Melbourne coffee reviews

This page contains all of the Five Word Coffee Shop Reviews in Melbourne and Victoria. Other pages have Sydney reviews, Taiwan reviews, chains and franchises and chocolate cafes.

They are sorted as follows:

Melbourne (146 reviews):
· South-eastern suburbs. Elsternwick, Bentleigh, Bentleigh East, McKinnon, Glenhuntly, Malvern, Chadstone, Oakleigh, Carnegie. (24 reviews)
· Outer south-east. Clayton, Mulgrave, Keysborough, Springvale, Dandenong, Berwick, Cranbourne. (11 reviews)
· Bayside. Sandringham, Hampton, Brighton, Black Rock, Beaumaris. (14 reviews)
· Cheltenham and surrounds. Moorabbin, Cheltenham, Parkdale, Mentone, Mordialloc. (18 reviews)
· Northern and western suburbs. Melbourne Airport, Mill Park, Werribee, Niddrie, Brunswick, Parkville, Fitzroy, Carlton, Collingwood. (20 reviews)
· Inner south. Port Melbourne, Prahran, South Yarra, Balaclava, Southbank, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Middle Park, St Kilda. (24 reviews)
· Melbourne CBD. Spencer St, Flinders Lane, Federation Square, Degraves St, Centre Place, Bourke St, Elizabeth St, Little Collins St. (22 reviews)
· Eastern suburbs. Hawthorn, Canterbury, Richmond, Glen Waverley, Wantirna South. (13 reviews)

Elsewhere in Victoria (30 reviews):
· Peninsula. Patterson Lakes, Bonbeach, Carrum, Seaford, Frankston, Aspendale Gardens, Sorrento, Mount Eliza. (13 reviews)
· Dandenongs. Mount Dandenong, Sassafras. (2 reviews)
· Geelong, West Geelong. (4 reviews)
· Albury and Wodonga. - see the NSW page.
· Country Victoria. Including Wangaratta, Euroa, Bendigo, Benalla, Torquay, Shepparton, Healesville, Woodend. (11 reviews)

* South-eastern suburbs:

Pure, Centre Rd Bentleigh
That’s a café? Good coffee.

Café Randa, Centre Rd Bentleigh
Not bad, can find better

Elfresco, Bentleigh
Average coffee, food is better

Sippers Espresso Bar, Bent St, Bentleigh
Coffeelicious. Israeli Shakshuka. Good stuff.

Off Centre Café, Mavho St, Bentleigh
Vibe good, coffee disappointing. Sigh.

Cafe J’adore, Centre Rd, Bentleigh
A decent brew. Bentleigh’s best?

Espresso Affair, Centre Rd, East Bentleigh
Not bad. A bit thin.

Marlo’s, Centre Rd, Bentleigh
Presentation, flavour, texture spot on.

Whyte Kaffe Bar, Glenhuntly Rd, Glenhuntly
Good café, despite awful name

Maxy’s, Glenhuntly Rd, Elsternwick
Liked the atmosphere, coffee, desserts

Grumblebugs, Glenhuntly Rd, Elsternwick
Decent. I liked it. Yep.

What’s on your plate?, Jasper Rd, McKinnon
Nice courtyard setting. I’ll return.

Cafe Roco, McKinnon Rd, McKinnon
Comfy seats and adequate coffee

Limonatta, McKinnon Rd, McKinnon
Competently done. Kids books, papers.

Central Gourmet, Malvern Central, Malvern
Open often. Coffee surprisingly decent.

From Tim:
Assettini Expresso Bar, Glenferrie Rd, Malvern
Compellingly decent mocha. Alrighty then.

Café Vini Spuntini, Chadstone Shopping Centre
Good strong coffee. Nice food

Café Marlon, Chadstone Shopping Centre
Go nowhere else in Chadstone

Café Etcetera, Chadstone
Good coffee, yes indeed, etc.

Dodo Internet Café, Chadstone Shopping Centre
Excellent. Good. Mediocre. Terrible. Inconsistent.

Artica Gelateria Del Corso, Chadstone
Neat cafe. Decent coffee, service

Nikos Quality Cakes, Portman St, Oakleigh
Very good coffee, nice cakes

Santucci’s, Koornang Rd, Carnegie
Good atmosphere, paintings, decent coffee

Figjam Cafe, Koornang Rd, Carnegie
Good texture and decent flavour

* Outer south-east:

The Den, Monash University Clayton Campus
Adequate coffee in the dark

Caffe Corso, Clayton Rd, Clayton
Alright. Strong enough, at least

Gardenia, Clayton Rd, Clayton
Okay coffee. Nice looking cakes.

