Melbourne City: Coffee Capital

“The Australian café is a thing. And Melbourne has the best in the world.”

– Matt Holden of Goodfood

Students of today! We don’t need to tell you that Melbourne’s greatest distinctions as a city is its coffee and café culture – unique blends, beautiful spaces, annual coffee expos, and a great sense of community of specialty roasters and internationally renowned baristas unlike anywhere else.

With coffee being such an integral part of the Melbourne life and community, we’re pretty confident coffee will soon become a pretty integral part of your collegiate life too (everyone knows surviving assignments go hand in hand with strong coffee).

Whether you’re a traveler with only a day to spare in this amazing city, or one of our infinitely blessed international students bound for one of its great Universities, here’s a list of recommendations for places known for its great coffee or a distinctively Melbournian character - starting from one end of the city to the other.

Consider it a trail of sorts : )

The League of Honest Coffee (8 Exploration Lane)

Slick little place located more on the fringe of the city rather than in the centre of it but definitely worth a visit. Coffee is fantastic and its interior is bright and welcoming.

Brother Baba Budan (359 Little Bourke Street)

Busy little espresso bar, frequently regarded as one of the best in the city, serving consistently top-notch, full flavoured coffee. Brings their A game everytime! Quirky décor.

Manchester Press (8 Rankins Lane)

Bagels, bagels, bagels! Solid coffee. Scores on cute factor, with the animal latte art. You might miss this as the signage is integrated into the alleyway graffiti.

Captains of Industry (2 Somerset Place)

This place combines a barbers shop and a gentleman’s outfitter and is worth checking out if you are dropping by Manchester as a pit stop to kick back with a cold drink and maybe get a haircut. Its interior exemplifies Melbourne. Great atmosphere though can be crowded, pretty decent coffee.

Krimper (20-24 Guildford Lane)

One of the newer additions to the scene and slightly out of the way, but won’t disappoint with either its food and coffee which are both magnificent. So while it’s tucked away it’s still worth walking through for a quick bite or drink. Spacious, peaceful space, with a minimalistic interior (and an in-house elevator) that has the feel of a Melbourne / New York café-meets-warehouse.

The Hardware Societe (120 Hardware Street)

Enough has been said about this place – comfort food in an unpretentious interior and easily one of the best brunches in town. Also a massive crowd favourite. Get in early or be prepared for a wait of a lifetime, which can be off-putting.

The European (161 Spring Street)

Old school Italian classic styled café with an old world feel, for the more mature, discerning traveler. High quality food with new spins on classic European staples. Practically an institution on the scene.

More worthy pit-stops, given additional time:

• Patricia Coffee Brewers (Corner of Little Bourke & Little Williams Street)
• Top Paddock (658 Church St, Richmond – outside the city)

All the luck in the world scoring the perfect cup - along with those perfect GPAs!

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