Finding 5 of the best coffees in Melbourne is not hard. The difficulty is in narrowing the list because Melbourne, as we Melburnians know, has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to coffee roasters and suppliers.
With Melbourne routinely appearing in the top 3 of the world’s coffee capitals it’s not surprising, to Melburnians at least, that there is a thriving coffee culture of specialty coffee roasters continuing to perfect and broaden the range of coffees available.
Best Coffee Culture
Back in 2014 Melbourne trumped Rome, Vienna and Sydney in being judged as having the best coffee in the world.
Travel website booking.com surveyed more than 1000 of its users from around the world and found Melbourne was well and truly on top when it comes to coffee.
“There are many great specialty roasters in Melbourne that consistently strive for excellence and keep pushing us all to be the best we can be and there’s a great sense of community here that can’t be found in many other places around the world.”
In the survey, 301 booking.com guests endorsed Melbourne for coffee, followed by 187 endorsements for Vienna, 116 for Rome and 86 for Lviv in the Ukraine.
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.”
— T S Eliot
Prodigy Blend
The best coffee at the top of our list is Prodigy Blend by Conical Coffee Roasters. Prodigy Blend can be found at many Melbourne cafes and comprises 100% Arabica beans, ethically sourced from three of the globe’s primary bean producing regions – Honduras (Montecillos), Ethiopia (Sidamo) and Kenya.
Prodigy boasts a medium body whilst retaining a subtle fruity sweetness.
The Cat’s Pyjamas
The Cat’s Pyjamas is next on our list, again widely available at cafes around Melbourne, supplied by Sydney-based, Seven Miles Coffee Roasters
The Cat’s Pyjamas is rich, luxurious, surprising – like wearing a velvet suit, while stroking a white cat, in a 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow (if you can picture that!)
Axil Coffee Roasters
High on any list ranking Melbourne’s best coffee is Axil Coffee Roasters.
Axil Coffee Roasters commit to Direct Trade coffee and bring quality and consistency to their customers. If you’ve been to one of the many Axil cafes around Melbourne you can appreciate the “farm to table” approach and dedication to good products and great service.
Proud Mary
Another perennial Melbourne coffee favourite is Proud Mary Coffee Roasters. Founded in 2009, Proud Mary offers products and services that have stood the test of time and trends
They aim to provide a heart-felt experience for everyone who visits their Melbourne and Portland, Oregon locations.
Padre Coffee Roasters
Last on our list but definitely not least is Padre Coffee. Situated in Brunswick Padre Coffee are specialty coffee roasters, wholesalers and retailers.
Born in 2008, is based in Melbourne and Noosa, and are firmly focused on ethical, sustainable growth.
Padre promote quality produce, sustainability, and fostering long term committed relationships throughout the supply chain.
The inimitable Troy Kinne – “True Coffee Cafe” – If coffees were named after those ordering them.