After 2 years of lockdowns, we’ve grown accustomed to our local coffee places but it’s time to venture out and explore! Melbourne has such a selection of great coffee and interesting roasts served in spectacular spaces that are just waiting for a visit. Whether you’re looking for a great takeaway only spot or an awesome place to sit and enjoy your morning brew, we came up with a selection of some of our favorite coffee places and spaces for those just getting back into the groove of CBD life.
359 Little Bourke St, Melbourne
Close by to Trapt (and perfect for that caffeine inspiration) is Brother Baba Budan or BBB as it’s known to the locals, the CBD offering from Seven Seeds. Don’t be distracted by the chairs attached to the ceiling, BBB serves an excellent selection of coffees from the house blend to a selection of single origin options.
A selection of pastry’s and occasional pies (that first appeared over lockdowns) are the extent of their food offering but it is more than enough to accompany whatever is you coffee of choice. A wide selection of coffee which can be ground to order and paraphernalia to help you brew is available for you to take home as well.
Ground Level, 161 Collins St, Melbourne
We hated not being able to dine in at Liminal, thankfully that has changed and we can enjoy all they have to offer again. Open for breakfast and lunch with a selection of toasties and rolls. They also have a liquor license so, if you need to, you can warm up for your coffee with a cheeky glass of wine. And if you are looking to get out of the office for a lunch meeting there is a private dining space available to be booked. Liminal really does have a great selection of options no matter what you are looking for.
Shop 73-76 Dairy Produce Hall Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne
Even if its not quite in the CBD, it’s still in the free tram zone so why not zip down a couple of stops and have a great coffee while you experience the delightful hustle and bustle of Melbourne’s famous market! We love the Dairy Produce Hall at QVM and Market Lane Coffee was such a perfect addition for when we make it down there for an early morning shop.
Plantation
Level 2, Shop 253, Melbourne Central La Trobe Street &, Swanston St, Melbourne and
31 Albert Coates Ln, Melbourne
Shopping centres are not normally synonymous with great coffee but Plantation belies that reputation. Either of the stores, be it Melbourne Central or QV, have always more than adequately filled all of our espresso needs with delicious coffee. We’ve always hoped that Plantation would be the beginning of a wider trend as we would love to be able to get half as good a coffee on our (infrequent) visits to suburban shopping centres.
136 Exhibition St, Melbourne
Located on Exhibition St surrounded by tall office buildings is this little hole in the wall cafe. Roasting their own beans they’ve been producing great coffee for the office set for nearly 10 years. When the offices are full its not unusual to have to queue to order but it is worth the wait for either the house blend or whichever single origin they have on that day.
53 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
The name tells you everything you need to know about the size of Tom Thumb. It’s a narrow tenancy on Flinders Lane but you can be sure they send out some quality coffee. To make things even better they have some very high quality food at extremely affordable prices.
12 Degraves St, Melbourne
The first time we saw Cup of Truth we didn’t believe that there was any chance that its coffee would be good, railway subways and quality coffee have never been easy bedfellows. However, Cup of Truth was part of the first wave of true specialist coffee in Melbourne providing single origin coffee as Melbourne’s coffee scene went from strength to strength.
A selection of baked goods are available so you have something to snack on with your take away coffee. Check their facebook page for an idea of the types of epic donuts that can be on offer.
8 Rankins Ln, Melbourne
Like so many of Melbournes best venues you need to head down a laneway in order to find yourself at Manchester Press. Great coffee and a curated selection of bagels in a space that was originally a printing press, which is where it gets its name.
345 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Slick, is the best word to describe the Industry Beans outlet on Little Collins. Roasting their own beans in far off Fitzroy the sharp looking Little Collins street outlet will keep you caffeinated in style. They have you covered when the weather warms up as well, don’t forget to try their Coffee Bubble Cup if that sounds like your type of drink.
321 Little Collins St, Melbourne
The Bench Coffee Company believe in a contemplative approach to all things coffee. They also have a strong focus on design and it shows in the beautiful spaces they have created so you can enjoy your coffee.
Bench Coffee Co. is in one of our favorite of Melbourne’s selection of arcades, The Walk Arcade and its warmly lit and sleek interior is an excellent visit for your morning (or anytime) coffee.
Level 2, Shop 2, St Collins Lane, 260 Collins St, Melbourne
Saint Dreux tends much more towards dark colours but is a no less beautiful place to enjoy your caffeinated (or decaffeinated) drink of choice. Modern Japanese food gives a real lunch option which is nice if caffeine isn’t enough to keep you going and a Katsu Sando is something we are always hard pressed to pass up.
28 Niagara Ln, Melbourne
One of the newest additions to this list. Tori’s opened in late 2021 and has quickly developed a devoted following. Much more so than the other venues on this list Tori’s is a bakery and its selection of artisan cakes and desserts is excellent as a result. Our enjoyment of these has always been increased by the incredibly comfortable furniture, a hodgepodge of furniture (piano included, we don’t know if it works) that reminds us of furniture from our grandparents’ houses.
Melbourne has any number of great coffee outlets and this is by no means an exhaustive list of the great coffee in Melbourne, I’m sure everyone has their favorite places, these are just some of ours.