Roll of honour
Champions
Every Romanian national champion, season by season and competition by competition, from 2010 to today — and what came next on the world stage.
More than one title
Counted from the national titles in the table below. Everyone here has won at least twice.
- 9Marius Nica
- 8Alexandru Niculae
- 8Paul Ungureanu
- 5Cristi Oltean
- 5Ecaterina „Katy” Szasz
- 4Sebastian Ioan Fărcaș
- 2Cezara Carteș
- 2Cristalenia Șofan
- 2Cristian Coman
- 2Dragoș Magdici
- 2Filip Valentin
- 2Floriana Vlaicu
- 2Gabriel Carol
- 2Laurențiu Ștefan
- 2Lavinia Toma
- 2Răzvan Oniga
- 2Ștefan Manole
Season by season
The years are competition seasons — the year of the world championship the title leads to, not of the final. Since autumn 2024 the season opens in Iași in November and closes in Bucharest in spring.
2027
The season opens in Iași, 20–22 November 2026: Latte Art, Coffee in Good Spirits and Cup Tasters, with registration open until 10 November. The season's barista world championship is already announced: Tokyo, April 2027.
2026
Iași and Bucharest · Iași Coffee Festival · Bucharest Coffee Festival
The season opened in Iași, 14–16 November 2025 (Latte Art, Cup Tasters, Cezve/Ibrik, Roasting), and closed in Bucharest, 24–26 April 2026 (Barista, Brewers Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits). The barista champion goes to the world championship in Panama, 22–25 October 2026 — the organisers have not yet published their name, so that line stays empty for now.
Brewers Cup
Mihnea Nicolescu
34th place, World Brewers Cup 2026, Brussels
Latte Art
Daniela PopMeron
Iași Coffee Festival, November 2025
Represented Romania at the World Latte Art Championship 2026
Coffee in Good Spirits
Luca DumitrescuSloane Specialty Coffee
Represented Romania at the World Coffee in Good Spirits 2026, Brussels
Cup Tasters
David PahomiMeron Roastery
Iași Coffee Festival, November 2025
Represented Romania at the World Cup Tasters Championship 2026
3rd placeMarilena Georgescu — Olivo Coffee Culture
Cezve / Ibrik
Filip ValentinBOB Coffee Lab
Iași Coffee Festival, November 2025
4th place, Cezve/Ibrik Championship 2026, Dubai
Roasting
Marius NicaOlivo Coffee Culture
Iași Coffee Festival, November 2025
7th place, World Coffee Roasting Championship 2026, Brussels
3rd placeLiviu Fertea — Olivo Coffee Culture
2025
Iași and Bucharest · Iași Coffee Festival · Bucharest Coffee Festival
The first season in two acts: it opened at the first Iași Coffee Festival, 22–24 November 2024, at the Palace of Culture (Brewers Cup, Cup Tasters, Roasting), and closed in Bucharest, 21–23 March 2025, at Hala Laminor. Romania was once again present in all seven world competitions.
Barista
Cristi OlteanMeron Roastery
30th place, World Barista Championship 2025, Milan
Brewers Cup
Teodora PitișSloane Coffee
Iași Coffee Festival, November 2024
Represented Romania at the World Brewers Cup 2025
Latte Art
Dragoș Magdici
16th place, World Latte Art Championship 2025, Geneva
Coffee in Good Spirits
Ștefan Manole
20th place, World Coffee in Good Spirits 2025, Geneva
Cup Tasters
Marilena GeorgescuOlivo Coffee Culture
Iași Coffee Festival, November 2024
Represented Romania at the World Cup Tasters Championship 2025
3rd placeMarius Bilegan — Olivo Coffee Culture
Cezve / Ibrik
Paul UngureanuBOB Coffee Lab
WORLD RUNNER-UP at the Cezve/Ibrik Championship 2025, Geneva — his second runner-up title in the same competition
Roasting
Dorin Costea
Iași Coffee Festival, November 2024
9th place, World Coffee Roasting Championship 2025
2024
Bucharest — NORD Events Center · Bucharest Coffee Festival
The last season held entirely in Bucharest, 10–12 May 2024. From that autumn, the calendar split in two.
Barista
Cristi OlteanMeron
26th place, World Barista Championship 2024, Busan
Brewers Cup
Alexandru NiculaeBOB Coffee Lab
1st in Round 1 at the World Brewers Cup 2024 — the best Romanian result in a qualifying round; 8th in the semi-finals
Latte Art
Dragoș Magdici
14th place, World Latte Art Championship 2024, Copenhagen
Coffee in Good Spirits
TraianSloane Coffee Roastery
10th place, World Coffee in Good Spirits 2024
2nd placeMarilena Georgescu — Olivo Coffee Culture
Cup Tasters
Marius NicaOlivo Coffee Culture
Represented Romania at the World Cup Tasters Championship 2024
Roasting
Andreea DudaOlivo Coffee Culture
11th place, World Coffee Roasting Championship 2024
2023
Bucharest — Nord Events Center · Bucharest Coffee Festival
The first year Romania was present in all seven world competitions — verified in the official rankings of each.
