Photo: Amelia Hallsworth

Today, coffee is not just a drink: there’s more to a lifestyle than grabbing a watery Americano at a random counter on the way to work in the morning. From Instagrammable interior design and creative coffee presentation to cafes established by luxury brands or doubling as artistic spaces, aesthetics adds extra flavors to the beans and roasts.

However, how much has aesthetics influenced our coffee experiences? What does it actually mean to coffee nowadays? To better understand the relationship between the two, we’ve interviewed five coffee lovers from industries including design, photography, fine art and illustration about how their perspectives on aesthetics affect their choice of cafes.

Edouard Guillermo

Nation: French

Career: Photographer and Art Director at DreamBox Studio

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Cafe: SlowMov (Barcelona)

Coffee: Black coffee with milk

What’s your definition of aesthetics?

Aesthetics is a feeling out of the explanation that is deeply influenced by culture and education. It deals with shapes, proportions, or combinations of colours and emotions too.

Which aesthetic principle do you like the best? Will this affect whether or not to enter a coffee shop? Why?

As a photographer, I do commercial things such as fashion catalogues. However, I studied fine art in school, where they emphasized conservation and understanding of the past. Therefore, in my soul, I am more into the creation of fine art. Invention and originality are my goals.

For cafes, it is probably the same. I don’t like those cold-designed spaces with marbles, metals and all white colours. I prefer cafes that contain a link to the past, those cosy, warm and comfortable ones.

SlowMov (Photo: Edouard Guillermo)

What are the top three rules when you choose a coffee shop?

First, they need to have good coffee. The people in the shop also need to be friendly. Music is also quite important for me. I think it is part of the furniture/decor in a cafe. However, I don’t like the music that be too invading in a cafe, like house music.

What is an aesthetic coffee to you?

It is very common thinking in Europe that a good cafe always makes things look like the past or “La Patine du temps”. They are always in warm colors like yellow, and they use wood. It is very important for me that a cafe has the romance of the past.

In your opinion, what’s the relationship between coffee and aesthetics now?

I don’t think coffee and aesthetics have many relationships. It is pleasant to hang out with friends and have a cup of coffee in an average cafe if the coffee itself is good. For me, a coffee shop is a setting in real life. It is functional and has nothing to do with aesthetics. Aesthetics is more about a certain feeling you create. The place itself is not that important.

Justin Akomiah

Nation: British

Career: Creative Director of Justin Akomiah Studios

Location: London, UK

Cafe: the cafe at Corinthia hotel Khartoum (Sudan)

Coffee: Vanilla, ginger and spice mixed with coffee in Sudan

Which aesthetic principle do you like best? Will this affect whether or not to enter a coffee shop?

Simplicity is the primary rule for me. I want simple and clean things because they are easy for me to be comfortable and able to engage. That rule applies to my choice of coffee as well. My favorite coffee shops are in Sudan. They have those small coffee stands at the corner of the road. For me, just that mini bar outside on the road with the coffee ladies is aesthetic, because they present simplified community, engagement, and trust.

What keeps you visiting the same coffee shop or hopping different ones?

I feel my coffee experience in London doesn’t have that rich taste when I was aboard. I am more open to different coffee when I travel. When I am in London, I go by recommendation. However, when I am abroad, I realize that coffee is actually a large part of people’s culture. I always get unique coffee experiences when travelling.

What is an aesthetic coffee to you?

You really have to mix the engagement with the coffee. There’s a coffee shop near Green Park in London, which has the Victorian library aesthetics with archive books. It has this old 18th and 19th century feeling towards it that I really like. It is not just about the coffee but the whole experience of the coffee shop makes the entire thing aesthetic.

In your opinion, what’s the relationship between coffee and aesthetics now?

Aesthetics and coffee are all about taste. You can tell if it is good coffee from the taste and the smell. For example, you can tell if a latte is good from how the milk is laid out the top of the coffee. Of course, it is also about the taste of coffee itself. Just as I said, it is all about the experience.

How do you see the future of aesthetics and coffee combo?

I feel there will be more creative ideas about how to present coffee. The quality of coffee will definitely be pushed as well. I’ve already noticed the changes these days. There are more new types of coffee and unique flavours of coffee. Moreover, I believe people will have their own spaces where you can have your customised music, lighting or design in a coffee shop in the future. That is also my idea of combing coffee with aesthetics.

Adriana Bellet

Nation: Spanish

Career: Illustrator

Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Cafe: Cafe Pascal (Stockholm)

Coffee: Iced Latte

What’s your definition of aesthetics?

I would say it’s an appreciation for the visually pleasant. I know that normally we’ll say it is beauty itself, but I think for me, it doesn’t have to be beautiful. Nevertheless, it needs to have a reason to make you feel pleased when you are looking at it.

What keeps you visiting the same coffee shop or hopping different ones? 

I always love coffee, so I really enjoy going to different coffee shops. I find that the coffee for one place is never the same as the one from the next. It also depends on what I’m trying to do in my day. There are a few really nice coffee shops here where I’ll just go on a sunny day while there are others with calmer vibes the where I’ll go and do my work.

What are the top three rules when you choose a coffee shop?

