Three cafes not to miss when you’re in Melbourne

If you are going to live in Australia, it is hard to go past Melbourne. An attractive city with a relaxed pace, they pride themselves on the cafe culture and their commitment to really good coffee.

It was interesting to see that after launching with big plans, Starbucks withdrew from the Australian market. With the quality of Melbourne’s cafes it’s easy to see why.

I tend to lean towards the cafes of Fitzroy and Collingwood as it’s an area that I love, but everywhere across the city has some stand-out options serving up some of the world’s best coffee.

Let’s take a look at some of our favourites:

Stagger Lee’s

From the same people that brought you Collingwood favourite Proud Mary, Stagger Lee’s has recently opened on Fitzroy’s Brunswick Street. A light and airy space with lots of outdoor seating, this is already drawing big crowds and you can expect to queue at peak times.

This is a slightly different breakfast and brunch menu than most Melbourne cafes are offering — you can build a basic eggs plus anything from their extensive menu of sides, but they are specialising in big hearty plates of food which are apparently inspired by the breakfasts eaten by Canadian Mounties.

It’s hearty stuff but bottom line it is delicious. The coffee is outstanding, as you would expect.

MilkJamm

There are so many interesting cafes, bars, and restaurants along Collingwood’s Smith Street these days that you could easily pass by MilkJamm and not realise what a gem that it is. One of the newer additions to the street, MilkJamm looks a bit like a bit of a posh bakery and patisserie — but it’s more than that.

They do cooked breakfasts here, as well as a range of tasty toasted sandwiches, and they clearly know what they’re doing with the coffee.

It is hard to go past the cakes though. Really good Portuguese Tarts are always irresistible, but it is their vanilla slice that gets me every time. One of my favourite indulgences in the world.

Cafe Rosamond

Tucked away in Charles Street, Collingwood, Cafe Rosamond is one of those little neighbourhood gems that you want to have within walking distance of home. Sitting in a corner here, enjoying tasty food and great coffee, you can see how much the locals love this place.

Everyone calls in to pick up a coffee — they stop for a chat, and soon it is hard to tell who is working there and who are the customers. The other day I was there and a helpful and chatty young woman was collecting empty coffee cups from a nearby table — I asked her for another flat white.
“Oh I don’t work here!” she laughed, “…but I’ll get you another coffee…” That’s the sign of a good neighbourhood cafe.

It seems a little churlish to choose only three cafes in Melbourne, there are hundred of great options in this city and everyone will have their own favourites and be fiercely loyal to their favourite barista.

There’s obviously more to life than coffee, but it’s it’s a pretty good place to start.