Cafe Crawl - Melbourne

[sharil]

For a coffee rookie like me visiting melbourne is pretty much high in my list to savour what some cafes are offering there.

It was definitely an interesting experience when the minute I got out of the Arrival Terminal the first thing I smell is fresh brewed coffee. Its really coffee madness here and when my sister who resides here said the city is infested with cafe's I have to say that is every bit the truth.

[sharil]

A standard "Aussie" Flat White. Yes there is still foam there.



La Pavoni

[sharil]

Latte Foam?



Your Capp will come sprinkled with choc powder



Of course you can also get a bad capp



Red Wega

[sharil]

you've been warned



Count the grouphead



Genovese

[sharil]

Overall I would say its really hard to get a bad cup of coffee here. Saying that though I at times question some Batista's  practices especially when foaming milk or pulling an espresso shot but when you have quality products available you rarely can go wrong. Milk milkier than white and coffee very fresh off the roasters.

[cwloo]

Sharil,

I've not been to Melbourne since gotten into coffee, but was in Perth twice last year. In Perth, you still need to know where to go to have good coffees, and these places are generally a little out of the way, like inside an arcade, backlanes, etc. Cafes on the main shopping streets (Hay & Murray in Perth) are still generally poor, some no better that most we find here at home. But if you go look out for some more reputable cafes it can be really rewarding! The second trip was just after xmas, so ALL the good cafes were CLOSED! Hence the true experience of high street coffee!

I've concluded that in Perth if you look out for cafes for serve coffee from a few roasters/brands and your chance of getting a good cup is higher. My reason is that these brands could cost the cafe operators more, compared to other bigger/more nationally commercial coffee brands, and demonstrate the operators "commitment" to serve "quality" coffee. Without claiming those to be the last words, let's not forget the human side of the issue, and if a barista is not well-trained then the best product can still turn out horrible! So, I think one way to find out which cafe has good baristas is to look out for the competitors list for their state barista competitions. Because the coffee community takes the comp seriously, the skill level is really pretty high.

[kkyoon]

coffeesnobs.com.au is a pretty good place to get recommendations for cafes in Australia.

My Aussie coffee experience is in Sydney, and I can tell you a place which has two three-group Elektras and five loaded grinders can still serve undrinkable espresso. However, I went to a highly recommended ( in the forums ) cafe/roasterie, Coffee Alchemy, and it was fantastic. They had La Esmeralda Geisha! It was really floral

[kvct]

true enough melb is like another little italy and coffee lover (drinker?) are spoilt with choices...

while strolling around the uni suburbs one morning, i was lucky enough to have passed by this store.. and what's more of a blessed is having the courage and not feeling bloated to walk in and tasted their coffee..

i wasnt as confident when i first saw the barista..because he seems really young.. but when the coffee is served.. i was grinning from ear to ear.. and the small little back yard place that the owner has saved for his/her customer, i am more than impressed and it feels like finding a gem in city...

#1 the gem


#2 the gem in the back yard


#3 lots of leg room too..


#4 interested to learn more about coffee? there's mag for browsing!
(i was trying to get hold of that mag but having not much luck before i left Oz... and i forgot the name.. aiks...)


#5 to ensure that u dont miss the store like i almost did.. here's the front door...


i didnt manage to visit a highly recommended cafe along flinder street.. (cant remember the name), it was closed when i got there...but i picked this up on my way out from the hse some morning...

#6 the drink ( nice in photo but not much of my cuppa)


#7 but i've definitely enjoyed the photo opportunity...

[hxleong215]

The magazine is called Crema.

The other good one is Bean Scene

[kvct]

The magazine is called Crema.

The other good one is Bean Scene

thanks hxleong215! 
u've seen them around in msia?

[albz]

having stayed in melb for 7 years....u can imagine the stress i suffered when i landed in KL and have to put up with starbuck (putrajaya has limited option).- i travel most days outside Putrajaya just to get a fix.

anyhu just to impart some wisdom on the 7 years stint in melb.in no specific order just a few of my regular spot

1. love stuzzchino. next to lygon st koko black. I usually stick to the coffee- food so so.watch for the 40 year old italian lady..- she makes the best cuppa. It ranks no 1.. cos.. its the best fr where i stayed for 7 yrs.. lygon
2. St ali-- if u dont go there....u just waste u plane tix- their brother cafe is call brother baba bhudan.. BOTH kick ass
3.personally i like three bags full and also hawthorn LIar2.. but im into that deep roast taste.
4. degraves lane opposite flinder have nice quaint cafes with cool outdoor seating- i usually grab a takeaway from quaters... 

 Melb has insane coffee culture...its awesome.