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Five or six years ago, in spite of Melbourne’s supposed reputation as the ‘coffee capital’ of Australia, most of the running in espresso coffee was happening in Sydney, with great names like Single Origin, Mecca and more recently, The Source.

However in the last couple of years, that has changed and Melbourne is firmly re-established as the nation’s coffee capital! What makes a cafe great? There are a lot of factors that go into it, but the consistent factors are that our top cafes generally roast their own coffee and they all have an uncompromising attitude towards freshness and coffee quality. If not coffee ‘geeks’ they are definitely coffee purists!

And as these innovative purists continue to set the bar even higher, the coffee consumer and cafe patron are being educated, whether knowingly or not, as to how great their coffee experience can be. Although it’s difficult to keep churning out great coffee time-after time, these cafes have a commitment to quality and a pursuit of excellence that makes it not just a possibility but a reality.

We voted Andrew Kelly’s Auction Rooms in North Melbourne as No. 1. Auction Rooms is a design statement, as well as a purveyor of fine food and truly excellent coffee. Fine ‘regular’ origins include names such as Ecuador El Guabo -Teofilo Jimenez Microlot and Costa Rica Lourdes de Naranjo – Finca Genesis. Andrew is one of a new breed of espresso purists and Auction Rooms provided him with a way to ‘push the boundaries’ of espresso coffee. Superb!

The Maling Room [in Canterbury] has played a significant role in developing specialty coffee as it is in Melbourne today. Roasting on-site on a 5kg Renegade roaster, using a pair of Synesso espresso machines and an original 1957 Faema lever, an ever changing offering of single origins are served alongside a seasonal house blend which are all available to take home. The Maling Room is an excellent cafe with fantastic coffee, and we voted it No.2.

Perched on the ‘edge’ of the Prahran Market precinct, Market Lane came in third. They are a relatively recent addition to the Melbourne cafe scene and they have a focus on alternative preparation techniques such as ceramic pour-over, and have a keen eye for sourcing and roasting enticing beans. Recent examples on the menu include Carmo Estate from Brazil, with notes of blackcurrant and cocoa and Kenyan Mbee – sweet and complex, with notes of passion fruit, vanilla and rose hip tea.

Fourth was Mark Dundon’s latest effort Seven Seeds, nestled in the warehouses of inner Carlton. Behind a slightly unprepossessing exterior lies a stylised and slightly cavernous cafe space, with the roastery visible through viewing windows out the back. The decor is quite striking, with a bare, almost minimalist effect and metal chairs and military stencilled cutlery boxes giving unique utilitarian undertones. There’s nothing utilitarian about the coffee though, which like the simple but delicious food, is of a very high standard.

Fifth was Proud Mary in Collingwood. Greeted by the world’s only 6 group Synesso you would expect espresso to be the main focus at Proud Mary. But you will soon discover a Clover machine, syphon bar and an Uber boiler used for the several other filter brewing methods available. One of Melbourne’s newest specialty coffee destinations, Proud Mary doesn’t disappoint!

Why is this of interest to our international readers? Because I can almost guarantee that these five cafes are the equal of, or better than any cafes in the world, including Italy, home of espresso!