Best of Melbourne

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.

 

Brother Baba Budan

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.

 

Liminal

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.

 

Market Lane Coffee

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.

 

Black Velvet Coffee

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.

 

Tom Thumb

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.

 

Cup of Truth

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.

 

Manchester Press

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.

 

Industry Beans Lt Collins

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.

 

Bench Coffee Co.

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.

 

Saint Dreux

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.

 

Tori’s

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.

It’s been a couple of years since we’ve all been the office regularly, at least for extended periods.  There have been any number of Zoom meetings (we won’t ask you whether you wore business attire below the camera line) but team-building is not quite the same when it’s not in person! Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with the best options for team building in Melbourne once you are all back together.

 

Escape Rooms

We love escape rooms!  For the uninitiated an escape room is an immersive puzzle game that contains a story, there is usually a time limit and the story sometimes requires you to “escape” thus the name.

There is a huge selection of venues these days to play your escape room, some of our favorites include: Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms who not only have 6 rooms over 5 different themes but also have a fully stocked cocktail bar.  Adventure Rooms with three different themes and a “duel mode” and Escape Hunt Melbourne.

 

Bowling

This writer is old enough to remember when you could bowl in the city at the Southern Cross Center – not the station- on the corner of Bourke St and Exhibition St.  It was dark and dingy and overall not very cool.

The bowling world has changed dramatically since those days though and now 10 pin bowling at venues like Strike Bowling and Kingpin Crown provide a bright and energetic experience for a competitive team building day. Both of these venues also have other games surrounding them for those that have difficulty with the physical side of bowling.

 

Mini-Golf

Mini-golf is another activity that used to be pretty daggy, at least once you turned 18.  This is no longer the case with a rebirth of mini-golf being led by the people at Holey Moley.  Put your way around bright and fun courses then tie the day all together with a couple of cheeky cocktails and pizza. Be prepared to take some snaps of the team – these venues are perfect for your #instagram.

 

Dinner

Melbourne is the food capital of Australia and has an amazing collection of restaurants to round of a day of successful team building. From affordable chinese restaurants in Chinatown to to tapas favorite Movida, or Hardware Lane staples like Rice Paper Scissors and Claypots Barbarossa close by to Trapt – there are options for every group size and budget.

 

Virtual Reality

While we have spent the last 2 years in front of the screen some have reveled in the immersion with technology.  For those people we have Virtual Reality and Melbourne has a bunch of different options.  From traveling through time at Virtual Room Melbourne to hunting zombies with Zero Latency there is a game that suits everyone.

 

There are many other options for team building but we hope you can take some ideas out of this list as you get your team back together again, hopefully, this time it will last.

25 years ago Melbourne’s cocktail scene was fairly basic.  Since then, nothing could have changed more.  Melbourne, the food capital of Australia, also boasts some of the countries best cocktail bars and cocktail-focused venues.  This provides us lucky enough to be in Melbourne with a huge variety of choices which while mostly a very good thing does make it more difficult to make a decision! Never fear! We’ve put together a list of our favourites to help you on your way, try one or try them all!

 

1806
169 Exhibition St, Melbourne

In a building that was once a theatre restaurant but has been a variety of “interesting” of venues in between is the cocktail bar named after the year the word “cocktail” was first defined.  Since it opened in 2007 1806 has been not only a beautiful venue with an excellent cocktail list but also an educational experience. Whether it is sitting in the venue talking to the ever knowledgeable staff or booking yourself in for a cocktail masterclass there is always something to learn at 1806.

 

Eau de Vie

1 Malthouse Lane, Melbourne

Sitting behind an unassuming door in Malthouse lane is a tucked-away little whisky focused bar.  Eau de Vie has developed quite the reputation as one of Melbourne’s premier cocktail bars.  They have an amazing selection sitting on their back bar both of Whisky’s and other things to tickle your fancy and the knowledge of their staff is as good as anywhere.  They also offer bottle lockers where you can purchase a bottle to be consumed over many visits (or at least a couple).

 

Lily Blacks

12 Meyers Place, Melbourne

Lily Blacks is a cocktail connoisseur’s dream.  While a comfortable space, dimly lit with intimate tables they haven’t gone as crazy on the decor as some of the other venues on this list but the bar more than makes up for it.  If you need any confirmation that this is a serious cocktail bar just check out the amazing bitters collection behind the excellently stocked horseshoe bar.  Post work drinks on a Friday have always been a vibe as well with Lily Blacks attracting a sophisticated post-work crowd.   Keep an eye out for the Iron Bartender competition as well, which is just what you would expect it to be, Iron Chef but with Drinks and is always a great night full of hospitality professionals.

