 16 to 18, 2026, under the banner of an event called Rio Coffee Nation.

A five-person jury of coffee, food and hospitality specialists will pick the national winners, again using the 70 percent expert and 30 percent public split. The best-placed Brazilian cafes will then be in line to push for spots on the global list.

For a traveller, the practical takeaway is simple. The next time you are in São Paulo or Rio and want more than a hotel-buffet cup, two of the best coffee shops on the planet are now a short walk from the centre of each city.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Brazilian cafes are on the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026 list?

Two made it. Cupping Cafe in São Paulo ranked 81st and Coffee Five in Rio de Janeiro ranked 92nd.

Which cafe was named the best in the world for 2026?

Onyx Coffee Lab, based in Rogers, Arkansas, took the top spot. It was the first time a United States cafe led the ranking.

When is Brazil’s own coffee-shop award taking place?

Brazil’s national edition, The Best Coffee Shops, holds its first ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on October 16 to 18, 2026. It is tied to an event called Rio Coffee Nation.