Melbourne started the "flat white" sensation that captivated the coffee-drinking world, likely…read morebecause of globetrotting Australian baristas. Coffee's next evolution is the "magic" which is a stronger version of the flat white because it features a lesser volume of milk. This newish place on Thomson street in Northcote, Melbourne has perfected it. What's more, the decor is a warm wood-forward 70s lounge room vibe and the nibbles are well curated and deliciously executed. The simple tomato cheese croissant was tasty and toasty. The potted omelette looked decadent and the veggie egg tart was light and fluffy. Great service. Beautiful spot. Magically good coffee.

Nice local feel here. Darkish decor but it works given the light the large front window allows in…read more The place has a warm homely feel and it was good to hear the happy chatting and chiding between the staff. It all adds to a happy amiable atmosphere. Beautiful coffee here. A lovely deep dark and lovely offering with silky flavour and excellent length. I didn't try the food here but will next time. The menu looked good.

If you love having your breakfast sprinkle with a creative dust, then head over to White Mojo…read more Where the food and beverages takes a very interesting direction, offering a unique brunch menu alongside hand-roasted speciality coffee. I was excited to finally try this place as I have been in love with their catchy name, social-media-friendly food, minimalistic design and lovely interior. We came here on a non-busy weekday, got seated immediately and ordered: * Signature Croissant Burger: First of all, presentation was immaculate and taste-wise it was just as perfect. It consists of crispy soft shell crab, chipotle mayo, smoked eel, chorizo crumbs, fried egg sandwiched in between buttery croissant. So delicious, flavor-wise and texture-wise was spot on...This made my palate dance. * Green Tea Matcha: The matcha latte arrived in a cute latte art presentation, but taste-wise it was common. The milk was too watered down for my liking, and there is just a very subtle hint of bitterness from the Matcha. * Black Latte w/ Bonsoy (Vegan): The black sesame latte caught my eyes and it performs a bit better than the Matcha. Unique tasting, although I find myself missing the sweetness and the nutty, creamy intensity that usually comes from black sesame. But plus point for creativity. Overall, White Mojo is such a breath of fresh air among Melbourne's cafe scene. Their pricing may be a little on the high side, with my meal plus 2 cups of lattes costing around $37, but the entire experience is certainly worth the price. I will most definitely be back and recommending this to you.

3.8. Nice space, nice food, nice service. A winning combo…read more Good menu with an impressive range of choices. I chose the breakfast brunch platter. It had salmon tartare with avocado served on what was called a potato rosti but was in fact more of a croquette. Add to that a poached egg and caviar. The dish was slightly under seasoned but was still very nice. My partner has the roast smashed pumpkin served on toast with one poached egg. They enjoyed it too. The decor here is very smart. The staff here are terrific as well. The coffee to finish was excellent as well. Compliments to the barista. Good place. They're on top of things here.

It's hard to miss this cafe, with it's wooden booth facade. Tiny in space inside, with lots of…read morenooks and crannies. Their attention to design details keeps on drawing me back. Check out the Yellow Pages stools! Their coffee is great and their sweet snacks make it a perfect combination. Do yourselves a favour and check it out before it gets too busy!

FLIP WHAT? It's Flipboard, an independent café, in front of Brolly Studios and Bennetts Lane Jazz…read moreClub. It's one of those places that you will easily miss if you don't paid attention, when driving or walking along La Trobe Street. There is no other café like this one in Melbourne. On the outside, it does not appear to look like a café and when you walk in, it still does not look like a café. The genius architects from Brolly Design did not waste any space with this café. They turned a 20 metre square space into a split level functional café with wooden tables and seats. It's the epftos machine, La Marzocco coffee machine and cakes that bring this little architectural wooden box into life. Surprisingly, it's cozy inside this small space. You can spend an hour or more at this place typing away on your laptop, finish that stretch for your art subject, read a book or enjoy your coffee in peace whilst appreciating the genius architecture. If you're claustrophobic to small or refined spaces, you can always take a seat outside. This is the café for you if you like quiet, simple and modest cafes. Perhaps you appreciate interesting architecture then this place is worth the visit. The coffee and sweet danishes (or healthy cacao balls if that's your thing) are good enough for you to take a seat. I had the Alex Cafe Columbia ice brew, which probably wasn't exactly weather appropriate but I was drawn to their "brew of the day" chalked onto their little blackboard. The ice brew and apple danish was the perfect bitter sweet pick me up. As Arnold Schwarzenegger would say "I'll be back".

What a discovery. I'm usually all about the tiny hole in the wall cafés hidden up some unmarked…read morestairs, in old shop fronts etc. The typical melbourne cafe. This is not one of those. I came along for the yelp cafe smart fundraiser. Huge open layout with high ceilings and lots of well designed furniture. I really liked their range of coffee brewing equipment for sale which unlike some other cafés around town these guys actually use them all (I'm talking to you sensory lab!). The all important coffee test was a thumbs up - quite nice. I also got a espresso brownie to share and while it was nice found it a little dry and could not taste any coffee. Still the open kitchen was really nice and I would definitely consider coming back for a bite to eat and a coffee. It's a nice place to relax with a book or newspaper and large enough to not feel very crowded or cramped. I like it.