The most important thing would be the reviews from friends, as well as the internet, especially when I go travel. Secondly, the place needs to look nice and somehow personal, no matter if it is a big place or just a counter. Thirdly, coffee shops’ menus need to show that the shop really know what they’re doing. This can be something special like coffee with tonic.

In your opinion, what’s the relationship between coffee and aesthetics now?

Since I am now living in Sweden, I feel coffee is more like a luxury. I myself will not consider coffee as something functional but a way of treating myself. So even if I have a hectic day, I will go to a nice coffee shop and giving myself a moment to enjoy my day. However, the reason why I have this thinking is because Sweden is a country that specializes in design. Coffee is still more functional in Spain. It is fun to see that the fancy coffee shops in Spain may actually look normal here in Sweden.

How do you see the future of aesthetics and coffee combo?

I don’t think the trend of combining coffee and aesthetics will ever disappear because now we know there’s no chance for coffee to go back to be functional only. However, I think we’ll change our aesthetics views of how the coffee will be presented because at the end of the day, things that are beautiful or pleasant today will not be the same tomorrow.

Charlie Cooper

Nation: American

Career: Filmmaker, Writer and Actor for Mamahuhu

Location: Shanghai, China

Cafe: Here Cafe (Shanghai)

Coffee: Flat White

What’s your definition of aesthetics?

Aesthetics is anything that people choose to display, express or present how they want to the world to see them. It could be anything from a bunch of random black and white photos of old people to a granite countertop filled with beakers full of coffee.

Which aesthetic principle do you like best? Will this affect whether or not to enter a coffee shop?

Speaking of aesthetics, there’s not a specific one that I always seek out. However, I am not a fan of those laboratory style coffee space with metal and concrete interior. I will go in for a cup of coffee, but I won’t spend a lot of time there. It is like some mad scientists are going to make coffee for you.

What is an aesthetic coffee to you? Do you have an example?

The SeeSaw Coffee on Middle Huaihai Road in Shanghai can be a good example of an aesthetic cafe for me. They have a nice open space which is simple but inviting with people making pour-over coffee well. I like coffee shops that do pour-over coffee. It takes time and efforts to make it, and it is very different from those standard Italian cappuccino machines.

In your opinion, what’s the relationship between coffee and aesthetics now?

I’m kind of over a lot of the aesthetics in the coffee scene lately. The industry is exploding with popularity in big cities. It just feels like people are selling the lifestyle of coffee culture without putting in the effort.

I think if a coffee shop has spent too much time on the design, it is distracting from making the effort of providing good coffee. However, I can’t deny that if a coffee shop puts time and effort into aesthetic aspects, they probably also put effort into the main products. It’s a dice roll.

How do you see the future of aesthetics and coffee combo?

I think in the future the aesthetics will appeal to people but it won’t distract them from the main product – coffee. Business owners won’t just follow a template on how to attract people into the cafe. You’ll see more independent cafes showing off their own personalities. In the future, I’d love to see more entertainment in cafes. I know many people actually do not do anything on their laptops in cafes. I’d like to see people go to cafes and get some nice little performances, like standup comedy shows.

Gabriella Martinez

Nation: British

Career: Fine Art Digital Student at UAL

Location: London, UK

Cafe: Mono (London)

Coffee:  Flat white with coconut milk

What’s your definition of aesthetics?

The more I’m influenced by people and social media on the idea of aesthetics, the more influence subconsciously I am receiving. However, for my most authentic feelings, aesthetics is seeing a safe space, which allows you to breathe in.

Which aesthetic principle do you like the best? Will this affect whether or not to enter a coffee shop? Why?

Visually, I think anything that is clean cut, refreshing and welcoming is aesthetics. So when it comes to coffee shops, the big windows with bright natural light are essential for me. I feel more motivated, concentrated and creative in such a space. Dark wood becomes visual aesthetics nowadays, and I also like to see them in coffee shops. It reminds me of the wooden furniture at my grandparents’. It brings a lot of characters to the place, an honest feeling.

What keeps you visiting the same coffee shop or hopping different ones?

I think it has a lot to do with my mood. If I am feeling adventurous, I will definitely walk around and try to find a new coffee shop. I just feel good when I find a new place that I am work-willing. If not, I always go to my favourite coffee shop Mono, which is close to my house at Camberwell. It is like my second home. They know what I’ll order. The staff there are always welcoming. They are not just “working” there, ticking the boxes. The shop really brings me up when I have a terrible day.

What is an aesthetic coffee to you?

I think an aesthetic coffee shop will give you a pretty vibe rather than a pretty look. I want to have coffee from a home-made coffee mug in a coffee shop. I will imagine it like a big homy one, with dark green or brown colour. I just feel it is more personal like I am having coffee in my living room.

How do you see the future of aesthetics and coffee combo?

I feel the relationship between coffee and aesthetics is far away from each other now. Many people go to those aesthetic-pleasing coffee shops just for a picture. It is almost like a “cycle” we got into. We lose the original purpose of going for a coffee. At the end of the day, coffee will be the one thing that brings people together. I use coffee as a symbol of human communication in my photography project. Therefore, combining the aesthetics of photography with the concept of coffee is probably my craziest idea of aesthetic and coffee combo.