Caffe Excellence — Restaurant in Budva

What in the magic-coffee-making is going on at Caffe Excellence?? What ever it is, I want more— you will too!

A few mornings ago while on the hunt for a seamtress in the Zanatski Centar, we stumbled upon Caffe Excellence and an inimitable “cuppa”. First, server Katarina pointed us in the right direction for the seamstress, which we found and quickly learned that it don’t open until 9AM— meaning the wait would be over an hour. So we u-turned back to Caffe Excellence, seated ourselves and were startled in the best way by an aura of pure community and perfect coffee (may I say “beyond perfect” coffee??).

First let me say that Katarina serves not only extraordinary coffee and breakfast, but also the best vibes. She is personable, makes the unbeatable recommendations and even delivers Caffe Excellence wonders to all the locally owned shops throughout the maze of corridors within the walled plaza. She is knowledgeable and humble and… iconic.

As for me, I am not normally a coffee drinker because I do not normally enjoy the taste of it. In Montenegro, coffee drinking is in a coffee is a pastime, a lifestyle— a practical sport— so I gave the “coffee-est” coffee a try: the mighty Turkish coffee sans anything else.

Katarina and Caffe Excellence delivered! This was not my first rodeo with Turkish coffee; my first ride happened during my third week in Montenegro (yes I’ve been here a stretch). That surprisingly enjoyable experience pales in comparison to Caffe Excellence’s velvety smooth, powerful yet delicately nuanced cup. It had no sugar, no cream— it stood alone. Did I mention velvety smooth??? It was otherworldly.

In her native Montenegrin language, Katarina recommended a totally different experience for my daughter’s sweet tooth. Other than zdravo (hello), dobro jutro (good morning), kako si (how are you) and a few other Montenegrin basics, neither my daughter nor I understood Katarina’s suggestions, but at first glance and first taste, my daughter coined her coffee “Something Beautiful” (which could be some semblance of what Katarina said). Whatever its true name, the serving was something like “coffee’d-up ice cream”— and something definitely delicious.

Coffee is still not a daily happening for me, but I can now say that a cup doesn’t have to be sweetened to insanity in order for me to kind of sort of enjoy it; thanks to Katarina and Caffe Excellence I now know that true fire is straight up genuine Turkish coffee sans sugar or cream (because we all know Turkish coffee is no longer Turkish if anything is added to it… lol).

But let’s not get stuck on elevated coffee experiences— Caffe Excellence also offers mouthwatering “brunchy” breakfast selections and “can’t get enough” options for the rest of your day.

Oh— by the way, the prices are as mesmerizing as the fare and the service. Check out the receipt...

Great for a tasty break

I discovered this café and was really pleased. If you're looking for a place for a quick but quality lunch or breakfast break, this is the right place. I tried the cappuccino and I have to say it was exceptional: the foam was thick and creamy just right, and the coffee had an intense and aromatic flavor. The real highlight, however, is the sandwich: the quality of the ingredients was all there: the bread was fresh and fragrant and the combinations were perfect. The staff is kind and the service is fast. The environment is clean and welcoming, perfect for both a quick stop and a moment of relax. I definitely...

Upon entrance we first initially sat in the terrace section of the cafe because of how nice it looked, however a few people were smoking around us so we decided to move inside which is also a very lovely and has a cozy vibe.

We were nicely greeted by one of the staff and ordered two ice coffee which came quite quickly and was the best tasting ice coffee I had on my trip.

We also ordered the sandwich which on presentation looked really tasty and it was! Both my wife and I were extremely satisfied.

Overall really good pricing nice staff and tasty food!

Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Cozy...