Eat. Play. Love. A Review of European Cat Cafes

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,

1. 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.
2. 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

Three Days in Riga

After a relaxing week in Tallinn, we bid Estonia farewell.  Riga was the next stop on our year of travel, and who knew the bus journey would be a preview of things to come- pleasant, comfortable and surprisingly entertaining!

Rail travel between Tallinn and Riga is, unfortunately, not easy.  To do it, you need to transfer a couple of times making it an all day affair, while the bus is direct and takes just four hours.  No brainer.  For more information on travel by train anywhere in the world, please visit one of the best travel websites out there:  The Man in Seat Sixty-One.  It doesn't look all high-tech, but what he has compiled is so comprehensive and unbelievably helpful, I owe him a debt of gratitude.

There are two main bus services, Lux Express and Ecolines.  We paid 18 euros each, although they advertise tickets as cheap as 5 euros which I believe involves some serious advance booking and off peak (i.e. middle of the night) timing.  We went with Lux Express and while you can book online, I bought our tickets in person at the main bus terminal (Autobussjaam) about a mile east of the Old Town.  The seats were relaxing with individual entertainment screens and a movie selection far better than any airline I've flown lately!  

Like Tallinn, I knew very little about Riga before I read up on it during the four hour journey.  I discovered that it's the largest city in the Baltics, and known for its architecture and museums, making it a great city for tourists.  While it shares a similar history to Estonia and Lithuania, Latvia still holds strong ties with Russia, while Estonia asserts its Nordic heritage, and Lithuania leans towards its continental European roots.  I heard a lot of Russian being spoken on the streets of Riga, but without the angry St. Petersburg vibe.

With great history, culture and food, Riga is the perfect long weekend destination.  Unlike other places, where I've been looking to get under the surface, I decided to change it up and approach Riga with a carefree 'long weekend' mentality.

Day One

After checking into our lovely AirBnB apartment, we were starving and headed for a restaurant that I had heard was an atmospheric cellar (Perry's favorite!) serving hearty portions of Latvian food and beer at ridiculously low prices.  Upon arriving at Folkklubs ala Pagrabs, we descended into the cool and candlelit cavern of a restaurant.

It was 5 pm so no reservation was necessary, however, if you want to have dinner and stay for the music entertainment, pre-booking is recommended.  The cheap and hearty reputation lived up to its billing.  The food and drinks were delicious (beer for 1.40 euro) and our total bill with drinks, starter and two mains amounted to only 14 euro.  

Photo Credit:  TripAdvisor

Afterwards, we walked our full bellies around the Old Town where I was impressed by its liveliness with music playing everywhere.  Riga's Old Town is noticeably more substantial than Tallinn's, and has a bit more commercial appeal.  

We came across the famous 'Cat House'.  Legend has it the owner of the cat house (pictured above) was angry at being rejected membership at the Guild across the street and asked that the two cat sculptures have raised tails turned towards the Guild house as an insulting gesture, but the city insisted they be turned the other way.  We continued to meander, admiring the narrow alleys and pretty streets.

Later, we happened upon a free multimedia exhibit at Art Museum Riga Bourse called Gondola:  Doors to Venice.  Set to Vivaldi's Nisi Dominis (made famous in Guy Ritchie's film Revolver) the performance was held in the courtyard of the art museum under its famous installation called Gondola, a three dimensional air borne 'explosion' of a real gondola.  A local favorite, citizens of Riga frequently make plans to meet friends under the gondola.  

Afterwards, we walked around a bit more, but being a Saturday night, there were many stag and hen-do's crowding the streets.  So we climbed the 97 steps to our apartment and collapsed for the night.

Day Two

Raise your pinky if you want chocolate for breakfast

In the morning, we had a nutritious breakfast of coffee and truffles at the chocolate shop next door, Vilhelms Kuze.  Such indulgence was the perfect start for our walk down Alberta Iela, the most famous of Riga's jaw dropping Art Nouveau streets.  I'm sure the residents are sick of tourists walking by their homes, but hey, if you are going to live on a street that is pure eye candy, be prepared to share it with the rest of us!

Photo credit, Perry Argiropoulos (perryja.com)

We continued towards the Latvian National Museum of Art, which just re-opened after a three year renovation.  Entirely impressive, the space successfully integrates an intricately decorated Art Nouveau main area with modern, spare upper and lower levels.  Many of the floors have see-through spaces which gives it a strangely comforting communal feeling.  

Our high brow tanks filled, we decided to lunch at the common man's gathering spot, Lido.  A local favorite, you slide your tray along the counter as you choose from a variety of Latvian specialties, before checking out with an efficient cashier that reminds you of grandma and makes you feel guilty for not having vegetables on your plate.  It's a cafeteria, Latvian style.

