UPDATE! In August, 2017 I launched a new website devoted to cat cafe reviews in my quest to visit every single one in the world. So far, I've been to 92 out of approximately 255. Check it out at theneighborscat.com!
Disclaimer: the writer of this review is a crazy cat lady. Not fifty-feral-cats-overrunning-the-house crazy, but the kind who (accidentally) steals her neighbor's cat and thinks nothing of queueing up the Meow Mix ten-hour remix as background music. WARNING! If you click on the Meow Mix link, the song may be permanently lodged in your head and could lead to playing it at inappropriate moments such as work meetings and sexy time. I will not accept blame.
Perry is nuts about cats, too, as evidenced by this video he produced to cheer me when we had to leave the stolen cat and move back to the US.
Such is our love for felines, we even discussed buying a motorhome to travel around and deliver treats to cats all over the world. Sure, we may have had a bit too much to drink at the time, but the sentiment came from the heart.
So, with that intro, it is POSSIBLE that these reviews may be biased. If you jump on the first plane to Ljubljana and the cats ignore you, I cannot take any responsibility.
I'm sure you have heard of cat cafes by now. While Japan's cat cafes have been famous for some time now, the last few years have seen several open in major European cities. The premise is simple. Open a coffee shop. Add cats. Voila!
I didn't discover just how many European cat cafes are out there until recently and am gutted to learn that Copenhagen, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Vienna and Riga all have cat cafes that we missed. <sob> It was only when we hunkered down in Tallinn, Estonia for a week that we happened upon one. Now, searching for a cat cafe is the FIRST thing we do when investigating a potential city, even before we find a place to stay.
We've visited four cat cafes on our European travels thus far, and while there are sure to be more in our future, I wanted to offer up my first installment for your reading pleasure. In addition to recapping our experiences and providing photographs, I've also assigned an unscientific scoring system.
TALLINN, ESTONIA: Nurri Kassikohvik
Cat Cuteness: 9.5
Facility: 9
Food & Drink Quality: 8.5
Staff Friendliness: 10
OVERALL SCORE: 9
You never forget your first time. Interestingly, this cafe had particulars about it that the other three did not, and being our inaugural visit, thought these may be standard. They're not.
- You had to be buzzed in through a locked, double-door system to prevent opportunistic dashes for daylight (it is located on a busy street)
- A cover charge of 5 euro per person applied to the bill in addition to any food or drink orders
I'm only pointing this out in the name of full disclosure- it's not a deterrent. For Pete's sake, you are going to be in the presence of nine cuddly cats. SHELL OUT THE DOUGH AND BRING ON THE KITTIES!
I liked their facility. Nurri is clean and inviting with relaxing music. While the space is large, with plenty of room to settle in with a laptop or run around with a cat toy trying to entice a kitty, it had few cozy, cushioned spaces where cats might be tempted to cuddle up next to you. Just sayin'.
We were warmly greeted by a kind and lovely young woman who clearly had great affection for the cats. After we placed our order, I surveyed the clientele. On one end of the room, a grandmother sat stoically while her two young granddaughters ran with strings, squealing as cats chased them. On the other side, a 30-ish woman sipped a latte and smiled quietly while she tapped away on her laptop.
Later, a young mother with two boys entered and things got hectic with a bit too much running, yelling and flinging of the cat toys. The younger cats seemed to be fine with it, but the older cats scurried into hiding spots, much to my disappointment.
In addition to the typical jungle gym equipment and scratching posts, there is an oversized cat wheel. Cat wheel, you ask? Yes, like a hamster wheel, but for cats. Check out the video.
Finally, the kids left and the cats slowly and cautiously emerged. We sipped our drinks and waited. Then, we waited some more. Finally, Perry's patience was rewarded as a long haired cutie leapt into his lap. Ah, success!
We stayed for about an hour and can honestly say we had stupid grins plastered on our faces the entire time. It's physically impossible not to smile, so if you've got a severe case of grumpy pants, get thee to ye olde cat cafe forthwith.
We enjoyed hot chocolate, coffee and one piece of cake. The quality was good. With food and drink plus a 5 euro per person cover, our total bill was 17 euro, the most expensive of the cafes we visited.
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA: Mackafe
Cat Cuteness: 9
Facility: 8
Food & Drink Quality: 9.5
Staff Friendliness: 9
OVERALL SCORE: 8.5
Mackafe is an adorable place. However, we visited during a particularly hot day and they did not have any air conditioning going. As such, the overheated cats languished on the tile floor trying to cool themselves and were in no mood for lap sitting or playing.
The young lady who greeted us was very pleasant. I ordered a peach lemonade and Perry, a hot chocolate as hot weather seemingly has no bearing on this man's capacity for the beverage. The presentation was first rate as our drinks were served on a decorative tray and the lemonade in a fancy refillable bottle.
