124 Gardenvale Rd, Gardenvale, 3185. Ph: 9596 4186

322 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn, 3122. Ph: 9819 0093

Coffee: Axil Coffee
Roaster on site: It is called Axil Coffee ROASTERS isn't it?
Machine: La Marzocco

Melbourne's newest coffee roaster has opened today ( I know, im such an early adopter) in the good old commercial precinct of Burwood Rd, Hawthorn. Axil coffee has been the worst kept secret in the industry for a while now and this latest offering from David Makin and Zoe Delaney was already a winner before it's doors even opened. Twitter has been abuzz for a while and the fact that this area (filled to the brim with commercial office buildings and residential towers) is starving for some good coffee means that success should be a sure thing for the Axil team. And from what I saw today, I wasn't wrong. For a first day it was pretty damn busy. The first thing you will notice is that the place is massive. The canteen-like layout allows for shit loads of tables and shit loads of tables it has.

The roaster sits in the back room, visible through a strip of glass. I like that the roaster is visible, but would have loved for it to be incorporated more into the design. (i know it's not practical, but i don't care)

The design is quite nice, but also expected: polished concrete, plywood tables, hanging cage lights etc. It ticks all the boxes of a Melbourne warehouse-style cafe.

Now, this isn't a bad thing, as the standards for a Melbourne cafe are quite high, but i would have loved to see something a little more different. However, one thing that is different compared to most of the other roasters is that they have a huge kitchen with a big f*** off menu.

This is not just a wraps and bircher cafe. They have a kick-arse all day breakfast, lunch, rolls, cakes, you name it. And going by the chorizo and egg roll that I devoured, im guessing that every dish is as extremely delicious.

And for all you pork-belly snobs out there, yes they also have a pork belly dish on the menu.

Now to the most important part. The coffee. Opening up a roastery is in Melbourne is a big deal, and if you dont get it right, you will most certainly be chased by pitchfork wielding hipsters. So, does Axil get it right? Well, considering that I (cruelly) came here on opening day, usually filled with Murphy's law moments, im going to say that they have got it right. I ordered a double ristretto, but was advised that the ristretto's weren't coming up too well today and that i should opt for a double espresso instead,

so I did and it came to me in the form of a dark, rich extraction that was just sublime.

(however it did lack that depth that a double ristretto usually gives me, but considering it was opening day, ill let the no ristretto fly).

Next up was a latte, constructed of velvety milk and a dark chocolate flavours. It was a very nice latte indeed, in fact I probably enjoyed the latte more than the espresso, but I have been in a milky mood of late.

Overall the coffee at Axil is very good. And considering the paint was still wet, I can only imagine that on second and third visits it is only going to keep getting better. And I will definitely be going back.

They also have what seems to me will be a very thourough retail section. Although it was not completely ready for opening day, It looks to be quite big and from what i can see will be very impressive when ready, and should cater for all your coffee needs.

If you work in the area, Axil Coffee Roasters should automatically become your default coffee choice starting now. No ifs, buts or whats.

274 Barkly Street, Brunswick. 93876079

Coffee: Wide Open Road
Machine: Synesso

Brunswick, especially in the grid between Brunswick rd and Glenlyon rd from Lygon st to Sydney rd (NOBRO?), has to be one of the most densely cafe populated inner-city suburbs of Melbourne. The only problem is, they aren’t all that very good now are they? On my work break I usually jump in the car and head down to Brunswick East Project for a pick-me-up, however I really don’t like being stuck on Sydney Rd for 30 minutes out of my 60-minute break, you dig?

Well, I got out of that little pickle the other day when I found Miss Marmalade. Problem with MM is that it’s one of those places that are too close to drive but too far to walk. In that region of 20 min walk 2 min drive. SO I feel lazy driving, but CBF walking. So it’s the perfect place to go for coffee when I feel like a short drive without traffic. But I still really wanted somewhere that I could walk to for a quick coffee that didn’t suck. So I had two options. Either I jogged to MM or pray that a café opens closer. So I prayed. Yeah, I’m lazy. Well, believe it or not, going to church once a year paid off! Wide Open Road, Brunswick’s newest coffee roaster has finally opened its doors about a 100m away from work. Now I’ve been hearing about this place on the grapevine for at least a year now, and to be honest I almost forgot about it until a few weeks ago. It’s the same owners as A Minor Place, the Brunswick institution on Albion St that you everyone who is trying to save the world one soy decaf latte at a time sits out the front of. Enough about me.

Wide Open Road’s (WOR) fit out is what you would expect for a warehouse-converted café trying to become a local institution.

