World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026: Onyx Leads

Onyx Coffee Lab, a specialty coffee company based in the US state of Arkansas, has been named No. 1 on the 2026 World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops list, a ranking announced on 16 February 2026 at CoffeeFest Madrid by The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops. The recognition, analysed in a 13 May feature by Global Coffee Report, positions Onyx ahead of long-established cafés from more traditional coffee capitals and underscores a wider geographic reshaping of specialty coffee culture.According to the official announcement, the 2026 list was compiled after analysing more than 15,000 coffee shops worldwide, combining 70% expert criteria and 30% public voting, with over 800 professional judges and more than 350,000 public votes. Onyx climbed to first place after ranking second in 2025 and is the only venue to have been named in the top three in both 2025 and 2026, as reported by Global Coffee Report.The 2026 top 10 reflects this broadening map of excellence. Global Coffee Report lists Onyx Coffee Lab (USA) in first place, followed by Tim Wendelboe (Norway), Alquimia Coffee (El Salvador), Only Coffee Project (Australia), Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters (Australia), Apartment Coffee (Singapore), Gota Coffee Experts (Austria), Story of Ono (Malaysia), Tropicalia Coffee (Colombia), and Tanat (France). In 2025, Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters held the top spot, but dropped to fifth in 2026.The ranking’s organisers emphasise that the list captures a broader movement rather than just a set of addresses. “This ranking is more than just a list of exceptional coffee shops; it’s a snapshot of the cultural, creative, and professional moment coffee is experiencing in the world,” said CEO Cesar Ramirez of The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops in an interview with BeanScene. In comments reported by Global Coffee Report, Ramirez added that “the spread of nations included in the 2026 list showcases the global expansion of specialty coffee culture.”Data from the 2025 and 2026 lists underline that shift. The US led the 2026 ranking with nine entries, followed by Australia with seven, Peru with five, and Spain, Honduras, and Taiwan with four each, according to GlobeNewswire. However, Global Coffee Report notes that in 2025 the US (12) and Australia (8) together accounted for 20% of the list, while in 2026 their combined number dropped to 16, with increasing representation from countries including Peru, Honduras, and Taiwan.Onyx’s rise comes from a location far from traditional café destinations. The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops official site describes Onyx’s flagship at 101 E Walnut Ave, Rogers, Arkansas, as housed in a historic downtown building that includes a bakery, a taqueria and mezcal bar, a twenty-seat tasting restaurant, and a high-end cocktail bar. The site also notes that Onyx’s motto is “Never Settle for Good Enough” and that the company uses solar energy in its operations.Onyx was founded in 2012 by Andrea Allen and Jon Allen and now operates eight locations across Arkansas, according to AOL and Wikipedia. The company is a Certified B Corporation as of 2025 and, as reported by AOL, publishes all its trade data in real time, detailing sourcing, pricing, and sustainability metrics. AOL also reports that Andrea Allen won the 2020 U.S. Barista Championship.Onyx’s competitive record extends beyond its founders. Wikipedia records that in 2022, Morgan Eckroth, representing Onyx, won the U.S. Barista Championship and placed runner-up at the World Barista Championship, while Elika Liftee won the U.S. Brewers Cup and placed second at the World Brewers Cup. Global Coffee Report notes that in early 2026, Onyx launched a tiered caffeine strength coffee range and, in April, introduced RTD concentrates under its “Café Expressions” line in 750-millilitre bottles featuring its Southern Weather and Monarch blends.For those working inside the company, the recognition appears to validate a long-term approach. “We’ve remained focused on what has always mattered to us: hospitality, quality, transparency, education, and honouring the work of the producers we partner with,” said Onyx Creative Director Niki Weegens in comments to Global Coffee Report. “This recognition is not the result of a sudden leap, it’s a testament to how teams keep showing up with consistency, care, and a desire to keep improving year over year.”Speaking to AOL about the No. 1 ranking, founder Andrea Allen described the moment as both unexpected and affirming. “Honestly, it feels amazing and a little bit unbelievable to be mentioned with other shops that are our peers and that we look up to,” she said in an interview published by AOL. Allen added that it “feels exciting that quality and excellence can transcend trendy or popular geographical locations,” and said the award “brings legitimacy to the high level of execution our team is doing here in Arkansas.”