Melbourne Patron

An institution of Melbourne, Pellegrini's Espresso Bar is one of the first places you are told about when you arrive in Melbourne. It faces street-front at 66 Bourke Street - on the corner of a most artistic-looking laneway - making it relatively easy to find, unlike many of its rooftop-dwelling, laneway-hiding neighbours. Aesthetically, it has an old-school Italian charm, and claims to have imported Melbourne's first espresso machine in the 1950s. Considering that, it's very disappointing that Pellegrini's uses and makes such terrible coffee. Vittoria! Oh, the shame. I have been to Pellegrini's several times over my four years in Melbourne, but I honestly have to say this was my most disappointing visit. Sure, it's cheap - but hey, pasta's not expensive to make. Yes, it has character - but so do a lot of places in this wonderful city... and too many 'cons' does not a 'pro' make. There is a long bar/counter that runs down one side o...

It was one of those places that became fashionable with hipsters before hipsters were even really a thing. But Bourke Street Bakery  (633 Bourke Street, Surry Hills) has apparently stood the test of time, consistently churning out great baked goods and coffee since 2004, expanding to four locations in all the hippest areas of Sydney. Being a coffee addict who needs at least one decent espresso-based coffee to start the day, my family try to mix it up for me every time I visit them in Sydney. We try all the local cafes, plus more, and naturally there are a few favourites. I hadn't been to Bourke Street Bakery before, but I'm pretty sure I'll be going back. We rocked up three days after Christmas and there was a queue. It's not unusual, apparently, but it was fine, because it moved quickly. Which unfortunately didn't give me a lot of time to peruse the baked items on display in the window. When I got to the front of the queue in the tiny shop, there al...