Gaby and I were recently talking about our best coffee experience when we decided to actually put it to a challenge. To describe the best coffee experiences we’ve had – Victoria v. New South Wales.

Being a Victorian I know good coffee – it’s in our blood (not literally of course). Last week I was travelling back to Melbourne from Sydney & I read the article “Coffee Couture” in the Inflight magazine … “With an abundance of great cafés, its easy to see why Melburnians are so coffee literate!”
So my top 5 cafés include:

St. Ali (12 Yarra Place, South Melbourne)
This place is very popular and the old mechanics workshop adds character. Great coffee blends roasted on site and yummy mediteranean inspired breakfasts. Oh and by the way when you name your café after the guardian of coffee houses, you know St. Ali is serious about their coffee.

7 Grams (505 Church Street, Richmond)
Something I didn’t know until recently … 7 Grams is home to the 2006 & 2007 Latté Art champion & National Champion Barista. And the coffee tastes amazing … these guys are very passionate about making coffee. You really have to go and watch them make you a coffee. Their art work is outstanding.

Pellegrinis Bar (66 Bourke Street, Melbourne)
Nostalga … I am in heaven. So many people refer to Pellegrini’s as a Melbourne institution. They have been serving their loyal customers great coffee and authentic Italian food for generations. These guys are charming and you know they love their coffee.

Brother Baba Budan (359 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD)
Brother Baba Budan is a small cafe located in the central business district of Melbourne. Baba Budan was a 17th Century Sufi who smuggled seven beans from Mocha in Yemen to India and is credited with introducing coffee to the populous. Named after a coffee visionary, the fifteen seat café serves up some of the finest single origin coffees in Melbourne’s CBD.  This place really serves up the smoothest lattés in the Melbourne.

Switch Board Café (Off Collins Street in the Mechantile Building Foyer, Melbourne)
OK … I admit up front I found the Switch Board my ”whole in the wall” on the Melbourne Coffee Review. This place is literally a shop window and a store room. But their coffee … wow. I’ve said it before but you have to try the coffee at Switch Board. This café was awarded 3 beans and it definitely deserves it.

Over to you Gaby, but Melbourne really is the Café Culture Capital of Australia.

Love LXS Jenny

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