Barista
Ecaterina „Katy” SzaszIndependent
35th place, World Barista Championship 2023, Athens
Brewers Cup
Alexandru NiculaeBOB Coffee Lab
Semi-finalist, 24th place, World Brewers Cup 2023, Athens
Latte Art
Cristi OlteanMeron
31st place, World Latte Art Championship 2023
Coffee in Good Spirits
Ștefan ManoleSloane Coffee Roastery
9th in the preliminary round, World Coffee in Good Spirits 2023
Cup Tasters
Cristi OlteanMeron
28th place, World Cup Tasters Championship 2023
3rd placeMarius Bilegan — Olivo Coffee Culture
Cezve / Ibrik
Cezara Carteș
WORLD RUNNER-UP at the Cezve/Ibrik Championship 2023, Athens
Roasting
Răzvan OnigaOlivo Coffee Culture
5th place, World Coffee Roasting Championship 2023
2022
Bucharest — Hanul Gabroveni · Bucharest Coffee Festival
The post-pandemic restart, 27–29 May 2022. Roasting was held separately, at First Coffee Bucharest.
Barista
Ecaterina „Katy” SzaszIndependent
Represented Romania at the World Barista Championship 2022, Melbourne
Brewers Cup
Alexandru NiculaeBOB Coffee Lab
Represented Romania at the World Brewers Cup 2022, Melbourne
Latte Art
Cristi OlteanMeron
16th place, World Latte Art Championship 2022, Milan
Coffee in Good Spirits
Cezar RaduBOB Coffee Lab
22nd place, World Coffee in Good Spirits 2022, Milan
Cup Tasters
Damian NarițaMeron
2nd placeBogdan Ibănescu — Narcoffee / Olivo Coffee Culture
Source: Industry press
Cezve / Ibrik
Paul UngureanuBOB Coffee Lab
WORLD RUNNER-UP at the Cezve/Ibrik Championship 2022, Milan
Roasting
Răzvan OnigaOlivo Coffee Roasters
14th place, World Coffee Roasting Championship 2022
2021
No national championship was held. Romania had no representative at the Milan world finals of October 2021 — the first in two years. The competitions resumed only in May 2022.
2020
The year the pandemic stopped the competitions. We have not found where the finals were held, and the two titles below each rest on a single source.
Brewers Cup
Alexandru NiculaeBOB Coffee Lab
Source: Industry press
Cezve / Ibrik
Paul UngureanuBOB Coffee Lab / Viva Cafe
Source: Industry press
2019
Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca · Bucharest Coffee Festival · Cluj Coffee Festival
Barista
Delia AvramMeron
41st place, World Barista Championship 2019, Boston
2nd placeDelia Avram — Meron Coffee
Brewers Cup
Alexandru NiculaeBOB Coffee Lab
29th place, World Brewers Cup 2019, Boston
2nd placeAndra Mălăescu — Meron Coffee
Latte Art
Arnold UngureanuBarista School România
29th place, World Latte Art Championship 2019, Berlin
Coffee in Good Spirits
Paul UngureanuBOB Coffee Lab
16th place, World Coffee in Good Spirits 2019, Berlin
Cup Tasters
Radu Nicolau
Represented Romania at the World Cup Tasters Championship 2019
Cezve / Ibrik
Filip ValentinBOB Coffee Lab
Represented Romania at the Cezve/Ibrik Championship 2019
Roasting
Bogdan GeorgescuSloane Coffee Roastery
WORLD RUNNER-UP at the World Coffee Roasting Championship 2019, Taipei
2nd placeRăzvan Oniga — Olivo Coffee Roasters
2018
Bucharest — Hanul Gabroveni · Bucharest Coffee Festival
Barista
Adrian-Gabriel AvasilcăiOrigo
22nd place, World Barista Championship 2018, Amsterdam
2nd placeDelia Avram
3rd placeCosmin Moisii
Brewers Cup
Gabriel CarolPacamara Coffee Roasters
9th place, World Brewers Cup 2018
2nd placeBianca Ganea
3rd placeMarius Klimowicz
Latte Art
Sebastian Ioan Fărcaș
14th place, World Latte Art Championship 2018 — the best Romanian latte art result
Coffee in Good Spirits
István Pongrácz
17th place, World Coffee in Good Spirits 2018
2nd placePaul Ungureanu
Cup Tasters
Zâna DragneaStrauss Group
28th place, World Cup Tasters Championship 2018
2nd placeBogdan Ibănescu
3rd placePetre Mareș
Cezve / Ibrik
Cristalenia ȘofanOrygyns
7th place, Cezve/Ibrik Championship 2018, Dubai
Roasting
Andrei Oprișan
21st place, World Coffee Roasting Championship 2018
2nd placeMarius Nica
3rd placeDorin Costea
2017
Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca · Bucharest Coffee Festival · Cluj Coffee Festival
A split year: some competitions in Bucharest in June, Barista and Roasting in Cluj in September.
