Discover Melbourne's Coffee Culture: Insider facts and hotspots

Among the things that resonate worldwide about Melbourne is the European air of its architecture, its laneways, and its well known coffee culture. People say that Melburnians take the quality of their daily coffee seriously and are willing to pay a considerable price to enjoy a good cup.

The question are, how different could coffee culture in Australia be from ours? Many of us have grown up in places surrounded by coffee plantations and drinking "tinto '' every day, but why is Melbourne one of the coffee capitals of the world, if they do not produce coffee?

Well, here you will find where the importance comes from. I will explain relevant aspects about the coffee bubble in Melbourne that caught my attention when I first arrived, and that will surely make you fall more in love with this beautiful city.

Let's begin!

Origins

How did coffee come to Melbourne? Theories suggest that waves of Italians and Greeks immigrated after World War II, bringing with them the espresso machine and the tradition of making espresso. Italians established cafes that became social centers for sharing and having vivid conversations over espresso. The epicentre of this settlement was Carlton, more precisely on Lygon Street, which still retains many of these cafes.

However, there is a very famous cafe that is an institution in Melbourne, its name is Pellegrini's, located in the CBD and founded by Italian immigrants. This iconic cafe opened its doors in 1954 serving intellectuals, theatre actors and tourists. Today it still serves the community and offers a variety of pasta dishes and amazing espressos. 

Evolution - The Third Wave

Coffee in Melbourne has evolved. In the 90s, coffee culture experienced an awakening. Coffee producers began to diversify the sources of coffee beans (incorporating single-origin beans) and to experiment with different roasting profiles highlighting the flavors of the beverage.

In addition to this, coffee brewing techniques expanded to include other methods such as pour-over, aeropress, cold brew, and single origin. This movement transformed coffee culture in Melbourne, giving it an air of elegance, formality, and a stamp of tradition.

Daily Life in Melbourne

People consume an average of 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day, priced between $4.50 to $6 AUD per cup. The ritual begins in the morning, when they have the first cup of coffee at home or on their way to work.

In the suburbs, there are small coffee shops or mini stores that make it easier to purchase a "takeaway" coffee for the road.

Throughout the day, the pattern of behavior involves taking a "break" from work to buy coffee and socialize with colleagues. You would be surprised by the amount of time they spend having that coffee. Some people even have a third cup after lunch, perhaps the last of the day to avoid caffeine affecting their sleep.

Cafes in Melbourne and Standards

Today, the coffee offer in Melbourne can please any palate and preference. Each cafe in Melbourne has its own identity. Besides enjoying a good coffee, you can see a style and decoration that creates a pleasant atmosphere, whilst offering a unique experience.

At the entrance of many cafes, you can see bags of coffee beans from special origins from different parts of the world, including Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. Each bag costs around $20-25 AUD and you can request ground beans.

There are around 3000 cafes in Melbourne, ranging from iconic institutions (as i mentioned before) to hidden gems in the laneways of Collins and Little Collins streets.

The industry is currently very competitive, which helps to maintain high standards. An average person in Melbourne who likes coffee knows where is the best place to sit down and enjoy a coffee. If you want something on the side to have with your coffee, don't worry!. There are plenty of options, that vary from the most popular avocado on toast, poached eggs, to pastries.

Types of Preparation

The most popular coffee preparation in Australia is the "flat white". It is similar to a latte but the main difference is the ratio of coffee to milk and also the texture of the foam. The flat white has two shots of espresso, a minimal amount of steamed milk, and a thin layer of velvety foam. Flat whites are often decorated with latte art, and you can see delicate figures of swans, hearts or leaves, among others.

The origin of the flat white is disputed between two countries: Australia and New Zealand. What it is known is that this preparation became popular in the 1980s and today is part of the menu in coffee shops around the world.

My experience trying coffee in Melbourne was something I didn't expect. I had never tasted a coffee so well made, so well blended, but at the same time so strong that made my heart race. In my time in Colombia, I probably used to drink low-quality coffee or maybe it was because the good coffees are the ones that are exported.

I also realised that in Australia, there is a large part of the population that orders decaffeinated coffee with different types of milk, such as soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or even macadamia milk.

Baristas

Baristas are the stars of the show. In Australia, being a barista is a highly respected and well-paid profession. It is important to mention that the more experienced is the barista the higher the salary.

As an international student, you could work as a barista if you know how to make coffee and have experience. If not, it's better to take a course and train before starting to work. There are institutions like the Melbourne Coffee Academy that offer training courses to train future baristas.

To finalise 

Now that you have a better understanding of coffee culture in Melbourne and the industry's quality standards, all that's left for you is to visit the iconic sites, sit down with a newspaper, good company and enjoy a cup of coffee prepared by the best baristas.