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Caf culture is flourishing in cities across the world. From London to Seoul, Melbourne to Shanghai and many cities in between, people are flocking to cafs. A recent phenomenon, caf culture has made its reappearance only since the end of the 20th century. What is the appeal of the caf for urban dwellers? And why now? Having a coffee might be a daily ritual, yet it is more than coffee that draws us to the caf. Cafs are vital social spaces, technically connected workspaces, and businesses that are forging design and food trends. The caf is the lens through which this book explores major changes occurring in everyday life in cities across the world. Urban regeneration has fuelled the growth of urban amenity and social consumer spaces. The impact of technology, social and workplace transformation, and the ascendency of the design and food industries all find expression in the spaces of the cafe. The specialty coffee movement is a thriving, global presence, uniting caf staff and customers across geographical borders, with a shared commitment to the connoisseurship of coffee. In the books global sweep, it examines the development of caf culture in China, Japan and Australia as significant and interesting departures from traditional European caf culture. Australia is a world leader and successful exporter of its unique style of coffee and food. Interviews with caf patrons and staff illuminate why the caf has become a meaningful place for many people in the 21st-century city.