Visiting a café that doesn't perfectly match
Lower match scores still mean good cafés. How to use match score as a guide rather than a filter, and why imperfect matches are often the best surprises.
A common question we get: “Should I avoid cafés below 75%?”
Short answer: no.
Match score is a starting point
Match score is calculated from how the café’s profile aligns with your personality. A high score (say 92%) means the café fits your usual rhythm: vibe, order, time of day, what you value in a café. A medium score (say 65%) means there’s overlap, but some attributes don’t line up with how you typically drink coffee.
A medium score is not a low-quality café. It’s a different kind of café. Sometimes that’s exactly what you want.
When a lower-match café is the right choice
There are three common situations where you’ll enjoy a 65% match more than a 90% match:
You’re in a different mode. You might match strongly with quiet morning cafés but be heading out for a noisy weekend brunch with friends. The brunch venue’s profile won’t match your usual mode but will absolutely match what you want today.
You’re with someone else. A friend visiting from out of town has different priorities. Your match scores reflect your defaults, not theirs.
You want to try something new. Visiting only your highest-match cafés is the fastest way to get bored. Your match score gets sharper over time when you explore deliberately at the edges.
Use the score as one filter, not the only one
The discover screen shows match score alongside distance, opening hours, and tags. We deliberately don’t sort by match score by default — we present all visible cafés and let you choose.
Some Cuppa Lovers find it useful to set their lowest acceptable match at 50% and rank by distance for daily use. Others ignore match entirely and use it only as confirmation when they’re already considering a place.
When you find a great café below your usual match
Tell us. There’s a small “This was a great match for me” toggle at the bottom of every café profile. Hitting it nudges your matching slightly so similar cafés surface higher next time.
See also
Last updated: 7 May 2026.
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