Where To Find The Best Coffee In Charleston

While gourmet coffee has been undergoing a renaissance as of late, it can still be difficult to separate the truly great cafés from the Starbucks clones. Here are the Charleston cafes that will provide you with good coffee, good ambiance and good latte art.  After all, don't we all love to have a heart on top of our cappuccino?

Kudu Coffee – Perfect for those who want more than just a coffee bar, Kudu coffee recently revamped their image turning into café by day and a bar serving craft beer once the sun sets. Order a latte, take a seat and join the college kids tapping away on their computers. They also have a variety of fresh pastries from local bakeries to satisfy your sweet tooth.

City Lights Coffee – Popular with the locals for the friendly vibe and strong coffee, this café is unique in the best of ways. The interior has panelling, a marble bar and wood tables, creating a comfortable, but cool atmosphere. With seasonal baked goods, tea and fresh squeezed juice for those avoiding caffeine, this café has something for everybody. For those who like local beans, they brew Counter Culture, coming straight from North Carolina, not too shabby.

Hope and Union – This minimal café puts the focus on coffee in all the right ways. Choose the beans you want, they offer a variety from Intelligentsia and Stumptown, and the brew method. Sit inside in at a wood table in the beach-y white washed room, or take your cappuccino outside to the porch. Marked from the road only by a sign that says coffee, you have to be clued-in to find this Charleston gem.

Black Tap Coffee – The newest of the bunch, this café opened in last April and has been earning the praises of Charleston's in-the-know coffee lovers. Their speciality is single origin pour-overs, brewed by the cup of course. For even more alternative brewing methods, try a cup brewed in a chemex. With friendly baristas and a laundry list of coffee drinks, there's no reason not to stop by. Need another incentive? Friday is affogato day, an Italian drink combining coffee and ice cream.

(Photo Modified: Flickr/Ken Hawkins/CC 4.0)