Melbourne Coffee Briefing: Part I

Coffee, like everything else, is about personal taste and preference. Locating the best one in this city is like trying to find a coffee bean in a Milo tin. And so, I better tell you something about my coffee drinking ways before proceeding. With an average daily intake sitting at around four shots, my standard morning coffee is a double shot soy latte with one sugar, subsequent hits taking the form of Macchiatos. Yes, I concur, the soy element means I’m probably a wanker regardless of my intolerance to lactose. I do actually prefer the nuttiness of soy feeling it compliments and enhances the flavour of coffee. It is well known that steamed milk, dairy or otherwise, should never be burning hot. For many barristas this apparently translates into serving lukewarm lattes, which in my book constitutes a hanging offence. Surely you should be able to sip a coffee for at least a modest five minutes before it goes cold. And here it is – I give you Part I of my experiences as an inner city soy-latte sipper in cafes in the CBD and North of Melbourne.

The quintessential Melbourne coffee institution, Degraves Espresso (23-25 Degraves St, Melbourne), is just across from Flinders St Station and was a pioneer of Melbourne’s café culture. I have soft spot for this place, as do many Melbournians, as it was here that I really developed my relationship with coffee. Perched outside on a small metal stool at a table that will never stop rocking on the uneven cobblestone road, I order my coffee from the waiter disguised as a hipster. Despite the place being packed the coffee arrives before I finish rolling a cigarette. It’s exactly as I expect, aesthetically brilliant but too cold. I chastise myself for adding a sugar out of habit, it is well balanced and there is no bitterness. The colour and flavour make me conclude that they’re using a sturdy medium or full roasted bean. Degraves has convenience and atmosphere in its favour but the baristas might be taking themselves a little too seriously.

Down the other side of the CBD I find The Little Mule Company (19 Somerset Pl, Melbourne Vic), hidden at the end of Sunset Pl, just off Lt Lonsdale St. Bike shop come Gallery come Café, this place was recommended to me by a friend sick of the general hassle associated with Degraves St: “you’ve just got to grow up and get over it eventually” I think were her words. Seated at the bar just behind the coffee machine the space inside seems to extend back forever. Fixed-gear bikes hang from the wall alongside various art works. And the coffee is brilliant. It’s actually delicious. I have two. Flavoursome and aromatic with a hint of spice I’m pretty sure they’re using a full roast. If the place weren’t completely out of the way I’d probably be here every day.

Heading north I stop in at the State Library of Victoria where the relatively new Mr. Tulk is located. This coffee house is typical for most large-scale cafes opened in Melbourne this millennium. Bench style communal seating, its proximity to the library, RMIT and Swanston St mean it is constantly packed. I have low expectations, but by virtue of the massive and undoubtedly expensive machine the coffee is very good. I’ve been there a couple of times since and the consistency is spot on.

Finally it’s time to check out North Melbourne. Down the bottom of Errol St lies Auction Rooms (103-107 Errol St, Nth Melbourne), situated in – you guessed it – an old auction house. These guys are extremely popular. Specialty sellers, beans can be purchased here to take home as well. Another bustling institution in the same vein as Mr. Tulk, Auction Rooms has an exceptional and tasty café menu. The coffee, however, I find problematic. There’s a tendency in Melbourne for cafes to use a light roast, attesting it to be the only way to really ‘taste the original true flavours of the bean’. A light roast is rarely full enough for me, so while I might find its aroma sensational and I might pick up a cinnamon aspect, in the end I can only taste milk or water. That and the fact that light roasts consistently destroy soymilk. Waiters should really let customers know that the high level of acidity in a light roast will certainly always make soymilk curdle. I found Auction Rooms a bit hit or miss.

And there you have it. Tune in next time for the low down on Fitzroy, Carlton, Brunswick and Northcote. I’m putting off the south until the last – it’s hard for a north side guy to brave the south side, but from what I hear they do a pretty good latte sans pretension!

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/people/tauntingpanda/