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

Read on 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-traveled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

Which historic US cafés made our list of the most beautiful?