Café Fiori, Parkmore Shopping Centre, Keysborough
Average coffee (best in Parkmore)

Red Balloon, Parkmore Shopping Centre, Keysborough
Surprisingly, this ain’t too bad

Esperence Cafe, Springvale Rd, Springvale
Atmosphere good, coffee nothing special

Coffee ‘n’ all, Dandenong Plaza, Dandenong
Good flavour and well presented

Cheesy’s, Dandenong Plaza
Good coffee in Dandenong? Maybe.

Yummy’s Café, Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre, Mulgrave
Decent coffee and free paper

From Jon:
Café Revival, Gloucester Ave, Berwick
Groovy atmosphere. Good coffee too.

From Sarz:
Thai Cottage, High St, Cranbourne
It’s instant. I like percolated.

* Bayside:

Kicco, Balcombe Rd, Beaumaris
Strong coffee, thick hot chocolates.

Rickett’s Point Teahouse, Beach Rd, Black Rock
You’re there for the location

From Parlo:
Sazio, Bluff Rd, Black Rock
Buzzes on weekends. Coffee good.

Schoolhouse Café, Church St, Brighton
Interestingly located. Coffee good too.

Beanery, Church St, Brighton
Good coffee is found here

David’s Shop, Hampton St (near South Rd), Brighton
Very nice. Also has chocolates.

Au Citron Café, Hampton St (near South Rd), Brighton
Impressive. Top coffee, classy atmosphere

Dendy Deli, Church St, Brighton
Looks good, coffee only OK

The Pantry, Church St, Brighton
Decent coffee and good food

Pera, Church St, Brighton
Average coffee; dark, brooding interior

Brown Cow Café, Hampton St, Hampton
I can’t go past it

Urchin Bar, Hampton St, Hampton
Coffee average. Brown Cow better.

Limoncello, Station St, Sandringham
Adequate coffee, half decent atmosphere

Hampton Cafe, Hampton St, Hampton
Air conditioned. Coffee forgettable, unfortunately

* Cheltenham and surrounds:

Sweet Lovers, Central Ave, Moorabbin
Drinkable, strong enough, nothing special

Peaberry, Charman Rd Cheltenham
Coffee good, not open enough

Café Del Amore, Charman Rd Cheltenham
Cafe 253, we miss you

Bluefoot, Charman Rd Cheltenham
Nice. Also try their breakfasts.

Café Delight, Charman Rd, Cheltenham
Comfy seats and decent coffee

Café Vespa, Southland Shopping Centre
Not bad but nothing spectacular

Red Corner Café, Southland
Makes good revolutionary coffee, comrade

Jody Mac Café, Southland Shopping Centre
Coffee ain’t bad, Danish coffee?

Guava Bean, Southland
About time I went back.

Caffe Ortica, Southland Shopping Centre, Cheltenham
Okay, but not Southland’s best

Cafe Galiano, Southland Shopping Centre, Cheltenham
Reasonable coffee. Nothing spectacular, though.

Nutmeg Tree Café, Station Rd, Cheltenham
Okay, but better is nearby

Lolly Jar, Florence St, Mentone
Massive, gigantic lollipops. And coffee.

Bridge Hotel, Nepean Hwy, Mordialloc
Reliable coffee, decent food, atmosphere

Good Reasons, Centre Way, Mordialloc
Ain’t bad, but no standout

Café Siesta, Main St, Mordialloc
Looks good, coffee only average

Café Blah Blah, Main St Mordialloc, also Charman Rd Cheltenham
Adequate coffee, very good food

Parkdale Beach Café, Beach Rd, Parkdale
No worries. Needs more seats.

* Northern and western suburbs:

Friends Of The Earth, Smith St, Collingwood
Green commies serve decent brew.

Atomica Caffe, Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Smooth. Good service, great coffee.

Don Vincenzo, Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Decent coffee and funky atmosphere

Endis Cafe, Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Coffee adequate but nothing special

Cafe Nova, Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Cafe features good coffee, fireplace

Caffeine Dealers, Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Very good coffee found here

From Trent:
Filter, Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Nice. Best on Brunswick St.

From Tim:
Cafe Crema, 488 Swanston St, Carlton
Popular. Top service, good coffee.

From SaRz’s mum:
Express Cafe, Royal Childrens Hospital, Parkville
Same old, same old coffee

Red Café, cnr Royal Pde and Walker St, Parkville
From memory, this is OK

Kaleidoscope Café, Sydney Rd Brunswick
The vibe and the coffee

Café 38, Stables Shopping Centre, Mill Park
Nice, but sooo far away

Mizzy’s Café, Keilor Rd Niddrie
Was good, is it still?

