It's hidden treasures like this that make me so happy that I live in Melbourne.
A wander down the iconic Melbourne laneways are so much more rewarding when you stumble across spaces like Basement Espresso & Meeting Space.
Lured in by a funky looking sign, I ventured down the stairs and stumbled upon an modern, warehouse style space, complete with table tennis table in the centre of the room.
As it turns out, the space and cafe is run by architects from 1:1 Architects firm, which resides above the cafe. The team has been through barista training and seem passionate about their beans, using coffee supreme beans and Jonsey's milk. Look out for their framed photo of their Jonsey's cow, named 1:1 Architects. They pour a decent brew - I tried the blend on my visit.
On my visit, I met with David who was more than patient as I started quizzing him about the space and the beans and what the meaning of life was. Maybe not the last bit...
Anyway, the space is great, pull up a seat or sit at the ping pong table. Its used as a drop in meeting place, work place (with wifi available) and after hours for community based events, such as slam poetry or community based networking e.g. Accountants meeting musicians -bringing them together for networking and other opportunities. They also have a liquour licence making it a great space for an intimate event. There are more event coming up apparently and are advertised on their facebook page (and maybe Yelp now!).
I reckon this place would be great for freelancers or those looking to get out of the office for some quiet time, I'll be back to annoy them and explore their bookcases :) read more