We're no longer just talking about a quick espresso: Luxembourg is finally starting to take its coffees and cakes very seriously. Crisp cookies, cinnamon buns that leave traces of sugar on your fingers, crunchy-melting focaccia and banana bread that's almost scandalously moist... Three new addresses that make you want to taste everything before you've even finished the first bite.
The Little Bake Shop: home-style marble and warming coffee
At 7, rue du Palais de justice, The Little Bake Shop has just opened its doors. This is not just another coffee shop, but a real bake shop. Crunchy cookies, generous pound cakes, cakes "just like home" baked the same day: it smells of butter, it smells of sharing, it smells of real patisserie.
Fleur Tabery and Salvatore Grillo (Vitalenta) have come up with a place where people come as much to take away as to settle in. The ingredients are local, organic wherever possible and self-assured: rich, yes, but sincere.
As for coffee, there's a "specialty" corner with the Vitalenta blend roasted by Mondo del Caffè, complemented by European micro roasters that change every month. At lunchtime, there are light, simple and comforting lunches in the same homemade spirit. All in a carefully renovated house with a warm atmosphere, handmade stoneware crockery and furniture for sale.
Address: 7, rue du Palais de justice, Luxembourg (Centre)
Bröd: the Limpertsberg goes into "fika"
At Limpertsberg, Bröd doesn't just serve coffee. He sets up a ritual. That of the Swedish "fika", that sacred moment when people stop to share a hot drink and something sweet, not out of necessity, but out of a desire to connect. At the helm are sisters Astrid and Linnea Bohlin, who have decided to take things seriously. Very seriously. The sourdough focaccia is a statement of intent: crispy crust that crunches under the tooth, super-soft crumb, almost indecently soft.
And then there are the cinnamon buns and cardamom buns. An explosion of spices, sugar that melts just right, perfect texture (neither dry nor too heavy). The kind of pastry that silences a whole table for a few seconds. The menu is deliberately kept short and seasonal. Savoury breakfast, avocado on toast, boiled eggs, a simple and effective brunch. The beans come from Knopes, the matcha is chosen with care.
Address: 112, avenue de la Faïencerie, Luxembourg (Limpertsberg)
Café Florence: Belair finally has its haunt
After the train station, Café Florence sets up shop in Belair. At the helm is Kelsey, who is continuing his successful formula: coffee with character (African origin), home-made pastries, small lunch and brunch served all day long. The same menu, the same high standards, but a new atmosphere. Here, the original floor of the former delicatessen has been preserved and bespoke furniture made to order.
The banana bread is good: soft and fragrant. The pretzel croissant, crispy and buttery, creates regulars in two bites. But what really stands out is the thick cookie, just right and with a hint of salt. Belair now has its own neighbourhood coffee spot. And it's about time.
Address: 56, rue du Maréchal Foch, Luxembourg (Belair)
