Inside Melbourne's World-Famous Coffee Culture
Laneway cafés, the flat white and independent roasters. How Melbourne built one of the world's great coffee cultures.
Ask coffee lovers where to find a great cup and Melbourne is often near the top of the list. The city's café culture is a point of civic pride, and a major draw for visitors.
Built on migration
Post-war Italian and Greek migration brought espresso machines and café culture to Melbourne in the mid-20th century. Over the decades, that foundation grew into a thriving scene of independent cafés and specialty roasters.
Independent by design
Australia is famously tough on global coffee chains. When Starbucks expanded into the country, it struggled to compete with local cafés and closed most of its Australian stores in 2008.
The flat white debate
Australia and New Zealand both claim to have invented the flat white, a velvety espresso-and-milk drink that has since spread around the world.
How to do Melbourne coffee
- Explore the laneways of the city centre for tucked-away cafés.
- Order a flat white or a long black like a local.
- Visit a specialty roaster and try a single-origin filter.
- Go early: the best cafés get busy fast.
In Melbourne, coffee is less a caffeine hit than a daily ritual, and one worth travelling for.
