Melbourne and the secret of good coffee
But if there is something that defines melbourne it is its smell, which catches the traveler from the moment he sets foot in the city: the smell of fresh coffee , coming from the innumerable establishments that line each street and that have made the Australian city a coffee-loving destination par excellence. This is Melbourne, a love at first smell.
What makes the Melbourne coffee experience so unique? The jury (that is, the most acclaimed owners and baristas in town) is still out.
According to Ray Bennett , manager of Plenty cafe, balance is the key. “It has to be a perfect communion between grain grinding and water quality ,” he explains.
In Plenty, this translates to high quality coffees and organic milk , basic ingredients of flat white , or latte without foam in Australian slang. A rustic setting, halfway between a mountain refuge and granny's house, welcomes the faithful of the king of the menu drink.
The kings of coffee and organic milk
The environment is actually another of the aspects that can make a coffee sink or sail …not only influential, but pivotal in the case of Proud Mary, which has made a game out of a cup of coffee experience: a siphon bar to prepare the milk to your liking , a multitude of grinders for a customized grind, and an outdated mechanical workshop look that will delight the hipster in you.
Open coffee bar
And speaking of hipsters, have you ever thought of switching to coconut water to make your morning coffee? Well, that happened to Matt Vero , the owner of Touchwood, when one day he changed the water in one of his coffee pots. To try, more than anything. The rest is Melburnian history: Touchwood became famous for its creative coffee, that delights the four hundred customers who, by the eye of a good cube, cross its door on any given Saturday.
Added to the exoticism of the formula are the appellations of origin of their coffee bags, which proudly display stamps of Brazil, Ethiopia or Peru . Everyone is welcome: at Touchwood, grain is king.
Proud Mary take away
But the trick to an unforgettable coffee experience is not only in the liquid, or at least not for the brain and heart of Golden Child : Piers Smart and Jenna Langton put as much effort in his food menu as in the whistle of his espresso machine.
The menu is based on “what we like to eat”, which in the language of Smart and Langton means works of art such as Moroccan lamb with polenta, Malay-style French toast and the jewel in the crown: a Chinese-style pretzel with sweet and sour pork, Langton's grandmother's personal recipe. That said: unforgettable.
the perfect accompaniment
What if we don't want to limit ourselves to just one part of the experience? that's what it's for Townhouses e , which has taken the best of each house to bring it to its own: gourmet coffees, menu with international touches, cool atmosphere... Does it ring a bell?
The idea was exactly to show the best of Melbourne in one space, according to manager Daniel Mills. “Nobody else was doing it,” he says.
gourmet coffee
And if all else fails, go back to basics: the legendary Seven Seeds, great kahuna of melburnian cafes, does not disappoint. There are many legends about who started Melbourne's caffeinated obsession, and not a few point to this converted warehouse, favorite son of Mark Dundon and Bridget Love.
It is not for less. The place, with its exposed old pipes and industrial windows, is buzzing with activity. The aroma of their homemade bean mix carries across the street to Melbourne University, which ceaselessly supplies Seven Seeds with clientele. And the creative spirit can be smelled in its barista school, where some of the most coveted coffee artists in the city come from.
Coffee time in Melbourne isn't just a daily rite, it's a way of life. As Jason Chan, owner of Plenty, says, "You're only as good as the last coffee you had." Which one do you want to be today?
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The Great Kahuna of Melbourne Coffee