Toby’s Estate, 325 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

A couple of weeks ago I was wandering aimlessly through Melbourne’s CBD after a meeting at a big law firm. In hindsight, I’m not really sure if I was hungry, cold, thirsty or just in shock after an hour and a half of being in the steely presence of a team of corporate lawyers.

So, in spilling out of their grandiose Collins Street building into Flinders Lane I became acutely aware that I needed a serious exogenous stimulant. Ambling across the narrow causeway I happened upon the bright idea to put my normal dietary practices to one side and console myself with a delicious, proper NY style bagel from Glick’s. Imagine my utter astonishment when I got to the Customs House on Flinders Lane, looked up from the bluestone to find that Glick’s had been replaced with a familiar sign, that of Toby’s Estate – the Sydney founded coffee roasting crew who have become part of the Melbourne Cafe and Roasting furniture.

I took seeing that sign, well, as a sign…, a sign that I had earned a deep warm cup of the black stuff. A cleansing of palate and spirit and at this point it was either coffee or a pint of Guinness at the Bull and Bear.

Walking up the weenie steps and into the shop I was taken immediately by the use of light in the shop. Even on a cold and stormy afternoon in a bluestone wrought laneway, daylight poured through the vaulted windows into a space that felt adult and contemporary (and kinda Grey – Melbourne style) but not stuffy or boring. The layout walks you through a retail section straight up to the busy bar adorned with the stunning Spirit Triplette but what really stood out to me is what appears to be a cupping and training room beyond the bar. It’s sort of similar to the zoo-enclosure feel that you get watching folks cup at Seven Seeds. I learned later that this is the home of their Espresso School. One thing to note is that they have domestic espresso machines in there so you don’t have to learn on a complex industrial machine only to go home and be disappointed by your spluttering Breville (just kidding, I love my Breville).

Ok, so, onto the actual coffee. If you’ve read this blog before you’ll know that I’m a fan of the ever elusive, ever changing work of interpretive art that is the long macchiato. And, yep, Toby’s deliver their own unique take on it too. Served in a short glass and full to the brim, the long mach , which I was told was made using the Brunswick Blend. Light on froth and tasting faintly of cocoa it was a just the thing to bring back to the land of the living.

With sunny and professional service, a full range of coffees (single origins and blends to keep you busy for weeks), snacks and a fully functional kitchen that appeared to be cranking there are numerous reasons (not just detoxing from a visit to your lawyer) to get yourself into Toby’s Estate on Flinders Lane.

Enjoy, readers.

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Naked Espresso, 390 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

“I’ve had bedroom naked, I’ve had walk-to-the-bathroom naked… I have never had living-room naked.“

– George Costanza, 1997

And, well, until now unless you’ve risked third degree burns to your most sensitive assets, you’ve probably never had awesome-cafe-naked, either.

When the lovely folks at Elevenses moved away from the Moscow end of Melbourne’s CBD it was a sad day at CaffeineCity HQ. I mean, sure I only had to walk to Kinfolk for a decent cup whenever I was around that way but this is Melbourne, damn it, I need – nay – expect to be within earshot and crawling distance of a decent espresso or single origin pour over at all times. So, as disappointing as that departure was, it has been more than made up for by the revealing of their newest and nude-est venture Naked Espresso Bar on Little Bourke St between Elizabeth and Queen (yes, right near BBB).

It’s a teeny-tiny place but there is room to sit. It’s not really a restaurant but their food is top-notch (try the baked eggs or the Rooben Bagel). And, they’re not really naked but there is a certain stripped-back simplicity that works here. Beans courtesy of Toby’s Estate and others on spec are beautifully prepared (all methods available) and served with sparkling water to refresh ye palate.

The proprietors, Tom and Shanny, went out of their way to make customers feel welcome which counts for a lot – especially with the preponderance of seemingly disinterested cafe staff around Melbourne of late. I tend to agree with Diane at Meld Melbourne who said she felt like she was at a mate’s place rather than a cafe. Although, my mates don’t offer me free coffee when I roll up pantsless on a Monday morning.

There have been occasions where I’ve regretted getting Naked, but this ain’t one of ’em.

Elevenses Espresso Bar, 585 Lt Collins St, Melbourne

If there was one corner of Melbourne’s CBD that did not have outstanding coffee it was what my grandma used to refer to as the ‘Moscow End’ of the city – the Spencer St end, the South-West corner if you will. Of course, I say that this ‘was’ the case because last week I dropped into Elevenses Espresso Bar and proceeded to have my socks rocked.

Tucked into the corner of a deep bluestone building between King and Spencer this little (and I mean little!) cafe is bringing psychoactive merriment to a growing list of patrons. Made on a Mirage with Toby’s Estate beans my long mach arrived a deep, chocolate brown and indeed actually had a faint chocolate nose to it. This was a beautifully textured coffee with an after-taste that sat pleasingly on my tongue for the next hour. I was not going to eat but decided that a ‘kanga-sanga’ aka The Rooben was way too good to pass up. Great decision, great sandwich.

Elevenses only opened in this location recently after the owners moved from their joint in Kensington but is already earning a great name among the denizens and work-a-days of the Moscow End – I thoroughly recommend it, caffeine comrades!