Five small coffee shops I keep going back to

People sometimes ask where to get coffee when they visit. I usually avoid lists because the best places change, but these five have been reliable for over a year.

What I look for

A short menu, someone behind the counter who cares, and a seat where I can read for an hour without feeling rushed. Wi-Fi is optional. Good light is not.

The list

A tiny stand near the river that only does filter coffee and closes when the beans run out. A second-floor shop with a record player and a cat that ignores everyone. A roaster's tasting room that is only open on weekends. A kissaten that has not changed its menu since the eighties. And a new place run by two former baristas who are obsessive about water chemistry.

I am deliberately not naming them. Half the fun is finding them yourself, and the other half is that they are small enough that I would like them to stay quiet.