Kiwi coffee named among world's best

Nick Clark (right), NZ's barista champion, makes a brew with Jesse Hutt and Richard Corney. Photo / Paul Taylor

Global broadcasting giant CNN has announced something Wellingtonians have known for a while now - the city makes great coffee.

The media company has released a list it considers to be the top eight coffee cities worldwide.

London also makes the list, but CNN noted New Zealanders and Australians were responsible for opening the city's first espresso-focused coffee shops, such as Flat White and Kaffeine.

New Zealand's barista champion Nick Clark, of Flight Coffee in the capital, told CNN people were becoming more interested in where the beans came from and how they were harvested and roasted.

"There are so many variables involved in producing a great cup of coffee these days, and the industry has had to evolve to meet growing consumer expectations," he said.

Top cities according to CNN:*

Wellington, New Zealand
Local order: Flat white. It's a religion.
Top shops: It's tough to find a bad coffee in New Zealand.

London, United Kingdom
Local order: Flat white or cappuccino.
Top shops: Allpress, Climpson & Sons and Caravan are standouts.

Melbourne, Australia
Local order: Piccolo latte.
Top shops: Axil Coffeehouse Roasters in Hawthorn, Auction Rooms and Dead Man Espresso.

Reykjavik, Iceland
Local order: Latte or cappuccino.
Top shops: Stofan and Kaffismidja.

Rome, Italy
Local order: Espresso.
Top shops: Rosati, Sant' Eustachi, Giolitti.

Singapore
Local order: Latte, mocha or cappuccino.
Top shops: Strangers' Reunion, Dutch Colony, Bukit Timah and Chye Seng Huat Hardware.

Seattle, United States
Local order: Espresso, cappuccino or a single-origin pour.
Top shops: Victrola Coffee Roasters, Empire Espresso and Seattle Coffee Works.

Vienna, Austria
Local order: Espresso or cappuccino.
Top shops: Caffe Couture, Essenti, Coffee Pirates and Demel.