Kafe

Kafe opened in May 2024 on Raatuse, across the river from central Tartu in Ülejõe, a stretch of the city better known for the student dormitories than for coffee. The owners built the whole concept around three things at once, calling it bean to beat: a serious filter coffee program, a rotating soundtrack pulled from an actual record collection, and an interior considered carefully enough that regulars mention the look almost as often as the drinks.

Filter coffee and matcha both get real attention here, with the matcha a particular draw for regulars, and the cake and bread case rotating with the seasons. It keeps daytime hours through the week and a shorter Saturday, staying shut on Sundays, and dogs are welcome throughout, with a standing highlight reel on the shop's own account of the regulars who visit on four legs.