The Unwritten Rules of Croatian Coffee Culture
If there’s one thing all Croatians agree on — whether born in Split, Zagreb, or Sydney — it’s that coffee isn’t just a drink. It’s a lifestyle.
But make no mistake: while both Croatians in Croatia and Australian Croatians worship coffee, how they drink it, where they drink it, and how long they drink it can look pretty different.
Let’s spill the beans (and maybe a little sugar).
Coffee in Croatia: An Art Form
In Croatia, drinking coffee is practically an Olympic sport — minus the sweat (unless it’s July in Split).
Here, coffee means:
- Meeting at a café (preferably outdoors)
- Ordering a ‘bijela kava’ (white coffee) or macchiato
- Sitting for hours, nursing one small cup like it’s the elixir of life
- Discussing everything from the neighbour’s loud dog to the meaning of life
- Not touching your phone unless you’re showing your friend a funny meme
Croatian cafés aren’t about the caffeine hit. They are about connection, presence, and being seen living your best relaxed life.
Time spent on one coffee: Minimum 1.5 hours.
Number of coffees drunk: One. (Maybe two if the gossip gets juicy.)
Coffee for Australian Croatians: Fast but Festive
Australian Croatians LOVE their coffee too — but life Down Under moves a little faster. Plus, Aussie culture is more “grab a flat white and go” than “sit in one place until your chair grows roots.”
So what happens?
Australian Croatians have created their own hybrid coffee culture:
- They’ll proudly meet for a coffee — and they’ll order proper espresso or macchiato, none of that watery stuff.
- The session usually happens in trendy cafés (Sydney alone probably has more cafés than there are sheep).
It’s social, but often quicker — maybe one hour tops, unless it’s Sunday or a special event (like someone bringing homemade kroštule or even better, krofne (donuts without a hole inside!!).
Some prefer hosting at home — backyard coffee with nonna’s biscuits or baba’s kiflice is just as important as café coffee.
And yes, a lot of talk about when the next trip to Croatia is happening.
Time spent on one coffee: About 45 minutes (unless someone starts talking about Hajduk Split or Dinamo Zagreb, then add 2 more hours, not to mention politics…).
Number of coffees drunk: One to two, but takeaway cups are allowed without being judged.
Final Sip: Two Worlds, Same Love
Whether it’s sitting on a stone street in Dubrovnik with a macchiato, or sipping an espresso under the gum trees in Melbourne, one thing is clear:
For Croatians, coffee isn’t about caffeine. It’s about community.
Australian Croatians may live in a faster world, but their love for coffee — and for talking, laughing, and connecting over it — remains deeply Croatian at heart.
Different accents. Different cafés. Same soul.