Café Addiction, Keilor Rd Niddrie
Not bad, but Mizzy’s better

Vine Food Store, Watton St, Werribee
Sorry, but not strong enough

Every coffee shop at Werribee Plaza
A coffee wasteland, go elsewhere

Café Christ-al, Watton St, Werribee
Ordered strong, got weak. Bzzt!

Café Di La, Watton St, Werribee
You could probably find better

Chatterbox Café, Watton St, Werribee
Adequate, but not a standout

Medallist Bar, Tullamarine Airport
See the planes. Adequate coffee.

* Inner south:

Chapelli’s, Chapel St, South Yarra
Rude staff but great coffee

Gallery 324, Toorak Rd, South Yarra
Competent coffee. Good quality food.

Readings, Bay St, Port Melbourne
Melbourne’s best bookshop/café combo

Tusk, Chapel St, Prahran
I like it a lot

Chapelino, Chapel St, Prahran
No worries. Decent coffee here.

Amici, Chapel St, Prahran
Good stuff. I’ll be back.

Red Terrace, 492 St Kilda Rd
I remember enjoying the coffee

Gattica, Carlisle St, Balaclava
Latte awesome. Excellent mocha too.

Coffee Company, Carlisle St, Balaclava
That aroma! Very good coffee.

Moka, Carlisle St, Balaclava
Decent coffee, but nothing spectacular

Batch Espresso, Carlisle St, Balaclava
Awesome. Pick of the bunch.

Las Chicas, Carlisle St, Balaclava
Awesome. It doesn’t get better.

Wall Two 80, Carlisle St, Balaclava
Awesome. Top coffee. Top atmosphere.

Lava Expresso, Carlisle St, Balaclava
Merely good. Forget about it.

Milktoast, Carlisle St, Balaclava
Superb flavour, groovy baby. Excellent.

Cafe Vous, off Carlisle St, Balaclava
Good flavour, arcade setting. Recommended.

Cafe Qua, Carlisle St, Balaclava
Another good quality Balaclava cafe.

Rive Gauche, Southgate Food Court, Southbank
Good flavour, generous loyalty card

Q11, Coventry St, South Melbourne
Decent, strong coffee. Good service.

From Steve:
St. Ali Cafe, Yarra Place (near Clarendon St), South Melbourne
Roast own Coffee… Must Try!

Café Bastille, Clarendon St, South Melbourne
Good coffee. Also liked food.

Icoco, Victoria Ave, Albert Park
I likes it. I’ll return.

Hot Honey, Armstrong St, Middle Park
Decent coffee and friendly staff.

Degali Bakery Cafe, Acland St, St Kilda
Nice top, flavour quite reasonable

* Melbourne CBD:

La Strada Café, cnr William & LaTrobe streets, Melbourne
Was once good, no longer

Journal, 251 Flinders Lane, City
Way cool atmosphere. Excellent coffee.

Minx, near cnr Collins & Spencer Streets, City
Tim quite liked this place.

Jolimont Pleasure Garden, Federation Square, Melbourne
Good coffee. Liked the music.

Degraves Espresso, Degraves St, Melbourne
Groovy. Good coffee. The chairs?

Vicolino Caffe, Centre Place, Melbourne
Very small café. Good coffee.

Puccini’s, Village Cinemas arcade, Bourke St, Melbourne
Asian pop music. Lame coffee.

Laurent Boulangerie Patisserie, 306 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Good coffee. Damn fine cakes.

Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar, 66 Bourke St, Melbourne
Unique setting. Disappointing coffee. Sigh.

Mary Martin Bookshop Cafe, 108 Bourke St, Melbourne
Good coffee. Books. I like.

Bourke Armoury, Bourke St (near Spencer St), City
Adequate coffee. Good, well-priced food.

Café Andiamo, Degraves St, Melbourne
Not bad. Degraves Espresso better.

Mag Nation, Elizabeth St, Melbourne
Magazines, mediocre coffee, paper cups.

Tutti In Piazza, Melbourne Central
Adequate coffee in food court

Avintji, Federation Square
Average coffee in great location

Cafe 201, 201 Spring St, Melbourne
Adequate coffee, with good top.

Unnamed lunch and coffee outlet, 628 Bourke St, Melbourne
Competently done take away coffee

Ortigia, 443 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Very nice coffee and lasagna

Fancy Fillings, DFO, Spencer St Melbourne
Okay. Nothing special, not bad.