We sipped and looked around. The space was clean and cozy with many soft pillows and couches for humans and cats to bond. They did not have much in the way of elaborate cat entertainment: i.e. jungle gyms and overhead catwalks, but had a few shelves on the walls for cats to escape people, if necessary.
Most of the patrons were young twenty-somethings (not like us), but just like us, wished to interact with the cats. All we could do was gently pet them sparingly (as not to contribute more heat), while cooing our sweet, incomprehensible nothings.
Our drinks amounted to just over 7 euro.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY: CatCafe Budapest
Cat Cuteness: 10
Facility: 9.5
Food & Drink Quality: 8.5
Staff Friendliness: 9.5
OVERALL SCORE: 9.5
I'm still dreaming about the cats here. With their rock-star good looks, these were felines made to be worshipped. Dear Hungarians. How are your most gorgeous cats not in loving homes??
The star of the show is an enormous ginger Maine Coon, the biggest cat I've ever seen. With a king-of-the-jungle swagger and paws as big as a ten-year-old child's hand, you would swear he had some kind of mutated lion gene.
The space was extremely impressive. The back room has a dark cocktail bar ambience with cozy couches that can be reserved like a VIP lounge. The main downstairs room is filled with typical cafe tables and one corner couch paired with industrial-cool pallet coffee tables.
We were greeted by the waitress and began to order drinks when I spotted an item on the menu. Cat treats. I assumed these were for the cats, and not a cruelly named dessert, and I was right. It was the best 450 Forint ($1.50) I spent in Budapest. This is significant as most cafes have a strict 'treat time schedule', but at CatCafe Budapest, much like the city of Budapest, a laissez-faire attitude dominates.
The sound of the treat bag rustling caused a commotion. Five cats quickly surrounded me. I dispensed treats while playfully admonishing the big cats for boxing out the little ones. Then the waitress showed me a trick: Mr. Ginger Lion 'high fives' for treats. Normally, I wouldn't ask a sweet kitty to perform like a circus animal, but in this case, I was high on feline attention and threw my scruples out the window.
After all the treats were gone, most of the cats moved on, but one sweet white and gray boy stayed behind and gave us ALL THE FEELS.
Our drinks were good, but unfortunately the carrot cake was dry and not particularly tasty. I was so caught up in a haze of kitty love and treats, I didn't care.
We paid around 11 euro for a hot chocolate, coffee, one piece of carrot cake and a bag of cat treats.
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA: Cat Caffe Ljubljana
Cat Cuteness: 9.5
Facility: 9.5
Food & Drink Quality: 9.5
Staff Friendliness: 10
OVERALL SCORE: 9.5
We are currently in Ljubljana and to my delight, discovered our AirBnB apartment is a mere two blocks away from this gem of a cafe. Kitty Karma?
There are many things to like about this place, but two things I particularly LOVE,
- The cats are truly the celebrities here with their 'bios' posted in the drink menu and on the website so you can call them by name.
- They serve alcohol here. Did someone say wine AND kitties? They may have to kick me out.
Marko... and a dry white
We have gone three times. Once for drinks and twice for coffee. Each time, we were greeted warmly, but the first encounter was especially memorable. It was near closing and since we were the only customers, the server engaged in lively conversation about the cats. The drinks were flowing. Then, she came over with an impish grin and asked if I wanted to feed them treats. DID I?!?
Chili and Meri
Meri
I was hooked. These cats were definitely the most personable out of the four cafes we visited. They made you feel special and that's not just the wine, er treats talking. I witnessed first hand how they worked the room as though they had social awareness and didn't want anyone to feel left out.
Rinka (light) & Nike (dark)
The cats of Cat Caffe Ljubljana are an interesting mix. There are several Devon Rex who, despite their dour expressions, are actually super playful and cuddly. Chili in particular, is a sweetheart who provided the following comical photo while sitting atop a 'Smiley World' notebook.
Chilli cracks a smile
Jonas
In addition to the cute and personable cats, friendly staff, and wide drink selection, the facility itself is quite lovely. The overhead cat walks and play equipment are modern and sophisticated so you always feel as though you are in a cafe, not a five-year-old's bedroom.
One vodka tonic and a glass of white wine. 7 euro. Feeding cats treats while drinking alcohol? Priceless.
Nina
After four cat cafes in four different cities, they just seem to be getting better. Or is it us? As we enter month three of our year-on-the-road, the promise of meeting new cats and fellow cat lovers has filled our travel with even more giddy anticipation.
I better wrap this up. You know... places to go...kitties to see.
Thanks for reading!
Next time on Gobsmacked: Why I Had A Vacation in Salzburg During My Year of Travel