Stuffed once again, we decided to take a very long walk.  First, we strolled through Vermanes Darz, a beautiful park filled with music and picnicking Rigans who were out enjoying the fine sunny day.  We crossed the Daugava River to get a closer look at the National Library, an impressive building that commands the landscape of the riverfront across from the Old Town.

We decided to walk along the river to the next bridge, the Vansu, a cable structure built during the Soviet era.  It turned out to be a very long walk as our phones clocked in at 15 miles total that day!  It made me feel less guilty as we strolled casually by the cross-fitters working out under the bridge.

Daugava River and Old Town 

Crossfit enthusiasts heart Riga

On the way back, we walked by the monument dedicated to the Latvian Red Riflemen, who served as Lenin's personal bodyguards.  It's a controversial statue that many want torn down, but it's certainly impressive to see.

The Red Rifleman and the Church of the Chicken, er St. Peter's Church

Day Three

Central Market photo by Perry Argiropoulos (perryja.com)

Despite it being a Monday morning and likely to be slow, we purposefully hit up Central Market to avoid the crowds and leisurely look around.  A Riga landmark, the market consists of five former German Zeppelin hangars and is a popular tourist attraction.  We had a quick breakfast of baked goods and then bought fresh fruit for a mini picnic in the park. 

Perry is a hot chocolate aficionado and we had consumed it in every city thus far on the trip, so after the park we headed to Black Magic Cafe where their specialty is hot chocolate served with Black Balsam, the famous Latvian herbal liquor.  

Unfortunately, long term travel means there are days one must take care of personal business and on this day, we were both in desperate need of hair cuts, so that is how we spent the afternoon.  We capped off our day with one more stroll around the Old Town Square and a stop at the Galleria, as we find malls to be a great place to get a feel for local tastes.

For your third day, you might visit a church (St. Peter's has tower you can climb), visit the House of Blackheads, another architectural wonder or take in a performance at the Opera House or National Theater, both rated as exceptional.

We flew out of Riga International Airport (a 15 minute, 10 euro cab ride from Old Town) early the next morning (via Berlin to Salzburg) on the efficient low cost airline Air Baltic.   We left Riga with good memories but wanting more and eager to return.  We find it best to leave a few activities for another visit, which is our way of saying 'see you next time' instead of goodbye.

Philosophical Musings & Progressive Estonia

So, I'm on this trip.  Oh, you know?  Anyway, one of the biggest reasons for embarking on this adventure is to gain some form of wisdom through new experiences and introspection.  So far,  I'm getting the latter two in spades- each new place brings a goulash bowl full of happenings and if you have read any of my previous stories, you know introspection is my constant companion (also known affectionately as 'all up in my head').

But wisdom has been a bit more elusive.  Knowledge?  Sure.  I've compiled the following pearls for your future European travels.

• Weigh your produce and print out the little sticker thing-y.  They don't look it up at check out.
• Ask for the price of street food before you take out your money.
• Knock on a closed bathroom door in the event a French tourist inside has failed to lock it.  Sacre bleu!
• Always have a printed ticket on the train from Slovakia to Hungary or risk being thrown off in the middle of nowhere.
• Be sure and smell 'chocolate milk' before consuming in case it's actually drinkable chocolate yogurt.  (Perry's top tip)

You're welcome.

I've discovered it's difficult to identify wisdom on the spot as lessons are typically learned after the fact.  Plus, I have no time to get all existential when I need to focus my mental energy processing what I'm seeing and just generally navigating daily life in a foreign city.   But in between mundane tasks like food shopping and buying train tickets, the quest for wisdom remains in the back of my head, pressing me with well intentioned, but often conflicting advice.  FIND MEANING.  BE IN THE MOMENT.  DON'T TAKE YOURSELF SO SERIOUSLY.  SLOW DOWN.  HAVE FUN. 

I'm not ruthlessly hard on myself.  I know that it's just a trip and the future of humanity does not rest on what I 'get' out of this.  Some days might bestow meaningful enlightenment and others superficial entertainment.  That's ok.  It's the balance that is a bit trickier.  I didn't join a monastery (this ain't no Eat Pray Love baby) so I don't need to be in a perpetual state of philosophical contemplation, but it isn't one big vacation either, so an endless diet of tourist attractions and good times seems a bit shallow.  Aha, but what defines a good time?  That's a future blog post.

Anyway, poor Estonia is where I was decided to dig a little deeper into my experiences, which is a lot of pressure for a small country still shaking off nearly 50 years of Soviet rule.  However, I was determined that it wasn't going to be just a country I collected, like a souvenir spoon.  In Estonia, I was going to get beyond surface impressions and tourist attractions. 