Barista
Lavinia TomaOrigo
12th in Round 1 and 14th in the world at the WBC 2017, Budapest — the best Romanian result ever at the World Barista Championship
Brewers Cup
Gabriel CarolBOB Coffee Lab
17th place, World Brewers Cup 2017
Latte Art
Sebastian Ioan FărcașBarista School
32nd place, World Latte Art Championship 2017
Coffee in Good Spirits
Alexandru IonițăOrigo Coffee
14th place, World Coffee in Good Spirits 2017
Cup Tasters
Marius NicaNarcoffee Cluj
19th place, World Cup Tasters Championship 2017
Cezve / Ibrik
Roasting
Ecaterina „Katy” Szasz
20th place, World Coffee Roasting Championship 2017
2nd placeErnest Valentin
3rd placeMarius Nica
2016
Bucharest · Bucharest Coffee Festival
Bucharest Coffee Festival, 5–8 May 2016. The regional stages planned for that year were cancelled.
Barista
Anca ArhipOrigo Coffee Shop
49th place, World Barista Championship 2016, Dublin
2nd placeClaudiu Stavrica
3rd placeRoxana Runcan
Brewers Cup
Bianca GaneaOrigo
14th place, World Brewers Cup 2016
2nd placeLivia Ignat
3rd placeCosmin Mihailov
Latte Art
Sebastian Ioan FărcașBarista School România
25th place, World Latte Art Championship 2016
Coffee in Good Spirits
Paul Ungureanu
10th place, World Coffee in Good Spirits 2016
Cup Tasters
Marius Nica
10th in the quarter-finals, World Cup Tasters Championship 2016
Cezve / Ibrik
Ecaterina „Katy” Szasz
4th place, Cezve/Ibrik Championship 2016, Dubai
Source: Coffee Break magazine ↗
Roasting
Alexandru NiculaeBarista School
WORLD CHAMPION at the World Coffee Roasting Championship 2016, Shanghai — Romania's first world title
2015
Bucharest — Romexpo · Coffee Lovers Event
Barista
Cezara Carteș
45th place, World Barista Championship 2015, Seattle
2nd placeOmar Abusan
Brewers Cup
Lavinia TomaOrigo
2nd placeCosmin Mihailov — Bloom Coffee
3rd placeAlexandru Niculae — Hotspot Coffee Roastery
Latte Art
Sebastian Ioan FărcașOne Workshop
22nd place, World Latte Art Championship 2015
Coffee in Good Spirits
Paul Ungureanu
3rd place, World Coffee in Good Spirits 2015, Gothenburg
Cup Tasters
Marius NicaOlivo Caffè
8th in the first round, World Cup Tasters Championship 2015
2nd placePaul Ungureanu
Roasting
Alexandru NiculaeHotspot Coffee Roastery
8th place, World Coffee Roasting Championship 2015
2nd placePaul Ungureanu
2014
Bucharest — Romexpo · Coffee Lovers Event
Barista
Laurențiu Ștefan
Represented Romania at the World Barista Championship 2014
2nd placeBogdan Andrei
3rd placeEric Sebastian
Brewers Cup
Latte Art
Coffee in Good Spirits
Paul Ungureanu
8th place, World Coffee in Good Spirits 2014
2nd placeCristian Coman
3rd placeBogdan Andrei
Cup Tasters
Ștefan DinescuDistecco Coffee
Represented Romania in Melbourne
Source: Industry press
Cezve / Ibrik
Ecaterina „Katy” Szasz
5th place, Cezve/Ibrik Championship 2014; in February 2015 in Athens the press of the day reported her as world runner-up — an edition missing from the official archive
2013
Bucharest — Romexpo · Coffee Lovers Event
Barista
Laurențiu Ștefan
40th place, World Barista Championship 2013, Melbourne
2nd placePaul Ungureanu
3rd placeAlin Spânu
Latte Art
Coffee in Good Spirits
Cezve / Ibrik
2012
Bucharest — Romexpo · Coffee Lovers Event
The first year Romania entered every World Coffee Events competition. Cup Tasters and Cezve/Ibrik were also run for the first time.
Barista
Cristian Coman
3rd placePaul Ungureanu
Brewers Cup
Latte Art
Marius Nica
3rd placeSebastian Ioan Fărcaș
Coffee in Good Spirits
Cup Tasters
Cezve / Ibrik
2011
Bucharest
Barista
Mihai Panfil
34th place, World Barista Championship 2011, Bogotá
Latte Art
Coffee in Good Spirits
Floriana Vlaicu
6th in the world, Maastricht 2011
2010
Bucharest — Capital Plaza
The first licensed national championship, 28–30 April 2010. The winners formed Romania's first team at a world championship.
Barista
Petre Mareș
Represented Romania at the World Barista Championship in London
Latte Art
Coffee in Good Spirits
What we are missing
This roll of honour was reconstructed from archives: the association's old website, official World Coffee Championships results, Coffee Break magazine and the industry press. Whole competitions are missing in some years — some because they did not yet exist: the world roasting championship was first held only in 2013. In 2020 the pandemic stopped almost everything, and in 2021 no national championship was held at all — an absence confirmed by the world championship rosters. We do not fill the gaps with guesses.
- Confirmed
- Official World Coffee Championships results, an SCA announcement or two independent sources.
- To be confirmed
- A single source, usually press or archive. Published as such, not presented as certain.
Roll of honour