Melbourne on a caffeine high

                                

   

I decided to work through my long (way too long to be realistic!) coffee wishlist for Melbourne methodically - by area. I started off in Fitzroy and dragged my Melbourne-based friend Elyse to some places which were also new for her.

Fitzroy:

Hammer and Tong (@HammerandTong)

I have developed a worrying addiction to corn fritters since trying them on my first eve in Auckland. I was highly recommended the ones at the Hammer and Tong and couldn't resist having them for my first Melbourne breakfast. The corn and zucchini fritters with avocado and poached egg raised my Oz expectations bar really high. I liked the Hammer and Tong's space with irons and scales scattered around. I had a Colombian aeropressed single origin as my first Melbourne coffee and right after the initial sip I knew I would be at home in this city.

Industry Beans (@IndustryBeans)

 

What I've heard about this place is that they serve some inventive coffee drinks and I

was excited and curious to see what they were. Which is why after scanning the menu for a while both Elyse and I ordered the 'latte pearls' - little droplets of spherified coffee with milk which bursted in our mouths with an intense coffee flavour. I felt that the pleasure was over too quickly but at the same time it made me very smug that I can have 2 more coffees without feeling too full. Industry Beans' shop is, as the name suggests, very industrial and warehouse-like but the open kitchen gives the place a busy dining feel.

De Clieu (@DeClieu)

                

This was our third stop that day and we opted for a flat white. It was a lovely 5 Senses (@5Senses) single origin from the Asprounion farm in Colombia charming us with creamy sweet notes of caramel. Stunning.

Seven Seeds (@7seedscoffee)

By the time we got to Seven Seeds I started to worry about my friend's caffeine levels. After 3 weeks of intense coffee overindulgence I developed a rather alarming immunity but I wasn't sure if having 3 to 4 coffees in one morning is a good idea for her. Fortunately, it turned out that she is a true Melbournian, loves coffee and decided to take it as a challenge. At Seven Seeds we were put on a communal table after having waited in a queue for a while. The place looked the way most good coffee shops in Australasia do on a Saturday morning: it was buzzing. Filled with hungry cyclists and their bicycles it had a neighbourly feel to it. And served a very decent espresso too. 

South Melbourne:

St ALi South (@ST_ALi)

Sunday morning in Melbourne – the one thing you can be certain of is that half of the population is going out for breakfast. Even though we got to St Ali’s relatively early we had to wait in a queue. Luckily, it was pretty well organised: one of their staff would write down the names of the customers and be in charge of collecting the right people when their table was ready. It sure seemed like they are used to crowds flying in and craving their Sunday breakfast. Once sat at a table, I decided to try one of their specials: quinoa porridge with apple, hazelnut praline and malt with a side of goat’s curd. I must say, I struggle to like quinoa despite knowing that, as a vegetarian, I should eat more of it. I was therefore curious to see the St ALi way of cooking it. They seemed to have found a perfect solution and balance the flavours so they mask the bitterness of the seed. I was curious to sample their EK espresso with my food. It took a while for it to arrive but once it had I really wanted another one. I ended up buying a bag of their house blend beans to take back to London. I had one coffee purchasing-related rule for this trip: I would only buy exceptional beans; ones that hit me in a face with their extraordinary flavours. I knew that if I try to get all the coffees I liked my backpack would have nothing else in it!

Clement Coffee (@ClementCoffee)

We popped into Clement after a visit to Prahran Market. It is a tiny shop outside the South Melbourne foodies spot, which annoyed me by asking for my name to put on a coffee cup. The only reason I have forgiven them was the quality of their coffee...

North Melbourne and CBD:

Auction Rooms (@auction_rooms)

 

Ask any coffee/food aficionado where to go in Melbourne and I can bet you that Auction Rooms will be on their list. We went there for breakfast on a rainy Monday morning and hoped to be cheered up. We weren’t disappointed. After quite a few egg-based or corn-frittered breakfasts, I decided to opt for something lighter and chose their amazing granola served with fresh fruit and yoghurt and a delicate and sweet filter Small Batch Ethiopian Yigarcheffe. I really liked their beautiful space based in the old WB Ellis auction house: it’s full of character but unimposing at the same time. And the sun came out as we stepped out of the shop. It was a glorious start to the week.

Patricia (@PCoffeeBrewers)

 

The sunny theme continued at Patricia's with its Sunshine sign on the ceiling. We had a really good time in this cosy cafe. The atmosphere was very friendly as we joked with the staff (they also take your name for an order and I decided to give them a fake one but managed to forget what it was by the time our coffees were ready...), we were taking photos with the staff playing in the background and generally having a good laugh over a great cup of flat white. What more does one need from a coffee shop?

Dukes Coffee Roasters

Dukes serve their coffee in nice little pots with glasses (although Elyse didn't realise that we were given glasses and decided to drink hers straight from the pot and act cool once made aware of her mistake...). We were tempted by some very good looking cakes but just managed to resist them. The space, located in a great spot on Flinders Lane, is quite small but the mirrors running alongside the wall make it look quite spacious.

Brother Baba Budan (@brotherbudan)

This was the last shop visited that day and we couldn't resist a cold brew. The tiny space located by the lanes is unforgettable not only for the quality of their coffee but also for the quirky crammed space with chairs hanging from the ceiling.

              

Collingwood and South:

Proud Mary (@proudmarycoffee)

Proud Mary served me my last Oz breakfast. After long deliberations over their great menu I decided on the smashed avocado, grainy bread, charred corn, quinoa and tabbouleh. The service was lovely and the space beautiful. My coffee choice was a Chemex of Brazilian coffee - smooth and light.

Giddiup (@giddiupcafe)

We stopped over at Giddiup on our way to Phillip Island in need of caffeine kick. They messed up our single origin so we were given a house blend instead but it was very good.  We had a flat white each which set us nicely for the road trip taking us to feed some kangaroos and see the Moto GP track. 

The Melbourne coffee scene in general really impressed me. It is very professional, using all sorts of brewing methods. I realised that nothing can faze the baristas, there are no gimmicks, it's all about delivering a great product every time. 

My incredible journey around Australasia is over: I travelled almost 15,000 miles, visited 40 coffee shops in 10 different destinations. I met some very inspirational and passionate people and learned a lot I didn't know about coffee. 

I cannot wait to go back there but for now I'm planning my next adventure: Europe on a back of a motorbike. If you have any suggestions for places we should visit in Northern Spain, south of France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium or Germany, do get in touch!