Degraves Espresso Bar – Melbourne CBD

“Where can I get a good coffee?” I twittered on my iPhone. It didn’t take long for me to realise I’ve sent the message too soon without telling people where exactly I am. Soon enough my twitter is flooded with recommendations all the way from US, telling me to go to Starbucks.

“Where can I get a good coffee in Melbourne CBD?” I twittered again, and better luck this time. A few suggestions from friends and the friendly Melbournians including: federal coffee palace at GPO, Caffe Torta in Royal Arcade, any cafes in Degraves Street, and Brother Baba Budan on Little Bourke got a few mentions. As my location is quite near Little Bourke Street, so thought will go and check out Brother Baba Budan. To my dismay, the cafe is shut on Sunday, all the wooden chairs are hanging neatly on the ceiling, and the door was shut. (Bleh!)

Hence, Degraves Street here I go.

Degraves Street is a laneway that runs between Finders Street and Flinders Lane, near Elizabeth Street. Close to an exit from Flinders Street Station, it is a popular place for people to stop for a coffee or snack before catching a train. Despite the scotching hot weather Melbourne had suffered for the last few weeks, there is already a big crowd sitting outside enjoying coffee when I arrived.

There are many cafes to choose from, but you can’t go to Degraves Street without trying the Degraves Espresso Bar.

Degraves Espresso Bar is a cheerful if a little pokey café with young relaxed funky friendly staff. They are all running in and out frantically bringing coffee and food to the customers. So don’t expect someone to show you the seat, and hand you the menu. As a matter of fact, there is no menu. The menu are written along the wall and also on a big blackboard outside the window.

It is European funky cool inside the cafe, a sexy burlesque waitress with heavy rockabilly tattoos is pulling a long back behind the bar, theatrical seats are cramped in every corner and the bohemian seems to enjoy themselves, reading newspaper, sipping coffee or whatever make them keep coming back and sit at the same seat since 1930s.

I found an empty seat along the window bar and squeeze myself through the crowd to get to the seat and sit down with newspaper. I ordered myself a Cafe Latte, chimping on the camera while trying to calm myself down as I am getting hotter inside the cafe. The coffee is good with a layer of soft peak froth on top that clings to the teaspoon. Shame I am just too hot to enjoy the coffee while sweat is dripping down my face. I finished the coffee and quickly out of the cafe, promise myself to visit this cafe again before heading back to Sydney.

The next morning I come back to Degraves Street, and the weather is looking promising, cool breeze and cloudy. Men in suit are rushing past the laneway, with coffee in one hand and heading to work. The laneway is a lot quieter on a weekday morning, only few backpackers sitting outside having the morning breakfast.

This time I managed to sit outside under the umbrella strewn laneway with no trouble. The fresh paninis are perfectly stacked in the window display, I’ve heard the Cajun chicken panini is the real deal. If panini is not your thing, there is also a variety of food written on the big blackboard to choose from. I have my mind set on the big breakfast and a nice cup of flat white, that’s what I usually have and how I review a cafe.

Yep, the coffee definitely doesn’t disappoint, it is not too hot (I hate burning-tongue-hot-coffee!), aromatic, velvety smooth down the throat with the nice layer of froth again. I just taking the scenery in, watching the passerbys, sipping the coffee while waiting for my breakfast.

The big breakfast comes with 2 poached eggs on toasted sourdough bread, strips of bacons, grilled tomatoes and a generous portion of fried mushrooms. The eggs are unfortunately a bit over-poached with solid yolks inside. I do like my yolks runny… Overall, the big breakfast is average at a reasonable price, just like the cafe itself, grungy but down-to-earth. That’s what make people keep coming back.

I wish there is a laneway like this in Sydney, with no pretentious cafes charging an arm or leg, but somewhere you can just go, sit down and relax over a hearty meal, and a nice cup of coffee.

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Degraves Espresso Bar
23 Degraves Street
Melbourne, Victoria, 3000
P:+61 3 9654 1245
Opening hours:  Mon-Fri 7am-late, Sat 8.30am-late

Tagged as: Breakfast, coffee, degraves espresso bar, degraves street, Melbourne, Victoria