Best CBD coffee
We tried them all. These are the best brews to get your work day off to a flyng start
20White Mojo
White Mojo is one of Melbourne’s most Instagrammable cafés – and they have Wi-fi to make that easy for everyone. From the food to the black sesame lattes and the wood panelling, everything is ridiculously photogenic. Coffee is a house blend, made from a mix of naturally dried and washed Sumatran beans. The process results in an intense, fruity flavour in your brew. à115 Hardware St, Melbourne 3000. 03 9078 8119. www. whitemojo.com.au. Mon-fri 7am-4pm; Sat, Sun 8am-5pm.
19Sun Moth Canteen
Natural light, large wooden tables and menus on blackboards give Sun Moth Canteen a relaxed, rustic vibe. It helps that it’s tucked away from the main roads – it never feels crowded, even during the lunchtime rush. Lattes are made with the Small Batch Candyman blend. It’s got a macadamia kick and earthy notes. à28 Niagara Ln, Melbourne 3000. 03 9602 4554. www.sunmoth.com.au. Mon 7.15am-4pm; Tue-fri 7.15am-11pm; Sat 11am-11pm.
18Gold Drops
Gold Drops specialise in naturally processed coffee. Unwashed, the beans are left to dry with the fruit still on. It’s a process that results in an intensely sweet and fruity cup of coffee. To grasp the difference between this and washed beans, try a long black. It’s a light, tangy cherry cup with a sweet aftertaste. Get a cruffin filled with jam or salted caramel to complete your morning ritual. à183 Little Collins St, Melbourne 3000. 03 9639 6891. Mon-fri 7.30am-4.30pm.
17Sacred Alley Espresso Bar
Sacred Alley is a modern café with large blue booths and white wooden chairs. Dukes Coffee Roasters supply the beans for white and single origin coffees. For black coffee, they use Maker Fine Coffee beans. If you can get it, have the Maven seasonal blend. It’s a Colombian bean with a grape and cherry aroma, medium body and great texture. à12 Equitable Pl, Melbourne 3000. 03 9606 0205. Mon-fri 6am-4pm; Sat 8am-noon.
16Workshop Brothers
Axil Roasters have been providing the blends and Monk Bodhi Dharma the single origins, but Workshop Brothers have branched out and created their own blend called the Huntly. It’s a peachy medium roast with a crisp, sweet aftertaste, delicious in a flat white. All the white coffees are $4 for a small. à190 Queen St, Melbourne 3000. 03 9078 6533. workshopbrothers.com. au. Mon-fri 7am-4pm; Sat, Sun 8am-3pm.
15Tom Thumb
They’re using the Pony blend from Clement (of the Sensory Lab, Market Lane and St Ali family) so you’re guaranteed a milk coffee with a caramel apple flavour. Black coffees are made with a Sensory Lab single origin. Despite the queue, the team here are always smiling. There’s a 50 cent BYO cup discount à53 Flinders Ln, Melbourne 3000. Mon-thu 7am-4pm; Fri 7am-5pm.
14Little Bean Blue
At the end of a row of cafés on Little Collins is this unassuming café where gruff but knowledgeable baristas are hard at work. Little Bean Blue uses beans from Geelong’s Coffee Cartel Roasters to make coffee every way, from a classic espresso to filters and cold drips. A small costs $3.80. à15 Little Collins St, Melbourne 3000. 03 9650 0046. Mon-fri 6am-5pm.
They make the smoothest flat white you’ve ever tasted
13Cup of Truth
The subway between Degraves and Flinders Street Station has Sticky Institute, Melbourne’s only independent zine co-op; nature-inspired jewellery from Corky St Claire; and Cup of Truth, a true hole-in-the-wall. They use Axil roasted beans to make the smoothest flat white you’ve ever tasted. à 12 Campbell Arcade, Melbourne 3000. 0498 256 786. cupoftruth.com.au. MonThu 6.15am-3.30pm; Fri 6.15am-2.45pm.
12Toby’s Estate
Staff are cheery experts and Toby’s Estate owns its own bean farm, Finca Santa Teresa in Panama. Our pick is the $5 business + pleasure: a double dose in the form of an espresso and a flat white made with single origin beans. à 325 Flinders Ln, Melbourne 3000. 03 9939 4578. www.tobysestate.com.au. Mon-fri 7am-5pm; Sat 8am-3pm.
