Bucharest is full of cafés, but some of them manage to make you feel like you’ve crossed a border without leaving the city. Not through forced décor, but through design details, atmosphere, and the way they build their identity. Here are ten places where, for a couple of hours, you might just feel like you’re somewhere else.

1. Trofic (Ion Brezoianu St.) – Nordic vibes

Bright, minimalist space with light wood and plenty of greenery, exactly like cafés in Copenhagen or Stockholm. Specialty coffee and a short, curated menu complete the “Scandinavian clean” feel.

2. Frudisiac (Intrarea Bitolia) – breakfast in Oslo

Large wooden tables, natural light, and menus inspired by Northern Europe. If you’re in the mood for a flat white next to an avocado toast, Frudisiac is one of the most “Norwegian” corners of the city.

3. Origo (Lipscani St.) – Berlin industrial

Metal, raw wood, and hanging lamps. The atmosphere recalls Berlin cafés where conversations flow about art and start-ups. At night, Origo turns into a serious cocktail bar.

4. Beans & Dots (Palatul Universul) – contemporary London

Set inside a renovated interwar building, Beans & Dots has the air of a Shoreditch café: part cultural space, part specialty coffee shop.

5. Bandit Specialty Coffee (Vasile Lascăr St.) – Melbourne style

Australia is the homeland of specialty coffee, and this spot nails the Melbourne vibe: relaxed baristas, simple design, flawless brews.

6. Steam Coffee Shop (Charles de Gaulle)– Paris on the go

A tiny space with just a few stools, where the focus is all on perfect espresso. Steam Coffee Shop is very much like the little Parisian cafés where you drink your coffee at the bar and move on.

7. MABO Coffee Roasters (Metalurgiei) – New York energy

Modern design, fast pace, locally roasted single-origin beans. The Mabo vibe feels straight out of Manhattan: people on laptops, short conversations, the smell of freshly ground coffee everywhere.

8. Grain Trip (Nerva Traian) – Rome in a slice of focaccia

More than a café, Grain Trip is an artisanal bakery with Italian specialties. You come in for coffee, but stay for the sourdough bread and pastries that taste like Rome.

9. Meron (Victoriei) – Cluj meets Barcelona

Originally from Cluj, but designed with a Catalan spirit: colorful, relaxed, with Mediterranean details. Meron is perfect for a long cappuccino on a slow afternoon.

10. VanFruct Coffee Shop (University) – Amsterdam small and cheerful

Compact but playful, with bright details and smoothies alongside coffee. VanFruct Coffee Shop feels just like the cozy Amsterdam cafés where everyone seems to smile for no reason.

You don’t need a plane ticket to sip coffee in a Scandinavian, Berlin, or Italian setting. Bucharest has plenty of places that give you that “elsewhere” feeling — just a few metro stops away.

Also recommended Alternative coffee shops in Bucharest: creative experiences in your cup — and beyond