5 Coffee Shops You Must Try In Melbourne

Melbourne has a love affair with coffee. This is a city that’s home to countless cool coffee shops serving up artisanal cups of magic. It’s the one place in the world where I pity Starbucks. I can only imagine the hipster population turning up their collective noses at the sad cup of Joe that Starbucks dares to peddle to this sophisticated town.

This past month I’ve sampled quite a few different places trying to find the best coffee in town. It wasn’t a cheap exercise. A cup of coffee costs about 5 Australian dollars. I justified it as research I had to do to properly write this article. Ahhh, the sacrifices I make to do a job right ?

Here’s my list of the 5 coffee shops you must try while in Melbourne:

1. Brother Baba Budan

I came across this small coffee shop by accident as I was walking through CBD searching for lanes and street art. It’s non-descript and easily missed. Stepping inside the first thing that caught my eye was the strange decor. They had lots and lots of chairs hanging from the ceiling. Looking at it, the only thing that came to my mind was “Why”? It gives an impression of a place trying too hard to be hip and different. That said, the staff were extremely polite and inviting.

I lost my Melbourne coffee virginity here and I’m glad Brother Budan was my first. I’ll be honest, I’m a tea drinker and don’t care for coffee. So when I went up to order, I asked them to give me their most popular coffee drink. I forgot what they gave me. All I can say it was a cup of pure unadulterated goodness. The smell wafting from my cup was intoxicating and the coffee was very smooth and hit all the right notes. This was just short of liquid meth. As soon as I finished my first cup I went back for seconds.

Address: 359 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9606 0449

2. Cup Of Truth

We go from micro spaced Baba Budan to a hole-in-the-wall espresso bar that’s located in a subway underpass. This hidden gem was recommended by my airbnb host. It’s the kind of place only locals really know about. I ordered my first cup of “magic”. A magic coffee is steamed milk poured over a double ristretto and served in a smaller 160ml cup, giving it the optimum coffee to milk ratio. It’s love at first taste. It had a smooth silky crema taste with a caffeinated kick.

This place exudes character. The barista’s at the stand serve a sturdy cup of coffee with some adult humor on the side. Your cool factor will increase just by being in the vicinity of this place. Be warned, during rush hour it gets hectic busy. Its best to visit a little later in the day, when the crowds have passed, to properly enjoy your coffee and the barista’s conversation.

Address: 12 Campbell Arcade, Melbourne VIC 3066
Phone: 0498 256 786

3. Manchester Press

Right next to Brother Baba Budan, hidden inside Rankins Lane, is Machester Place. Compared to the other coffee shops on my list, this place is huge with lots of indoor seating. I stumbled across this coffeshop when I noticed a long line snaking outside its doors during lunch hour. This is great place to come enjoy coffee, grab a quick bite to eat and maybe bring your laptop to get some work done. I tried their filtered slow drip coffee and it had a good clean crisp taste.

Address: 8 Rankins Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9600 4054

4. Patricia

Patricia, like most of good coffee places, is hidden away from the main street. This is another micro spaced coffee shop that’s usually packed to the gill with customers, mostly office workers from the surrounding buildings. The staff here are harried but very friendly.

When ordering you have the option to choose your coffee white, black or filtered. I ordered a white coffee from Seven Seeds blend. It came in a very large coffee cup and had a light creamy taste. I absolutely loved their coffee and I took my sweet time savoring every sip till it was all gone.

Even though the line to order was WAY outside the place, the wait was not too long as they quickly processed and served orders. Given how busy this place gets, I would recommend you take your coffee to go. Enjoy the city while drinking Patricia’s heavenly cup of coffee.

Address: Little Bourke St & Little William St, Melbourne VIC 3000

5. T-Roy Brown

Last but not least on the list is T-Roy Brown. This small unassuming place serves a hearty brekkie and (more importantly) first rate coffee. The barista working behind the bar is very personable and takes the time to explain their coffee and where it’s sourced from. The barista mentioned the owner actually goes to Guatemala to personally select his coffee beans. If true, then that takes dedication to craft to the next level.

After hearing the story I order a long black Guatemala coffee. It was an excellent cup that had a light bitterness to it. After a week of coffee tasting, I’m feeling like I’m getting the hang of the coffee lingo. I can say that it had slight dark undertones that were not overpowering.

This place has a relaxed vibe to it and I liked the fact that I didn’t need to elbow people to place my order, find space to sit, kick back and enjoy my coffee.

Address: 365 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: 0421 489 588