High ceilings, nice open cafe and a perfect spot to grab a quiet coffee to sit and enjoy...at least…read moreit was when I ducked in during the school holiday period. I suspect it's probably heaving most other times! If you can grab a seat and stay a while, the staff are absolutely lovely and very knowledgeable. There's free wifi if you've got your laptop with you and a tasty looking breakfast and lunch menu to graze on while you work. The coffee is obviously Toby's Estate, offered in a range of espresso and filter options. You can even have the option of a single or double V60 pour over, which is uncommon in cafes and perfect if you want a filter without paying a full $6+ for a 2 cup. They also sell coffee paraphenalia for home and run espresso courses if you're a budding barista. I didn't end up trying the food, but the pastry chef popped his head out and tried to tempt my friend and I with some tasty treats as we were getting ready to leave. I packed my will power that day, but if you need a pick me up for a case of 3.30itis, Toby's Estate is a great choice.

We spent a week in Melbourne and I was on a quest to find the best coffee I could find, and I'm…read morealways on the lookout for a good breakfast place. Stagger Lee's was hands down the best flat white I had in the city. I won't list all the places I went, but in the 8 days I was in melbourne I had at least 2 flat whites a day. Melbourne is perhaps one of the BEST coffee cities I've ever visited, and that's saying a lot as I love my coffee. Something about Stagger Lee's coffee was perfect, it had the right amount of richness and boldness without any bitterness, and it was perfection. There were 4 of us, and three of us ordered another round of flat whites which is the only place we've done that haha. I talked enough about the coffee, let's talk about the food! All I can say is WOW! We all enjoyed our dishes. I ordered the Burrata, Spiced Pumpkin, Pickled Beets, and Chili Maple Cashews. It was outstanding, everything matched so well from a taste and texture standpoint. You have the creamy almost sweet burrata, the tangy beets, the crunchy cashews, all with a wonderful dressing. What an outstanding dish. Finally, the workers there were super efficient and friendly. One woman working there reminded me of Kate McKinnon from SNL. I mean that in the most complimenting way possible, just a bundle of good energy throughout. The place was also great, with a good vibe and a relaxed atmosphere.

Super yummy breakfast spot with delicious coffee and a nice little inside seating area.read more

Pros: - Super friendly staff…read more- Bangin' coffee from Dukes. - Pretty serving ware. Order a pour over and I swear you'll be tempted to steal the pretty glass it comes with. - Enough sweet temptations to break the resolve of any healthy eater. - Lots of "grab and go" options for lunch Cons: - Can be tricky to find the first time (it took me 20 minutes!). Pro tip - come in via the concourse level of Southern Cross station. - It's a bit dark in there due to the surrounding buildings. - Only four tables inside that are big enough for 5 people but are generally only used by 2 who give of the "I don't want to share" vibe.

Oh Story, where were you back when I was stuck in Docklands? Churning out delicious Dukes coffee in…read moreespresso, filter and batch brew in a pretty little space with cheery dudes behind the counter - it's great to see places like this satisfying the masses of workers that flood the area on weekdays. So as a place for great coffee, Story is a no-brainer. For lunch, they have a good selection of salads, baguettes and flat bread sandwiches for eat in or take away. As a dine-in cafe, the seating arrangement is a little awkward. It appears to be designed for solo lunchers, but the way people space themselves out doesn't always work out like that. Thankfully my lunch buddy and I came a little later and were able to snag one of the larger tables to ourselves to enjoy a more relaxed lunch and a chat. Probably better for take away, unless you can time it right. I wouldn't recommend it as a work-meeting type spot. Overall though, solid cafe with great coffee.

Tried a couple different coffees and both were bomb! I would recommend this place for everyone.read more

Love the ambience and friendly staff. Ordered a soy latte and it was great. Love the Melbourne…read morecoffee scene.

A fantastic coffee shop. It really goes beyond coffee shop for me as this place really introduced…read moreme and gave me an education to coffee. I started out at Campos in Sydney and firmly believe that Padre continued my coffee tutelage. Always consistent and delicious I have loved their slow expansion through melbourne while not selling out and retaining their same delicious passion to their craft. A handy spot to buy coffee gear as well as you can find much of what you need for aeropress, chemex's, pour overs, hand grinders, electric grinders, etc. All in all a great coffee institution of melbourne

So how's your father? Well they take your favourite caffeinated drink here very seriously. This…read morebusy coffee shop and roaster has helpful, knowledgeable staff at the previously unloved end of Lygon st that's getting more interesting all the time. A casual vibe, small tables for 2 people mixed with communal tables. White walls, sky lights, easy listening music at a good volume and plenty of papers. My macchiato had a choice between 2 single origin beans (Colombia and Ethiopia). Was well ground with a good consistency, smooth, but a touch over roasted for my palate. This is not a brunch place, as they don't pretend to have much in the way of food. There's a few savoury tarts, croissants and muffins but it's the coffee that people come here for. I had a breakfast tart which was flaky and buttery. I devoured it in about 30 seconds. Good place to meet your Dad for a cup of joe plus the sparkling water is a nice touch.