Vertue Coffee Roasters: Is This Melbourne’s Quirkiest Cafe?

Anyone that knows me will be well aware that I like to devote a good proportion of my spare time to hunting out the best coffee around. This week, I took one of those outings to Melbourne’s suburb of Carlton to check out Vertue Coffee Roasters.

This cafe reputation proceeded itself so, it was somewhere that had been on my list for a while. Like all good Melbourne cafes, Vertue coffee is tucked down a narrow alleyway that’s hidden behind the hustle and bustle on Lygon Street. In fact, the only way you’d know it was there is because of the little signpost labeled ‘coffee’, that’s pointing in its direction.

I’m completely in love with the decor of this cafe. The building actually used to be an old stable and as a consequence, it has the high ceilings and a large amount of space that’s generally lacking from Melbourne cafes.

Once you get into the cafe, the first thing to tempt you is the gorgeous selection of cakes and pastries that are displayed next to the takeaway coffee section. Head further in and the cafe opens up into a spacious and bright seating area where you can sit down to a cup of coffee of a full-on brunch.

Vertue Coffee Roasters, 8 Raffa Place, Carlton, Melbourne 3053

This one of the many quirky cafes that I love in Melbourne. Be sure to check my other cafe suggestions in Melbourne as well as other cafes over the world.

Hoi An Roastery Cafe Review Hoi An

Best for: Vietnamese coffee, International coffee, cakes, lunch, solo coffee outings

The beautiful lantern filled ancient town of Hoi An in Vietnam is somewhere that holds a special place in my heart. It was a place that I had been desperate to visit for long time and when I went there on my solo travels in Asia Last year, I loved it even more than I’d expected to- in fact I loved it so much that I stayed twice the length of time that I’d originally intended. So, what makes Hoi An so special?

What I loved moved about Hoi An was its sheer beauty. Narrow lanes, covered in colourful hanging lanterns, with a little river running through the centre of it. There’s no denying that the town is touristy but having said this, it somehow manages to maintain its authenticity. I loved tucking into a big bowl of noodles at the bustling Central Market in the day, perusing the night market in the evenings and of course exploring the many wonderful cafes that Hoi An has to offer.

There are a lot of places to get your caffeine fix in Hoi An and out of all them, Hoi An Roastery was my favourite. It’s actually a local cafe chain and they have six locations in the town but my favourite one was their original location by the Japanese bridge. I came here most days to read my book and enjoy a Ca Phe Sua Da or an egg coffee.

The Decor

What I loved about Hoi An Roastery was the way that it managed to look really contemporary yet still in keeping with Hoi An’s traditional buildings. All of the cafes locations are all really spacious, light and open plan. That means that even if it rains- and when I was in Vietnam it rained a lot- it still felt like I was outside in the hustle and bustle of the towns streets even if I sat inside. Each and every one of the cafes locations offers a different scenic view of Hoi An. The cafe by the Japanese Bridge was my favourite for people watching but I also loved the upstairs balcony on the one by temple and the views over the river from its riverside location too.

The Menu

Hoi An Roastery specialises in great coffee- in fact they source their own beans from nearby in Dalat, roast them in Hoi An and they have the best range of coffees around. While I would always advise to stick to the more traditional Vietnamese coffees (because once you get a taste for Vietnamese condensed milk coffee there is no going back), they also do fantastic espresso based coffees, great for travellers missing a taste of home. They also offer a section of sandwiches, traditional Vietnamese dishes and cakes. My advice- get the banana bread.

I’m not going to sit back and pretend these are the cheapest cafes in Hoi An- the little street side stalls frequented by the locals will always be your best bet, Hoi An Roastery’s cafes are however, still fairly cheap and as a chain, it beats Starbucks anytime.

Vacation Cafe Review Melbourne

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Best for: Sitting in, Takeaway, Breakfast, brunch, early morning coffee, taking your Instagram’s

I really wanted to go to Vacation cafe from the moment that I heard about it because of its decor. It’s bright, cheery, quirky, colourful and really the epitome of what I expected all cafes in Australia to be like before I got here.

Located on Exhibition Street, a stone’s throw away from Melbourne’s Federation Square, Vacation is centrally located however it could be easily missed if you weren’t looking for it. The cafe’s venue itself is actually quite small however it packs in a quite a few tables and its bright decor and high ceilings give the impression that it’s a lot bigger than it looks.

Despite its location, Vacation seems to lack the sense of morning franticness that a lot of other Melbourne’s cafes have. It’s actually a very tranquil and chilled place to sit for a while, so nice in fact that it would be a shame to just grab a coffee for takeaway.

Vacation specialises in premium coffee and actually roast their own beans off-site. The coffee menu is fairly basic but like most of the city’s cafes, you can pretty much order whatever coffee you would like from the barista. Food wise, Vacation offers a small and affordable breakfast and brunch menu as well as a good selection of cakes and pastries.

http://itsavacation.com

Vacation cafe, 1 Exhibition Street, Melbourne

Looking for cafes in Melbourne? Check out my other featured cafes here.

Mr Tulk Cafe Melbourne CBD

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Melbourne: The Best Cafes For 20- Somethings

Mr Tulk Cafe review, Melbourne CBD. Good for: Students, working, free WiFi, solo coffee dates, meetings.

It was a Wednesday in Melbourne, I had a day off and I wanted just two things: Coffee and WiFi. It sounds like a reasonable request but Melbourne’s healthy obsession with coffee means just one thing: no room. oh how I love the glorious array of quirky independent cafes that the city has to offer but one of the cafes many defining charms in the city centre is that they are all so tiny.

I decided to do a bit of a search online. I needed a cafe I could work in- I had blog posts piling up and travel research to do and none of this was going to get done without some caffeine in my system. After a bit of research, I settled for Mr Tulk Cafe. It was apparently spacious, it had WiFi, good coffee and it was located right next door the State library, somewhere I had been meaning to check out anyway.

Mr Tulk Cafe Review Melbourne CBD

I really like Mr Tulk. It is large but not imposing to go in, there are plenty of seats including one large table that is great for solo cafe visitors. The decor is minimalistic and I guess, due to its good wi-fi and proximity to the library, it feels quite studenty.

The cafes name itself pays homage to its location, being named after the library’s first chief librarian, Augustus Henry Tulk, who helped build the library’s collection of books to what it is today.

Once your settled in with your coffee and buried deep in your work, you probably won’t want to leave; luckily Mr Tulks food menu has got you covered. Its lunch menu includes full dishes such as gnocchi, salmon and flatbread or you could just help yourself to one of their many cakes and pastries. They also offer a selection of fresh juices. When the work gets too much, Mr Tulk is licensed so you could even treat yourself to a glass of wine: Sometimes it’s necessary.

Mr Tulk,328 Swanston Street, Melbourne, Open Mon -Thurs 7:30-5, Friday 7:00-7:30 pm, Sat-Sun- 9:00-4pm.

http://www.mrtulk.com.au

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