Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic, is renowned for all its historic landmarks, like Špilberk Castle, as well as the stunning architecture, cultural events, museums and art galleries. When it comes to food, Brno offers an abundance of amazing choices – from traditional Czech dishes to international cuisine and street food, without forgetting about the local, high-quality Moravian wines. In this post, I’m sharing my ultimate guide to explore Brno’s vibrant speciality coffee scene.

Since moving to southern Poland, I’ve had the chance to explore more of Czech Republic, travelling further away from the capital Prague to discover other towns like Karlovy Vary or Olomouc. One place I keep returning to over and over is Brno in the South Moravian Region.

Freedom Square, Brno Old Town

What’s special about the city? It has a lot of beauty and unique character with a mix of historic buildings, modernist and functionalist designs, as well as some of the more uniform and blocky structures that are often associated with the Soviet era. Brno is young and vibrant, walkable and welcoming, and – most importantly for visitors – affordable especially for eating and drinking out.

Cabbage Market, a square and traditional marketplace in Brno Old Town

Whether you’re a tourist in Brno, an expat or a local, there’s always a good reason to explore the city’s coffee scene. Speciality coffee lovers may already know about the great coffee shops of Prague, but did you know that Brno also offers a wide variety of different cafés?

From trendy espresso bars and brunch spots, from speciality coffee roasters to craft bakeries, Brno has something for everyone. Everytime I’m back in Brno, I make sure to revisit my favourite cafés, but also try new ones. I have combined all my favourite spots in one helpful guide for you!

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at all my favourite coffee shops in Brno, where you can indulge in delicious coffee, enjoy a quiet moment with a book, sit down with your laptop to work, or catch up with friends over a flat white and artisanal pastry. Let’s dive into the world of speciality coffee shops in Brno!

Cafés in the Old Town

Monogram Espresso Bar

The first speciality coffee shop I ever tried in Brno, back in 2019, and still one of the best in the city! Situated in a historic building in the old town, close to the Cabbage Market Square, Monogram Espresso Bar is a modern café focused on selected coffees chosen from Czech and international roasters. In addition to espresso and cappuccino, they serve filter coffee prepared using different brewing methods.

The Roses Coffee

The Roses Coffee is more than just a café featuring beans from multiple European roasters, it’s also a store for real coffee geeks and a Barista Academy designed to match the rules and requirements of the SCA training centres. I have not yet been to the original The Roses café and beer bar, which is located in the residential neighbourhood  of Královo Pole north of Brno’s city centre. What I can certainly recommend is The Roses Espresso bar in the building of the Grand Hotel, in Brno Old Town and just a few metres away from the main train station. There, you can get a taste of fresh specialty coffee for espresso or two kinds of batch brew, seven days a week.

Cafés around the Old Town (North)

All six coffee shops in this list are located north of Brno Old Town, in Zábrdovice and Veveří, two adjacent neighbourhoods each with its own character and history. They also happen to be my favourite areas in Brno, so I often book an Airbnb apartment around there. I love being so close on foot to the old town, but also far from the tourists, close to amazing neighbourhood restaurants and pubs as well as the gorgeous Lužánky Park.

Milady Kaffee

Let’s start with Milady Kaffee, one of the pioneers of Brno speciality coffee scene, still going strong today. There’s always a great vibe, fresh cakes and coffee roasted locally, for example by Industra.Coffee (scroll down the post to read more about this roaster). On a sunny afternoon, grab a sit on the bench outside Milady for one of the best spots in town.

Coffee Bar Mymika

Not far from Milady, there’s Coffee Bar Mymika. You will find some of the best quality speciality coffee roasted in Czech Republic, but also cakes and breakfast dishes served all day. In the evenings – the place turns into a cozy wine bar.

Kafe Friedrich

Kafe Friedrich was recommended by a friend of mine, a coffee roaster in Prague, and it didn’t disappoint. I just love everything about the space, the coffee selection (by Danish La Cabra Coffee), the pastries such as cinnamon rolls or Czech ‘buchta’ buns. I have been back many times for breakfast or coffee to go and it remains today one of my favourite coffee shops in Brno.

Coffee Trail

These are two beautiful neighbourhood cafés and brunch spots, both near Lužánky Park, run by a group of young and female coffee enthusiasts with a passion for high-quality ingredients.  At Coffee Trail, I’ve had an excellent drip made with Gardelli Coffee as well as consistently good flat white. The breakfast and lunch never disappoints – the bread is supplied by Brno-based Chleba and pastries are from William Thomas Artisan Bakery.

Buchta B

You cannot leave Czech Republic without getting a taste of ‘buchta’ a popular sweet pastry in Czech cuisine, particularly in the region of Moravia. Hard to find a better place to enjoy these jam-filled buns than Buchta B on Štefánikova street. The café serves specialty coffee from all around the country; some of my favourite beans I tasted there were from qb roasters (read about it further down this post) and Chroast Coffee.

Poppy Beans Coffee

The founders of Poppy Beans Coffee roastery have extensive experience with speciality coffee, having worked in Australia and Scotland and taken part to several SCA coffee competitions in Czechia. I recommend a visit to the café, located in a quiet street just off the park, to taste different espressos or batch brews, seasonal Geishas or nitro cold brew in summer. Granola bowls and bagels make up their breakfast/lunch offer. Like many other coffee shops in Brno, Poppy Beans also serves wine and craft beer.

Cafés around the Old Town (West)

Večerka Brno

The name “večerka” in Czech refers to a small convenience store or a shop that’s open in the evening, often selling basic grocery items, snacks, and beverages. Večerka Brno however is a trendy speciality coffee shop and amazing weekend brunch spot in the eastern side of the old town. Perfect stop before or after a visit to Špilberk Castle. Don’t miss the cinnamon buns!

QB coffee roasters

QB Coffee is a roastery (with more than 10 years of experience) and shop located in a former shipyard building with cozy outdoor seating by the Svratka river. I’ve only ever been there in summer, which undoubtedly is the best time to enjoy the tables in the outdoor garden area. The service is top notch with skilled baristas that will help you choose the best coffee beans to suit your taste and needs. Even if you can’t visit the café, you will likely find their coffee beans on sale in other shops in Brno, for example Buchta B or Mymika.