Cafés can be basic little hole-in-the-wall spots – or they can be gilded, glamorous beauties. The places on our list fall elegantly into the latter category, with decadent décor and opulent surroundings matched by the fanciest of cakes and fine china. Here are some of the world’s most beautiful historic cafés, where each cup of tea or coffee comes with a slice of the past.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover stunning cafés and tearooms everyone should see at least once, counting down to the most unmissable of all. Have you visited any of the spots on our list?

Our ranking is based on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

The world's most beautiful historic cafés you must see