Jungle Bar, Centre Place, Melbourne
Very good flavour, tiny cafe

Five, Centre Place, Melbourne
Decent coffee but slightly burnt

Bambini Barrista, rear 530 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Flavour not bad, nice top

* Eastern suburbs:

Xocolatl, Maling Rd, Canterbury
Xkaclaxztingly good (pardon my French)

The Maling Room, Maling Rd, Canterbury
Holy Grail. We’re not worthy.

Mario’s Coffee House, Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn
Great coffee, atmosphere. Service indifferent.

Café Vamp, Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn
A potent brew. Good service.

Book Talk Café, Swan St, Richmond
Old, new books. Good coffee.

7 Grams, 505 Church St, Richmond
Nice. Intriguing flavour. I’ll return.

Torch, Swan St, Richmond
Good coffee, friendly staff. Recommended.

Sass Café, 142 Bridge Rd, Richmond
Top coffee near Epworth Hospital

Moccha Jo’s, Kingsway, Glen Waverley
Nice. My Glen Waverley fave

Airstream, cinema complex, Glen Waverley
This is also quite good

Shine, Kingsway, Glen Waverley
Decent coffee. Nice looking staff.

Switch, Knox O-Zone, Wantirna South
Decent flavour, texture. Not bad.

Bar Bosh, Knox O-Zone, Wantirna South
Burnt flavour. Not the best.

* Peninsula:

Michelangelo, Springvale Rd, Aspendale Gardens and other locations
Ranges from good to average

Cafe Buenta, Young St, Frankston
Nice breakfasts, very reasonably priced

From Pete:
The Lake, McLeod Rd, Patterson Lakes
Burnt coffee, rude staff, don’t

Rusty Pelican, Lakeview Shopping Centre, Patterson Lakes
Decent, consistent. Patterson Lakes’ best.

Bakehouse Cafe, Lakeview Shopping Centre, Patterson Lakes
Go back to coffee school

From Pete:
Marnie’s, Station St, Seaford
Instant coffee passed as real.

Another from Pete:
Blue Chair, Nepean Hwy, Carrum
Not bad, suits Baby Boomers

Just Fine Food, Sorrento
Coffee, vanilla slice, everything superb.

From Pete:
The Beach Box, Nepean Hwy, Bonbeach (opposite station):
Coffee, food, service, chairs: MAGIC!

From Judy:
Rina’s, Station St, Seaford
Not bad coffee. Nice cakes.

From Pete:
Blinner’s, Station St, Seaford
Good coffee, fantastic (but pricey) muffins

Degani, Bayside Shopping Centre, Frankston
Decent coffee. Nice atmosphere too.

Linton’s Tea Rooms, Nepean Hwy, Mount Eliza
Okay coffee, good food, scones.

* Dandenongs

SkyHigh, Mount Dandenong Observatory, Mount Dandenong
Tourist trap. Order something safe.

From Judy:
Miss Marple’s Tea Rooms, Mt. Dandenong Tourist Rd, Sassafras
Coffee okay. Devonshire teas good.

* Geelong:

Sailors Rest, Eastern Beach Rd, Geelong
From memory, nothing wrong here

Bizzi B, Westfield Bay City, Geelong
I ordered strong, got strong

Bon Appetit, Westfield Bay City, Geelong
My first affogato was here

Café 9 Zero, Pakington St, West Geelong
Not good enough. Go elsewhere

* Country Victoria:
This is what Sarah thinks of a few places on or near the Hume Hwy in Victoria:

Mobil, Hume Hwy, Seymour
Worst coffee, tastes like petrol

McDonalds, Hume Hwy, Glenrowan
Slightly better than Mobil coffee

Jolly Jumbuck, Euroa
Great coffee, what a find

Hollywoods, Wangaratta
Worth leaving the highway for

From Tim:
Green Olive Cafe, Bath Lane, Bendigo
Service, atmosphere, coffee all fantastic.

Rambling Rose, Bridge St, Benalla
The parents quite liked it

From Sarah:
Scorched, The Esplanade, Torquay
Sarah and friends liked it.

From Sarah:
Friar’s Cafe, Fryers St, Shepparton
Probably the best in Shepparton

Cafe at Healesville Sanctuary, Healesville
Average, but Tim liked it

Eludae, Maroondah Hwy, Healesville
Cakes, slices excellent. Coffee not.

From Sarah:
Literary Latte, High St, Woodend
Books and coffee. Good stuff.