A MELBOURNE TOUR VIA ITS CAFES
takes its name from the seven SEVEN SEEDS seeds of fertile coffee that Baba Budan smuggled out of Yemen into India in the 17th century to bring coffee culture to the West. Its airy, industrial-chic cafe is located near the University of Melbourne in Carlton. Other (tiny) cafes in the stable include BROTHER BABA BUDAN, with its motley collection of chairs hanging from the ceiling and COFFEE, TRAVELLER both in the CBD. 114 Berkeley Street, Carlton; sevenseeds.com.au
is an airy corner cafe in a former PROUD MARY Collingwood warehouse that exudes hipster chic and has the serious coffee and foodie cred to make it a must-visit on your Melbourne coffee tour. Nolan Hirte recently opened Proud Mary Portland in Oregon. 172 Oxford Street, Collingwood; proudmarycoffee.com.au Salvatore Malatesta bought from ST. ALI Seven Seeds’ Mark Dundon in 2008. Today, the ST. ALi stable is centred around the dumpster-chic flagship in a graffitied laneway in South Melbourne where world champion barista Matt Perger runs the show. Also, don’t miss ST. ALi’s offshoot Sensory Lab, a mad-scientist coffee scene at David Jones in the CBD and in Port Melbourne, as well as its newest branch at 30 Collins Street, where toast and tea, curated by Australian tea champion Ayden Graham, rivals the coffee. 12-18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne. stali.com.au From humble beginnings at Penny Farthing Espresso in Northcote, Steve and Trevor Simmons run as a coffee roaster, INDUSTRY BEANS cafe and brew bar in an award-winning warehouse conversion in Fitzroy. 3/62 Rose Street, Fitzroy; industrybeans.com
From its headquarters at the Prahran Market, MARKET LANE has been a trailblazer in sourcing top quality beans which it roasts in small batches. The focus is coffee, with a few other treats, at its five stores, including the Queen Victoria Market, two CBD locations, and Carlton. Shop 13, Prahran Market, 163 Commercial Road; marketlane.com.au is a trendy PATRICIA COFFEE BREWERS white-on-white, standing-room-only spot for artisanal coffee ground on-site plus small treats. Corner of Little Bourke and Little William streets, CBD; patriciacoffee.com.au is a roaster, coffee lab and WIDE OPEN ROAD cafe that is the definition of Melbourne’s hipster culture inside a converted 1950s warehouse plastered with paste-up street art. Specific house blends are designed for drinking black or with milk, while some of Melbourne’s most inspired cafe food comes out of the kitchen. 274 Barkley Street, Brunswick; wideopenroad.com.au
Owned by three-time Australian barista champion Dave Makin, AXIL COFFEE ROASTERS’ Hawthorn headquarters has been cleverly converted from a former bowling alley with concrete slabs, milk-urn light fittings and succulents growing up the walls; there’s serious coffee and an adventurous menu. Search out its CBD espresso bar and Petty Officer in Albert Park, another light-filled branch. 322 Burwood Road, Hawthorn; axilcoffee.com.au Located in a sprawling former auction house, offers a serious coffee bar and AUCTION ROOMS a funky food menu that you can enjoy in a range of interesting nooks. 103-107 Errol Street, North Melbourne; auctionroomscafe.com.au 1