5 Must-try coffee shops in Melbourne, Australia
updated the 7 October 2015 à 00:03
Melbourne is deemed the Mecca for coffee lovers, so here is a guide for the cups you should not miss when in town.
Proud Mary
One of the defining coffee shops in Melbourne, Proud Mary started brewing in early 2009. The bar boasts a six-group custom-made Synesso espresso engine topped with chrome and wooden finishes, and decorated with their signature blue vessels. An array of grinders are set for single origins and house blends with funky names such as Eagle Vision, Exploding Heart, and Ghost Rider. Must try: the smokey Victoria Brew by champion barista Remy Shpayzer, and the Chicken Papardelle. The scene is as friendly, relaxing, and vibrant as Collingwood neighbourhood itself.
St Ali North
St Ali is home for the highly celebrated coffee whiz-kid Matt Perger who won World Brewer’s Cup Championship in 2012 when he was just 22 years old. St Ali North sits in a residential area, and becomes the unofficial bike stop for cyclists in Melbourne’s busiest bike paths, the Capital City Trail. Food and coffee pairing is a big thing here. Featured dishes served with designated coffee that usually comes from small batch roasting. The bone marrow with morcilla and brioche is most recommended. Pastries and baked goods are all gorgeous. As for the coffee, the beans are sourced through direct trade to harness strong relationships with farmers. The green beans come from all over the equatorial belt, making sure cups of Yrgacheffe, Panama, Guatemala, and so on are ready to brew.
Seven Seeds
Mark Dundon sold St Ali in 2008 to coffee mogul Salvatore Malatesta, then moved on with business partner Bridget Amor to convert an old warehouse in Carlton into Seven Seeds. The spacious café serves a compact range of simple, healthy food – sandwiches, muesli, salads, organic quinoa, soy sourdough, etc. Yet, the state of the art roasting facility is always busy processing well-sourced beans. Humbly calling themselves a micro roaster, Seven Seeds now operates two other coffee shops named Brother Baba Budan and Traveller Coffee, and supply beans for more than 20 coffee shops in Australia. Roasted beans are cupped and tested on a daily basis to ensure the finest quality. The result? A regular queue to wait for a table.
Market Lane Coffee
The first one opened in Prahran Market. The spacious coffee place merges with the surrounding atmosphere and has a strong communal feeling. Cakes, pastries, muesli, bread and jam blend with morning papers and surely beautiful coffee. The loveliest thing about Market Lane is their eager to share their knowledge and passion over coffee generously. Transparency and traceability are obviously detected through informative labelling in all their products and presentations. The winning deal here is Coffee Tasting Flight; AUS$12 for no less than three small jugs of carefully currated brews where at least one of them will be a certified Cup Of Excellence. Their latest branch opened in Victoria Market.
Auction Rooms
The converted warehouse looks like an abandoned old building from the outside. Inside, chic yuppies gather in communal tables over reasonably priced and creative brunch menu. The ceiling is high, and huge windows allow natural lighting to bless every table. Try the Knuckle Sandwich that wraps braised pork knuckle, rocket, aged cheddar roll, and piccalilli. The refreshing aroma all over the café is a result of on-site roasting to produce speciality blends. It’s a worthy trip to North Melbourne, especially since Auction Rooms was named Melbourne’s Best Café in 2013 by The Age Good Café Guide.
Ve Handojo
Photo Credits: Ve Handojo, Proud Mary, St Ali, Seven Seeds, Auction Rooms