Most tourists spend a day in Tallinn, which is a shame as it justifies at minimum, a long weekend.  We stayed a week which allowed me a few days to just hang out like a regular person. Hoo, there's some wisdom right there!

As I started this write up, my notes looked a bit like this.

• Enormous section in the supermarket devoted to prepackaged snack cheesecakes/curd snacks (already mentioned this in previous blog)
• Burgeoning foodie scene (already mentioned this in previous blog)
• Attended an Estonian premier league football match with 200 people in a 10,000 seat stadium (apparently basketball is their thing, who knew?)
• Visited our first cat cafe

GAH!  Uncovering deep and meaningful was going to be harder than I thought.  Let's start with why we went there in the first place.

I knew very little about Estonia before we visited Tallinn, its capital and largest city.  While we were in St. Louis, It caught Perry's eye as it ranked highly on such progressive lists such as The Freedom Index and Human Development Index.  He was the one to suggest it might be a cool place to check out and something off the beaten path.  So, as I do, I read up on it.  Estonia has long struggled to establish its identity, with Denmark, Sweden and Germany all having a period of rule and influence before being occupied by the Russians over 300 years, finally gaining independence in 1991.

There are hints of a communist hangover in the form of Soviet era buildings that need rehabbing and an economy that, while growing quickly, still lags behind their wealthier Nordic neighbors, with many young Estonians putting in long hours to make ends meet.  However, this enterprising country has shed its Russian shadow by building a modern, forward-thinking society with focus on technology, education and personal freedom.  Highly tech savvy, Skype is one of several e-companies founded in Estonia (often dubbed the Silicon Valley of Europe), where most of the development team and half of the employees are still based today.  In addition to teaching programming to first graders, the country strives for ubiquitous internet access, providing free WiFi in many public spaces.  Furthermore, education is free and public transportation (at least in Tallinn) is complimentary for city residents.  

They are also musical people with the Estonian Song Festival, one of the largest choral events in the world with 100,000 participants, held every five years and native Arvo Part is one of the most performed living composers in the world.  Here is a sample of the music from the Festival.

Tallinn Song Grounds, home to the Estonian Song Festival and 100,000 singers

Just me and Gustav Ernesaks (Singing Revolution influencer), hangin'

So, what did we actually do during our time in Tallinn?  Here are the key areas.

Old Town

We spent most of our time here.  One of the best preserved and intact medieval cities in Europe, this substantial area is full of historical sites, museums, shops and restaurants.  You can easily spend a couple of days meandering around on foot.  A gourmet food culture is emerging with many great, yet inexpensive restaurants on offer, including can't-miss Rataskaevu 16.  If you don't get in, never fear, Pegasus is just up the road and owned by the same management team.

Old Town Square

Old Town walls and souvenir shops

City Hall

Orthodox Church

Museums at Kadriorg Park

Just up the road about 2 miles from Old Town is this significantly large and well-kept park filled with museums and relaxing green spaces.  KUMU is an outstanding art museum, while Kadriorg Palace-- admittedly small and underwhelming compared to other European palaces-- is a pleasant diversion.  

J Poska is a street leading up to the park that contains many historic wooden houses, if you are into that kind of thing.  Don't forget to check out the seafront and Estonia Song Festival grounds.  We didn't get to the TV tower, also nearby, but heard several reviews that the price wasn't worth the experience.  I recommend climbing the tower called 'Kiek in de Kok' (try not to laugh when you say it out loud) for outstanding views at a fraction of the cost.  

KUMU museum

KUMU museum

Interesting art in Kadriorg Park

Kadriorg Palace, built by Peter the Great

Telliskivi

Telliskivi is a former dilapidated Soviet era warehouse district that has been converted into a hip and vibrant area of restaurants, cafes and galleries.  Go for a wander and then stop for lunch at F Hoone.  Your tastebuds (and pocketbook) will thank me later.

Lunch heaven at F Hoone

Downtown

There is plenty of shopping to be had in Tallinn and part of its economic development plan is to transform the downtown in a shopping mecca.  With three malls, including a brand new high-end Stockmann, they are on their way.  While we did a bit of nosing around, these crazy cat people found that we could not resist spending gobs of time at Nurri Cat Cafe.  Yes.  We.  Did.

I can't say I got beyond tourist attractions, but the decision to stay a week helped me truly appreciate and enjoy my time in Estonia.  I also can't say if I'm any wiser, but we are definitely planning to return.   Wisdom tells me that any place with great food and kitties is worth my time.

Thanks for reading!  Next time on Gobsmacked:

Lively Latvia (pardon my terribly tacky alliterations)