 

Trapt Bar & Escape Rooms

The Basement, 377 Lonsdale St, Melbourne

We love escape rooms but we also love cocktails.  Trapt is the place to go if this is your thing as well.  Not only do they have 5 different awesome escape rooms they also have a pretty wicked bar to slake your thirst, celebrate your victories or commiserate your defeats.  Each room has its own selection of cocktails. You don’t have to select ones that match the room you played but if you want to stay with the magic of The Wayward Wizard or in the Emerald City after you’ve come out of Wizard of Oz you can drink a cocktail that matches.  They don’t have their own kitchen but are happy for their guests to order Pizza from the Crust above them or if you need to sneak off for dinner after a cocktail they are so close to so many food outlets

 

Nick & Nora’s

80 Collins St via 11 Benson Walk, Melbourne

What’s better than cocktails? Cocktails and Champagne. Inspired by the fiction book “The Thin Man” and its murder solving duo “Nick and Nora” Nick and Nora’s Melbourne provides the perfect venue for a decadent and fabulous party.  Serving the types of food you would immediately associate with a spectacular post-prohibition part, with Oysters, Caviar and amazing cheeses all available to help space out the drinks.

 

The Everleigh

Level 1, 150-156 Gertrude St, Fitzroy

If you appreciate a long marble bar The Everleigh is the one you want to be sitting at – if you can find it. It’s understated entrance belies the luxury located inside that calls back to a different era. Everleigh is the place for golden-era vibes and classic cocktails. Everything here is expertly and carefully crafted for the perfect drink. They may specialise in the standards but standard is not how you would describe their cocktails!

 

Black Pearl

304 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

In the heart of Brunswick St in Fitzroy is this absolute gem of a cocktail bar.  Now 19 years old Black Pearl was at the forefront of the Melbourne, and even the world, cocktail revolution.  Amongst a collection of awards it won the 2017 spirited international cocktail bar of the year award so you know there is something you have to check out. Have a drink at the bar with the always friendly and knowledgeable bar staff or commandeer a moody seat out the back and enjoy their cocktail creations.

 

Bar Americano

20 Presgrave Pl, Melbourne

Nothing shows quite how far the Melbourne drinking scene has come than its willingness to embrace an aperitif focused bar. The menu at Melbourne’s Bar Americano is always small and delightful, crafted weekly to reflect seasonality and the creative whims of the bartenders. The bar is similarly small but delightful with a ten-capacity, standing-room-only space but definitely worth a visit on a night out!

 

Mjolner Melbourne

106 Hardware St, Melbourne

Do you want to be a Viking?  Mjolner, named for the hammer of mighty Thor a trip to Mjolner Melbourne is the closest you can get to travelling back in time and invading England.  With a healthy selection of meaty mains and viking themed cocktails Mjoler is always worth a visit. You can even really get into character and drink your beer out of a horn!

 

Lui Bar @ Vue De Monde

525 Collins St, Melbourne

Vue De Monde is a Melbourne food institution, it is only fitting that their cocktail bar is also world class. Also found on Level 55, the Lui Bar is one of the tallest bars in the city and boasts some of the most spectacular views. The wine list here is, as you’d expect, extensive but we think it’s the cocktails that are the stars! All the cocktails here are inspired by Australian flavours and are always expertly crafted and delicious. You’ll likely want to order more than one and they can all be enjoyed alongside bar snacks for an indulgent night out.

 

Madame Brussels

Level 3, 59 Bourke St, Melbourne

“Rumours of my demise were greatly exaggerated” Mark Twain.  At the moment this quote feels particularly fitting when talking about Madame Brussels.  Recently there was much talk of Madame Brussels the much loved Melbourne rooftop bar institution closing its doors forever.  The rumours were short-lived though and soon the gaudy Madame had a new lease on life with savvy operators Thank You Come Again group (TYCA) taking over to keep the party running.  Madame Brussels provides delicious cocktails and a garden party atmosphere high amongst the rooftops at the top end of Bourke St, simply fabulous.

 

Gin Palace

10 Russell Pl, Melbourne

One of the oldest venues on this list, if not the oldest, Gin Palace is an opulent old lady that still delivers in spades.  If a Martini is your cocktail of choice you will never be provided with more of it than at the Gin Palace.  If a Negroni is more your speed they have that covered as well.  .And if you are looking for something slightly different their list will sort you out there too.

As you would expect they have a truly epic selection of Gin available as well as a broadly stocked back bar.  If you are after a snack the chicken and mayonnaise toasty has been helping soak up gin for over 20 years in the most delicious way.