Hairy Canary, Lt Collins Street, just over Swanston.

Today, I sauntered up to the Hairy Canary with my compadre Paul. Again, the other side of Swanston Street to appease the masses that evidently read this blog. Hairy C, was a great surprise. They have catered permanently for the coffee lovers of Melbourne with a balcony come lounge area, smokers area and paper reading room. The coffee was exquisite!!… ATOMIC. I personally haven’t bumped into this cheeky little bean before, but I was very impressed. I’ll be back,… 2 beans.

Pellegrini’s at 66 Bourke Street in Melbourne

I got some feedback recently that I was only reviewing the coffee shops in the centre and western side of the CBD. Well, I braved my way up Bourke Street on Friday and lunched at the famous Pellegrini’s at 66 Bourke Street in Melbourne. This plpace is famous for being the first Authentic coffee shop in Melbourne. There is an urban myth (most probably true) that when the owner (who still owns and runs it) brought the espresso machine into Australia in the 50’s, Customs had no category for it, so they called it a boiler.

Of course they do a basic food selection of pastas, as most out and about Melbournians know but, the coffee is my question, how good is the coffee?

I have tried it before, and it is to say the least a ‘strong’ coffee. They knock them out fast, but is it the best coffee in town,…. MmmnMM? Probably one of the better ones, especially with the pasta and traditional atmosphere, but I would give it a pretty good, 1 bean. Sorry my Italian mates.

AIX - Authentic Melbourne Coffee Shop

Centre Place Melbourne. Its in the walkway over from Australian on Collins. I come here alot, for my money you can't beat it. I hang at AIX a bit, just because I like hanging it on John the Greek and Mary his wife. The coffee is ok, I guess.



Oh, and by the way, here's the Buddha from Sam I am. If your going for a contract, job or pitching for a tender, you must coffee with the Buddha and rub his belly!!

Not the only one!

Seems that in my quest for the ultimate coffee experience, I am not the lone ranger.

This guy is an Aussie stuck in Nth America, longing for a hot one from any one of the places we take for granted!

Enjoy your coffee while you can! hehe

Peter

OverDraft Cafe - Flinders Lane, near Queen.

Authentic passionate and a dependable coffee. Looks like your quintessential sandwitch bar, but these brokers (I know they moved) seem to have inspired a decent coffee. Not killer in terms of overall super-coffoua experience, but ok given they were closing up when I dashed in.

Sam-I-am - Crn Elizabeth & Collins

Poll position for the little buddah! This little gem makes an ok coffee and even has a buddha available for those westerners who beleive in a bit of karma. This place is on the footpath, coffee machine and all, and on a summers day in Melbourne kiss mouli butt.

Today I enjoyed a refreshing review by my compadre of the trails and tribulations of the Greek empire, Aolexander the Great, and what exactly is a Turk anyway. The classic line was that we greeks were just Turks trying to be Italians. Right!! SamIam slips in with 1 bean!!

Thomas St Coffee Shop. Hampton

I've only tried the coffee a couple of times, but i'd give it a decent one bean rating.
Its small, its quaint, but they deliver.

Barista - Flinders Lane, b/w Russle and Exhib.

A friend suggested that these pople do a killer 'latte' so I checked it out. Mmmm.. Yes the service was good, fast, and friendlyish. The layout was ok, but not the best for a meet IMHO. The coffee was weak and milky... They prided themselves on groovy music and it was a young crowd. Nice enough and I would go again but great coffee? No.

Laurent Bakery - Toorak Rd South Yarra

Coffee is tolerable here, but its obviously where the beautiful people come to 'cafe latte'.

The service is ok, and the view damn fine. The coffee is sometimes bitter, or too strong. Certainly you can have a meet here, and the booths make it quite private. I like!!

Laurent, Lt Collins & Eliz, heart of Melb.

Leon the barista, still impresses me majorly. He takes real pride in his coffee making, and makes u feel like, this one I'm making special for you. Leon, king of the Melbourne baristas!

Max Brenner Cocolate (Melb Central)

Discovery! I'm at Max Brenner, in Melb central. Just ordered the Mexican spicy choc. And the verdict: nice but bloody spicy! Ola!

Morgans at 401 Collins

The old guard of Melbourne's business aristocracy, don't know how to make a descent coffee. Nice enough, noisy, and very cold service. The coffee was tolerable, just as was the hot choc. It seems to me that the attitude of the staff serving you goes a long way to making it a pleasant experience. Maybe it's to do with all this stuff we talk about in blogging and Communities of Practice. This is where life happens, in coffee shops I mean. It doesn't happen in the cubicle, nor in the tram on the way to work, in the coffee shop, you'll get a chance to engage in a conversation, share ideas, stories, an exchange of ideas, opinions, good news, bad news, whatever, but its the stuff of life. The coffee is the excuse to go there, or at least the symbol of commonness between you and I.

401, No bean for u!!!

Café Loupo – Queen St (opposite the RACV b4 Bourke).

Nice ambiance, the coffee was tolerable, the food was gourmet-ish and the service was efficient, BUT, they charge like wounded bulls for a coffee… what no back rub?? Ok, it was an emergency, nothing else was open.

Did I mention they charge like wounded bulls for a coffee?

NO BEANS FOR YOU!!!

Pezzo di Pane - Hampton Street

Bloody Eurika. For all that Browns is not, this place is. Fistly, GREAT coffee, has to be a 1 beaner, but I'm considering a 2. The girls serving were delightful, friendly and warm. Its a bloody bread shop, yet, they are kicking ass when it comes to quality cuppa. They even use the temp stick to make sure I get a great brew. Go Girls...
Bugger it, 2 Beans!! (image to follow)

Brown's - Hampton Street, Hampton.

I give it to these guys for being open, and serving nice bread, but, their coffee tastes like sewer water, and is made (on Sundays) by the most stuck up, cold staff I have seen. One youg lady, has to be rudest barista in Melbourne, and I may be offending real baristas. I am forced to drink their swill some times, which happens, but, the chill in that place is like we dated and I didn't call. Oi!!

The Great Provider - Espi, StKilda.

Killer view, and friendly enough staff, but nothing there to speak off re the coffee. Its so typical of pl;aces that have a prime location. Having said that, I think I may have to give them a few more chances, the food was ok, and who knows, I may have missed something!!

Gropius -330-332 Bridger Road Richmond.

Gropius does an ok coffee, has nice staff, BUT, does a fuck off Saganaki to die for! Lovely!!