8 Rankins Lane

Melbourne   VIC   3000

Well let me just say that this place epitomises what it means to live in Melbourne and exactly what I mean when I keep talking about  this dynamic and vibrant cafe culture. Just off little Bourke St near the corner of Elizabeth, it is nothing more than an abandoned and derelict looking warehouse which has been converted into, wait for it…..an art gallery. As you walk in you will notice the caravan which is front and centre as well as some amazing works of art which adorn the walls, all for your aesthetic pleasure. Visually its quite impressive and definitely worth a look, but the CaFFiend is here for the coffee, it’s all about the coffee!!!

I grab a glass of water, order a ristretto and take a seat, feeling quite relaxed and content that the barista will do the fine beans at his disposal justice. As I watch him extract the nectar of the Gods I cannot help but feel a sense of satisfaction and joy that its all going according to plan, the grinding, the dosing, the tamping, the extraction a pleasure to watch, liquid gold!

Plenty of eye candy on offer, with some amazing pieces of art adorning the walls, to really get all of the senses excited, it really is very ambient and quite interesting to wander about sipping a divine brew and taking in some culture……

My ristretto is a rich, thick and caramelly drop that is very complex on the palate, rich dark chocolate flavours, a deep berry infusion throughout the journey with an amazing lemon zest right at the end.

Divine!

My wife is totally absorbed in her cafe latte, which I take a sip of, to get a bit of a feel of how these guys perform with milk and true to form and expectation, it is pure Goldilocks!! Perfect temperature, taste and texture, a  beautiful amalgam of exquisitely extracted espresso with magnificently mild-lukewarm milk, to create a divine Devils Cup that would impress even the most refined palate.

2 BIG Beans for the team at BROOD BOX and a strong recommendation to head on down and check it out, truly a quintessential part of Melbourne’s very unique and totally amazing Cafe Scene.

Till next time, keep on caffeining on………….. The CaFFiend!!!

Coffee: St Ali