Wooden communal table. Check. Retro Light fittings. Check. Shopping trolley stuck to a wall? Um. Check. Now this might sound sarcastic, but it isn’t really. WOR’S fit out is rather nice and manages to give an intimate feel to what was once a 600sqm shell. Almost like a mini Seven Seeds. The only downside to the design in my eyes is that, seeing how it is a roastery, I WANT TO SEE THE GOD-DAMN ROASTER! I really wish this was incorporated into the design is some way. I know that when (I now say WHEN not IF) I open a roastery, it will be the center of attention. They are beautiful machines. They should be seen. Anyway. Apart from that minor flaw in my eyes.

the design is great; it’s clean and simple. I like it. Yes, even the shopping trolley.

Well I guess I should talk about the actual coffee at some point shouldn’t I? Here it goes: In comparison to the cafes surrounding it,

the coffee is a clear winner. The double ristretto was perfectly extracted, giving that syrupy texture we all know and love protected by a dark orange crema. It comes with a small complimentary glass of sparkling which you all know by now that I think should be a standard offering from all serious cafes.

It’s not the best ristretto that I have had, but its definitely one that I would be happy to consume over and over again. I also had a pour over which was quite good as well. Although I did think it was lacking some body compared to others I have had in the past. Could have been me, could have been them. Ill go back and let you know. For the serious coffee lovers, I didn’t really see much of a retail section, maybe it’s still early and they haven’t set that part up yet. So if you want retail your go to cafe in the area is still Brunswick East Project.

Wide Open Road also serves food, they don’t have a commercial kitchen, I thought this would have been something that is high on the priority, but I guess they want to keep the focus on the coffee. Nothing wrong with that at all.

I know that it is the first few weeks of opening, but this new addition to the Brunswick surely does look promising. It’s definitely a step up from the cafes in close proximity, although it does have a lot of competition when you compare it to the other cafes in the neighborhood.

Wide Open Road is still very young and although the coffee is probably the best in the area (Brunswick, NOT Brunswick East , I can only see it getting better and better.

Very happy to be featured in Feasting Never Stops, one of the best food related websites on the web!

http://www.feastingneverstops.com/1154943/A-Week-Of-Coffee

also featured on Eric Demay's blog, a designer based in Montreal. Actually quite a good blog. I say actually because if he's talking about me i just thought it would be shit.

http://ericdemay.com/links/happy-to-serve-you/

Honestly these are really sweet sites and im super proud to be even mentioned in them.

10 Hall Street Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 - 0400 937 418

Coffee: 5 Senses
Machine: Synesso

Moonee Ponds. Hello, old friend, it seems we meet again. I have a love hate relationship with this suburb (and surrounding areas. that's you Essendon). I've schooled there. Worked there. Lived there. But for the last 24 years it has been exempt of quality coffee/cafes. EVERY CAFE. YES, EVERY CAFE THERE SERVES SHIT. And i don't want to hear any arguments, because you will lose. Trust me. I always had the vision of opening a cafe here to show them how coffee should be done. But i had a gut feeling that the area just wasn't quite ready for it yet. So as I was telling James ( from Brunswick east project fame) my point of view about the area, he mentioned a cafe that i had never heard of called Nabiha. So i took his advice and set out to discover this mythical cafe in the west. From the outside it looked promising. Custom designed stools and perforated design in the copper(if my memory serves me correct) window shades. The interior is just as nice with a modern architectural vibe about the place. It was rather quiet for a pre-lunch time (ill get to this in a second) and i ordered the Happy to serve you favourite the Double Ristretto. When i first saw it, i thought someone was playing a joke on me. It looked perfectly extracted with a dark caramel crema. But I was in Moonee Ponds? It can't be true.

Then the real magic happened when the taste hit my palate. It was amazing. And not just for moonee ponds standards.

But being the scientific man i am, i ordered another, to make sure it just wasn't dumb luck. The second came out to the same exacting standards as the first. I was left dumbfounded. The first good coffee in the area in 24 years. fuck me. as i walked out the barista asked me if i had noticed any difference between the two extractions, i said i wasn't really paying attention. She told me that the second was extracted through a naked group head. so not only great coffee, but coffee enthusiasts too. fuck me twice. To be honest the reason i wasn't paying attention was due to the fact i was left in shock from the first shot. but i didn't want to tell her that. On the way out i noticed the trademark Synesso/5Senses combo. This alone always says a lot about a cafe. except at t.m.c. back to the point where i said it was reasonably quiet. It was. However the coffee shop which must not be named (the coffee club) a few stores down was pumping. Which leads me back to my original thoughts about the area, is it ready for good coffee? Well i can't answer that just yet, but i do hope it is. All i can say is this:

If you live in the moonee valley region and go anywhere else but to Nabiha for coffee. then F*** you.

P.S A personal thank-you to Nabiha and 5 Senses for finally bringing some good coffee to this area