Wherever you are in Melbourne, there's always a café within walking distance. Most claim to have the best coffee, or the best food, and it's hard to judge between them. Since most people don't have the hundreds of hours or the small fortune it would take to visit them all, here's a few suggestions for the five best cafés in Melbourne.
Degraves Espresso
Impossible to exclude from a list like this, Degraves Espresso is the heart of a street that typifies the best of Melbourne café culture. Situated at 23-25 Degraves St, Degraves Espresso is right in the middle of the CBD. The coffee is frankly spectacular and while the food may take a while to arrive, it's worth the wait. Try the soup of the day for an inexpensive option, and relax in one of the comfy leather chairs. Aside from the toast with vegemite, this café wouldn't be out of place in the laneways of Paris.
Animal Orchestra
A favourite for professors looking for an off-campus latte, Animal Orchestra is at 163 Grattan St just opposite Gate 11 of Melbourne University. The coffee is predictably good, but the much-touted baked eggs don't live up to their reputation – they're a touch overcooked. Luckily the soups and paninis – especially the chicken panini – are excellent, and the trendy décor is only improved by students arguing about socialism or the Hegelian dialectic.
Brunetti
The most famous coffee in Melbourne.
While Brunetti has opened franchises near Federation Square, Camberwell, Fitzroy – and, most recently, Bourke St Myer – the true Brunetti is the original at 194-204 Faraday St. Like Degraves Espresso, it's a Melbourne icon and a must-visit for anyone with a sweet tooth and a taste for pastries. Grab a coffee and a cake and enjoy. Unfortunately, Brunetti's excellence is the cause of its main problem: crowds. Getting to the cake counter is a challenge in itself, and service is slightly delayed by the constant volume of orders. If you're looking for a quiet coffee, try somewhere less popular.
Journal Canteen
In the same building as the City Library (253 Flinders Lane), Journal Canteen – or just Journal – is the café of choice for people visiting the library. Roomy and comfortable, it serves coffee and savoury food by day; wine and antipasto by night. While the tables can fit large groups of people, plan to arrive early if you're looking for lunch – this place fills up fast. And for good reason: the quality of the meals and the coffee is reliably excellent. Away from mealtimes, Journal becomes a great place to study, with its long tables and bookish atmosphere.
Coffee Vault
The final café is an unlikely choice. Located in Vault 1 Banana Alley on Flinders St, halfway between the station and Docklands, it's tiny and rarely open. Even if you find it open, there's a decent chance they'll have run out of coffee – which is odd, since that's almost the only thing they serve. The reason it's on this list is because it's run by the fantastic T-Roy Brown, certified café genius, and Coffee Vault's single origin espresso is an excellent contender for the best coffee in the CBD. Out of the way, rarely open, mindblowingly amazing lattes – Coffee Vault is the unacknowledged soul of Melbourne, representing everything that's good about a thriving café culture.
Now that you know the best cafés in Melbourne, there's nothing to stop you from experiencing a lifetime of great food and excellent coffee. Why not impress relatives from out-of-town, or organize a caffeine odyssey around the city? Regardless of your plans, an appreciation of Melbourne's cafes is an invaluable asset in your daily – and romantic – life.
