I've lived in Armadale for 3 years now and I drove past
Street Talk Espresso a number of times without giving it much thought.
With a dodgy looking take away pizza shop on one side and the words 'Street Talk Espresso' scrawled across the awning in a particularly ordinary font, I dismissed it as a sub-par takeaway joint for 2 years.
This was a mistake.
Late last year, on a Saturday morning walk, I decided to pop in for a weekend brunch. Not to be too adventurous at a new place, I ordered something that looked like a Melbourne Brunch staple.
1. The Breakfast Bruschetta: Tomato Medley, Fresh Basil, Avocado, Goats Chevre, Grilled Bacon, Poached Egg and Pepitas, $17.
The combination of flavours was amazing. I'm a huge fan of pretty much everything listed, but I'm super partial to
poached eggs, avocado and fresh basil. Everything worked in harmony, and the meal was honestly too big to finish (but I finished it anyway!)
Since that first delicious encounter, I've been back multiple times. The boys who run Street Talk Espresso are incredibly lovely and remember you every time, which really adds to the experience.
I usually like to sit at the bench along the front window drinking my coffee, watching the world goes by, but there's also a great area out the back set up away from the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. Which brings us to the second great thing about Street Talk Espresso:
2. House made almond milk, $1
Although I've since gone to primarily drinking a Long Black, every now and then it's great to have a creamy
Almond Milk Latte. It's even better when it's house made, and these guys have got it down.
Because it's so nice, I actually haven't had a long black here at all – which is a shame because they
roast their own coffee beans and I should really get an idea of how their coffee
truly tastes.
Although I've had the Breakfast Bruschetta a number of times now, I've also grown pretty fond of mushrooms for breakfast and Street Talk Espresso do a very quirky version that involves a beaker.
3. The Smashed Avocado: Dodoni feta, seeds, thyme buttered mushrooms, poached egg, aged balsamic, $17
This one is close to being my favourite dish on the menu now that I've stopped eating bacon. The thyme buttered mushrooms are always delightful, and the beaker filled with aged balsamic vinegar is both cute and practical.
Well-poached eggs top it all off and a smear of mashed pumpkin make this a great winter brunch option, and the aged balsamic vinegar in the beaker lets you add the perfect amount of
zing! to your meal.
While there are plenty of amazing places to eat brunch in Melbourne on your weekend, Street Talk Espresso nail it in almost every area: great coffee, house made almond milk, excellent breakfasts and super sweet service. Bonus: it's within walking distance from my house.
