Cafe Culture: Trendy or Traditional?

 Café Culture: Trendy or Traditional?

By: Lois Sutton

Around the world, cafe’s offer more than just coffee, they reflect culture and provide a common ground for people to connect, converse and belong. People interact with Cafe culture in a vast array of ways. In recent years, the ‘Cafe’ has been capitalised upon in the social media influencer world. As not the taste of coffee, but more so its aesthetic is on the rise on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Particularly in the last six months, coffee’s self-proclaimed ‘sister’ drink; Matcha, has become a hot topic in the online world, from a zen ritual originating in Japan to a sip of virality, the internet virtually stood still for a taste. Promoted as a gentler caffeine alternative, rich in antioxidants and L-theanine, known to promote calm focus. Influencers and wellness enthusiasts alike have embraced matcha as a healthier, more holistic start to the day. On TikTok and YouTube, tutorials on the “perfect iced matcha latte” rack up millions of views, featuring everything from homemade matcha syrup to ceremonial-grade powders sourced directly from Kyoto. The drink has also evolved beyond the cup: matcha now appears in cakes, cookies, ice cream, and skincare, becoming a kind of green gold in the lifestyle world. Whether used in a traditional bamboo whisking ritual or stirred with a milk frother into an aesthetic mason jar latte, matcha sits at the intersection of wellness, culture, and digital influence. However, this isn’t just about matcha.

The larger trend is clear: people are bringing café experiences home. Viral drinks such as the whipped dalgona coffee craze during lockdown and more recently, lavender honey cold brews and iced pistachio lattes sold at usually just the large coffee shop conglomerates are now no longer confined to a chalkboard menu. Instead, they’re filmed, filtered, and shared with step-by-step tutorials.

  

In an age of burnout, ‘hustle culture’, and digital overload, people are craving slowness. Cafés represent an antidote. They offer a pause; a place to unplug, sip slowly, and be still. The idea of spending a quiet hour with a book, a friend, or just your own thoughts over a latte has become aspirational. Café culture, with its ritualistic rhythm and social ease, fits perfectly into this new desire for intentional living.  

While the café may seem like a universal concept, its meanings and rhythms shift dramatically depending on where you are in the world.  

In Paris, the café terrace is sacred. Here, the art of ‘flâner’- to stroll, to watch, to absorb, is still entrenched in the cafe. Locals sit for hours over a single espresso, watching the world pass by. Time bends in these spaces; productivity gives way to presence. Whether you're sketching, reading Le Monde, or simply watching passersby, the Parisian café invites stillness and spectacle in equal measure. 

Thousands of miles away in a city such as Shanghai, I wondered if cafes could potentially have competition with bubble tea shops and matcha cafes. 

When speaking to a friend who lives in Shanghai, she told me ‘Bubble tea shops are normally chained in Shanghai. They are well known names and people normally order take out so most of them don’t have seats. But I would say they definitely aren’t taking over coffee shops because that’s the place people go and enjoy to sit and have down time. There are countless independent cute cafes in Shanghai as I think people’s pursuit of a higher quality of life is escalated. I believe the matcha ‘cult’ started much earlier in Shanghai than in the UK as, I guess, because of the geographical reason. Matcha stores normally do all different varieties of matcha products such as drinks, cakes, ice creams and cookies and so on. But most big cafe and bubble tea shops will have nice and interesting matcha product incorporating their own brand identities’. 

Spain offers yet another twist. Here, cafés are integral to daily life, closely tied to the traditional rhythm of the ‘siesta’. As midday heat slows the city down, people retreat into the cool shade of cafés for a cortado or a café con leche, paired with conversation and a short break from the demands of the day. These aren’t quick coffee stops, they’re rituals of rest, reflection, and reconnection, deeply ingrained in the Spanish lifestyle and culture. 

In Italy, cafés or ‘bar’, as locals call them, hold a slightly different rhythm. Morning espressos are enjoyed standing at the counter, often consumed in a single sip. It’s fast, but never rushed. A barista knows your order, your name, and maybe your children’s too. Despite the brevity, the Italian coffee ritual is deeply personal, it is a flash of connection that has the ability to punctuate the day. 

 

Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest have elevated cafés into content goldmines. Latte art, minimalist interiors, and sunlit tables have become symbols for a curated, thoughtful lifestyle. What you’re drinking, and where is now a form of expression. This visibility has globalised café culture, turning local gems into viral destinations and your daily coffee into a visual element of how ‘put together’ you are. 

The Covid-19 pandemic was a major turning point. When lockdowns closed traditional social spaces, people turned to cafés for a safe sense of community once they reopened, or they recreated the experience at home. Suddenly, a local café became more than a coffee stop; it was a piece of normalcy, connection, and comfort. The act of making a good cup of coffee at home also became a form of creative therapy.  

As remote and hybrid work models became more common, cafés transformed into alternative workspaces. They offered people a balance between structure and freedom; a place with caffeine, Wi-Fi, and just enough ambient noise to feel alive without being overwhelming. This shift has made cafés a practical part of modern working life and not just a luxury. 

 

Brands have taken note of this shift in perception. Specialty matcha brands such as ‘Perfect Ted’, flavoured syrups, glassware companies, and even milk alternatives are partnering with influencers to get their products into the morning routines of as many people as possible. The aesthetics matter just as much as the taste, and authenticity, whether it's a behind-the-scenes “matcha fail” video or a genuine reaction to a new recipe, it all drives engagement. Influencers such as Sophia and Cinzia are prime examples of people with platforms on social media whose content is at the heart of the romanticisation of recreating famous drinks from home. Paired with trinkets such as glass straws and heart shaped ice cubes, they are de-influencing their audience from the constant consumerist cycle of buying viral drinks outside of their homes.

As café culture has grown more conscious and curated, sustainability has become an increasingly important part of the experience. Today’s coffee drinker isn’t just interested in flavour, they want to know where their beans come from, how they were roasted, and whether or not their daily flat white is leaving a lighter carbon footprint on the planet. Specialty cafés are leading the charge by prioritising fair-trade partnerships, organic farming practices, and traceable supply chains. The rise of milk alternatives such as oat, soy, and almond isn’t just a health trend, but also an environmental choice, with oat milk in particular becoming the default option in many urban cafés. Reusable cups, biodegradable packaging, and in some places, composting programs are all part of a shift towards more sustainable consumption. Even the influencer-driven “home café” content often includes glass straws, refillable jars of syrups, or thrifted mugs, suggesting that the future of café culture is not only beautiful, but also mindful. In a world where café culture once meant going out, the rise of drink-making at home suggests a more hybrid future, where the charm of the café merges with the comfort of the kitchen, and where inspiration is only a scroll away. 

In essence… café culture has gone mainstream because it aligns with how people want to live today, more slowly, more mindfully, and with a sense of both individuality and connection. It’s where ritual meets style, where comfort meets culture. And it shows no sign of slowing down. 

Photos provided via @cristinaviseu and @lia.volk on IG, and @ryannordheimer on TikTok.