Specialty coffee in Russia

Specialty coffee in Russia is concentrated in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and its signature café drink is the raf: espresso steamed with cream and sugar. Russia's first coffeehouse opened in Saint Petersburg in 1720, but instant coffee dominated for much of the 20th century. The modern café scene took shape after the 1990s; the first Russian Barista Championship was held in 2003. Double B, founded in Moscow in 2012, grew into a large specialty chain and has employed Victoria Kashirceva, the 2012 World Latte Art Champion. Independent roasters in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, among them Laboratoria, Chernyi Cooperative and North-West Coffee Company, supply much of the specialty market.

Moscow holds most of the cafés listed here, and Saint Petersburg has a smaller but established scene that grew from two specialty shops to more than 30 in the five years to 2018.

Expect a cappuccino-and-raf culture at mainstream cafés, and filter, espresso and alternative brewing methods at the specialty bars. The raf, said to be named after a regular called Rafael at a Moscow café, is the second most popular coffee drink in Russia after the cappuccino.