Data and knowledge gathered on bioavailability of coffee phenolics is becoming more and more important, hence underlying the importance of better understanding the fate of these potential health promoting antioxidants. However, some analytical barriers as well as some key aspects of metabolism still remain to be fully elucidated to get the full picture of coffee metabolism and bioavailability. One aspect addressed in the present study is the impact of food matrix in modulating absorption, plasma appearance and urinary excretion of coffee bioactives.