The Crème de la Crema

When I travel, one of the first things I do is seek out a local coffee shop. It must have character and a sense of place, of course. But equally important to me, it must source fresh beans (and pay farmers more than Fair Trade prices for them) and employ baristas who know that a small latte is made with two shots, not one. I suppose I've become a coffee snob—I want pour-over instead of drip coffee; I turn up my nose at over-roasted blends, preferring instead the tea-like qualities of a medium roast from Guatemala. How disappointing is it to pay upwards of $4 for a limpid latte?

Life is too short.

To help you in your quest for the best coffee, I singled out eight superb cafés—from London's Prufrock to Copenhagen's Coffee Collective—for an article in this month's issue of travel magazine Endless Vacation. This is by no means a definitive list. I have many other favorites—like Third Rail on Sullivan Street the West Village and Crema in Southeast Portland. But it's a good list. What are some of your favorites and why?  I'd love to find out.