Best of Melbourne, 2011.
I get asked for coffee, beer and food recommendations quite a lot, and figure that instead of replying to each email with a cobbled together list, I could put together a summary of venues, experiences and the like that I’ve enjoyed.

As I’m getting ready to fly out to Sydney this afternoon, now seems like a good time to put together some thoughts from this visit to Melbourne. Yes, it’s totally subjective, and yes, it relates only to the experiences that I had, and yes, you’ll probably disagree with things or point out things I’ve missed. This is not the definitive list of what’s amazing in Melbourne, it’s just a snapshot of where I visited, and found to be particularly enjoyable.
COFFEE
BEST ESPRESSO
Market Lane Coffee: Winter Espresso
(Served by Talor Browne)
Shop 13 Prahran Market
163 Commercial Road
Prahran
BEST FILTER
Seven Seeds: Kopakama, Rwanda (C.O.E. Lot #5)
(Served as Aeropress, by Anthony Ivey)
114 Berkeley Street
Carlton
BEST CAPPUCCINO
Seven Seeds Espresso @ The Premises
(Served by Alex Anderson)
202 Bellair Street
Kensington
FOOD
BEST BREAKFAST
The Premises
(Poached eggs, halloumi, chorizo, Nana Kath’s tomato relish, toast)
202 Bellair Street
Kensington
BEST LUNCH
Duchess of Spotswood
(Grilled veal tongue, semolina, local mushrooms, smoked deep-fried duck egg)
Hudsons Road,
Spotswood
BEER
BEST BEER
8 Wired Brewing Company: Hopwired IPA
(Depth, hop-freshness, balance)
Blenheim, New Zealand
VERY CLOSE SECOND BEST BEER FOR DIFFERENT REASONS
Kooinda Boutique Brewery: Pale Ale
(Balance, simplicity, availability)
Rosanna, Victoria
BEST CRAFT BEER BAR
Josie Bones
98 Smith Street
Collingwood
RETAIL & DESIGN
BEST COFFEE SHOP DESIGN & FITOUT
Market Lane Coffee
Shop 13 Prahran Market
163 Commercial Road
(Entrance on Elizabeth Street)
BEST NON-COFFEE SHOP DESIGN & FITOUT
Aesop
All of their shops,
Everywhere.
BEST SERVICE
James @ Josie Bones
(In-depth knowledge, great recommendations, personable/approachable)
98 Smith Street
Collingwood
VERY CLOSE SECOND BEST SERVICE
Tim @ Books For Cooks
(Genuine interest in and knowledge of coffee books)
Gertrude Street,
Collingwood
BEST VIBE & HAPPIEST STAFF
Fandango
97 Errol Street
North Melbourne
(N.B. My sister & brother-in-law’s cafe)

