11LB2 Speciality Coffee
They pick the best beans from Axil and Coffee Cartel to craft the perfect cup of joe. Options include the v60 pour over, batch brews and cold drips, plus regular espresso styles. A small latte is $4; a pour over is usually $6.50. à2 Gallagher Pl, Melbourne 3000. Mon-fri 7am-4.30pm.
10Sbriga Espresso Bar
Taking inspiration from Rome’s coffee bars, Sbriga is all about excellent coffee, delicious snacks and cosmopolitan vibes. The beans are from Collingwood roastery Allpress, with the house blend a malty Supremo made from Brazilian, Colombian and Papua New Guinean beans. à 3/280 King St, Melbourne 3000. 03 9077 7653. sbriga.com.au. Mon-fri 6.30am-3pm.
9Little League
Two shipping containers and Astroturf don’t automatically say ‘café’, but then this is Melbourne. Little League use Padre beans and a coffee is $4. There’s filter, pour over and cold drip as well as steamed milk classics. à513 Queen Victoria Sq, Melbourne 3000. Tue, Thu 7am-2pm; Wed 5-10pm; Fri 7am-3pm; Sat 7am-4pm; Sun 8am-4pm.
8Market Lane
The only milk they serve is full fat cow’s milk, the coffee only comes in one size, you have to put your own lid on your takeaway, and there is always, always a line. The seasonal blend offers a full bodied, hazelnut-heavy cup with apple undertones. à8 Collins St, Melbourne 3000. 03 9804 7434. marketlane.com.au. Mon-fri 7am-4pm.
7Brother Baba Budan
The origin story of Brother Baba Budan is that he stole seven seeds of coffee from the Middle East and took them to India. Now his namesake is a Seven Seeds branch in the city, a noisy place with a large communal table and a ten-minute wait time. Takeaway is your best bet, as there are more chairs on the ceiling than on the floor. à 359 Little Bourke St, Melbourne 3000. 03 9606 0449. Mon-sat 7am-5pm; Sun 9am-5pm.
6Sensory Lab
The single origins change frequently and baristas are across any coffee question you could throw at them. But this expertise comes at a price: the fanciest cup of single origin pour over can cost you up to $9 and a standard ‘white’ coffee costs $4.50. But then, every espresso shot is a double. à30 Collins St, Melbourne 3000. sensorylab. com.au. Mon-sat 7am-5pm; Sun 9am-3pm.
5Dukes Coffee Roasters
Inside the beautiful old Ross House building they’re committed to organic, ethical and environmentally friendly coffee beans. The price of a filter ranges between $3 and $10, while an espresso cup any way will set you back $4, or $3.50 if you bring your own cup. à247 Flinders Ln, Melbourne 3000. 03 9417 5578. www. dukescoffee.com.au. Mon-fri 7am-4.30pm; Sat 9am-5pm.
4Patricia
This standing-room-only coffee shop has friendly but speedy baristas, who churn out high quality coffees at an impressive rate. There’s only one cup size and it’ll cost you $4 if you take it black or filter, and $4.30 for white coffees. àcnr Little Bourke & Little William Sts, Melbourne 3000. www.patriciacoffee.com.au. Mon-fri 7am-4pm.
3Axil Coffee Roasters
The priority at Axil is high quality, ethical coffee. Their beans are roasted locally in Hawthorn. The single origin options are rotated daily, and the seasonal blend has a dark chocolate and nougat flavour profile. Standard cups are a little cheaper than many places at $3.80. à76 Flinders Ln & Shop E6, 121 Exhibition St, Melbourne 3000. axilcoffee.com.au. Mon-fri 7am-4pm.
2Bonnie
The house speciality is cold drip. The slow extraction method combined with the houseroasted single origin beans results in a fruity, rich, and slightly acidic cup of coffee. The filter range is equally impressive. At $4, it’s hardly Melbourne’s most expensive coffee. à495 Collins St & 1 Exhibition St, Melbourne 3000. 03 9620 0519. www.bonniecoffeeco.com.au. Mon-fri 7am-4pm.