When European cafés became the preferred hangouts of their city’s intellectuals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they turned into cultural institutions with ornate, palatial interiors. Many if not most of them remain open today, although the main visitors are now tourists guided by their guidebooks. Those cafés are now essentially museums where coffee and pastries are served at high prices, while others have been turned into full-blown restaurants, and a few still attempt to keep their cultural heritage alive by hosting literary and other cultural events.

We’re always looking for what’s new and extraordinary, but also love to spend some time in what the past has done best. Do you travel in search of the perfect cup of coffee? So after countless coffees, pastries, calories, and overpriced drinks, we bring you the list of the ten retro cafés in the world:

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