Cafe Azul

346 Bridge Rd, Richmond, VIC
Date: 10.9.11

This is one of those places that calls itself a café but you can tell they would really rather be a restaurant. The tables and the dressing looks restaurant like and they’ve tried hard with their menu, but it’s still a café. And not that good of one either. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not awful, just average. There’s no table service, and while the staff were friendly, it’s a hassle getting up mid conversation to order another coffee. The food does seem nice, my friend loved her breakfast and my pumpkin muffin was divine. It was all kinds of delicious. As for the coffee, it was okay. It had a nice taste but was nothing too special. There’s nothing wrong with this place, there’s just nothing that special either.

AMBIENCE:    On a great street for cafes and eating, but doesn’t really stand out. The furniture doesn’t impress but at least the booths were comfortable. 2.5 out of 5.

SERVICE:    Friendly, and they did serve my friend a breakfast even though their breakfast time had finished. It was just damn counter service. They had enough staff on to serve. 3.5 out of 5.

COFFEE:    A little above average. Happily drank two cups, but really wasn’t blown away by the flavour. 3 out of 5.

Combi Coffee Espresso

84 Ormond Rd, Elwood
Date: 9.10.11

People rave about this tiny little place so I was eager to try it out. It has a nice feel and the inside, though small, looks inviting. I sat outside and was ready to try the coffee. Marks were off straight away, organic, just not a huge fan. But also, both coffees I had were slightly burnt. For somewhere that prides themselves on brilliant coffee, it felt sloppy. However, I will say the treats they had on offer looked unique and tasty. I had this amazing lime cake that was outstanding. The staff seem friendly but weren’t that good at their jobs. First time I’ve seen a server drop an entire scolding hot cup of coffee as they served. It only just missed my friend, hitting a bit of her shoe. I understand why people would like this place, but there are certainly better cafes out there.

AMBIENCE:    This is probably the highlight of this place. You can sit in the funky inside area, or on the beautiful Ormond Rd. Very laidback. 4 out of 5.

SERVICE:    Friendly but a little useless. Burnt coffee and dropped orders don’t give me much faith. 2.5 out of 5.

COFFEE:    For all the hype it certainly only seemed average to me, and wasn’t even that hot. And we know that bitch, I like it hot. 2.5 out of 5.

Rococo

87 – 91 Acland St, St Kilda
Date: 29.8.11

A sunny day in St Kilda designed to sit out in the sun and enjoy a coffee (okay, I hate direct sunlight, I’m a ranga after all. So I sat under an umbrella – but still enjoyed it). The outside eating area is cosy and the red chairs are striking. It was nice without being over spectacular. The one thing that was awful, and I guess you can’t really blame the staff, were the two separate beggars who came into the dining area to ask every patron for money. The service was friendly enough, but didn’t seem overly pleased we were only drinking coffee, asking us several times if we wanted food. I must admit I wasn’t expecting a lot from the coffee, especially since all three coffees came out at very different times. Then my long black was in a glass. I thought why would you send out the hottest drink in a glass? Surprisingly the taste was beautiful. The cream on the long black looked divine, and tasted it. A full and rounded flavour that I savoured. I hear the food is nice, I think after my beautiful coffee I will have to return and try.

AMBIENCE:    Beautiful location on a beautiful day. Beggars entering the dining really spoil the ambience (I sound like a rich knob, but I just think it’s rude). 3 out of 5.

SERVICE:    Friendly and fast but seemed annoyed we didn’t order food and the coffees all came out at very different times. 3 out of 5.

COFFEE:    Delicious. This was the real surprise of my visit. A full flavoured cup of goodness. 4.5 out of 5.

Dr Jekyll

107 Grey St, St Kilda, Victoria
Date: 27.8.11

I’d never been to this part of St Kilda before, but wow I’m glad I finally did. This is a busy little café that feels inviting. I walked in thinking it was just the funky little inside area, I would have been happy with that. But no, there’s also a little leafy courtyard that was perfect for my sunny Saturday morning (even if a leaf did fall into my friend’s coffee). Service was quick, but funnily enough they brought out water glasses when we first arrived but no water until we asked. However, after that it was kept filled and our waitress was great, friendly and very helpful (I was a problem customer asking about all their types of jams). As for the coffee, a beautiful drop. It was well rounded and full of flavour. This is how a café should be. It may have been busy but it still felt cruisey and inviting. I’ll be back for sure.

AMBIENCE:    Whether you’re sitting inside or out, it feels comfortable. Wonderfully laid out to maximise tables. Felt great sitting under the sun, covered by the trees. 4.5 out of 5.

SERVICE:    Friendly and fast. They were great, but half a point taken off for giving us water glasses with no water. 4 out of 5.

COFFEE:    A bloody nice drop. Beautifully rich and full. 4.5 out of 5.

Carre Street Deli

372 Glenhuntly Rd, Elsternwick, Victoria
Date: 24.8.11

I’d been into this wonderful little deli to buy cheese before, but had never stopped off for a coffee and some food. And boy am I glad I finally did. While the red chairs may be nice, the key to this place is the amazing food that surrounds you. You can almost plan your week’s eating by looking at the walls. And the cakes on display almost look orgasmic. For breakfast I had the breakfast trifle and it was divine. I’m a big rhubarb fan and combined with the bircher it was amazing. The service was friendly, but it still continues my disappointment with no table service. I will say though it’s not good if you hear the kitchen have a small argument (unless you’re going to eat at Hell’s Kitchen). My first cup of coffee was a disappointment, it was filled too high with water and it drowned out the great coffee flavour. My good mate Nicole told her when ordering the second cup and it came with less water and a 100% better flavour. It was a stunning, strong and well rounded flavoured cup – I just wish I hadn’t had the first one. All in all though, you really should check out this amazing little venue.

AMBIENCE:    If you like a little bit of gourmet food, then you’ll love this place. It’s hard to leave without buying something to take home. 4 out of 5.

SERVICE:    Friendly but they don’t go the extra mile. Was mid compliment on the food and was cut me off. 3 out of 5.

COFFEE:    It would have gotten a 4.5 if I only had the second cup, but the first was far too watery and she had to be instructed to not fill the long black to the top. 3.5 out of 5.

Nineteen Squares

31 Blessington St, St Kilda, Victoria
Date: 23.8.11

Just around the corner from Acland Street is this little gem. It was an amazing day in Melbourne with the sun out high. I sat outside for two hours at this café on a winter’s day and even managed to get colour in my face. Now this place is a little ghetto, which is part of the appeal. Old stools with hessian bags as cushion covers and sparse old tables or bread trays and milk crates in sand outside. It sounds vile, but trust me, it has major appeal. Never a fan of ordering at the counter, but the service by the very attractive staff was great. The coffee was nice but admittedly a little cold. The second cup was better and I wanted to like it more than I did. The flavours weren’t bad, just a little standard. But the thing about this place, it is great to just sit back and have some great chats in a very funky little café.

AMBIENCE:    Perfect. Ghetto chic combined with a great location. 4.5 out of 5.

SERVICE:    Counter service but very friendly. Very easy going. 4 out of 5.

COFFEE:    Wish I could give it a higher score. First cup luke warm and the second may have been better but it had a pretty stock standard taste. But my friend did have real chocolate on his cappuccino, so they get a bonus half mark for that. 3 out of 5.

Cafe De Cuba

69 Glenhuntly Rd, Elwood, Victoria
Date: 20.8.11

There’s a lot of café competition in this end of Elwood, and Café De Cuba does sit exactly across the road from the gargantuan Turtle Café. The good news for this place, it more than holds its own. I have been here before, but it seems like they’re only getting better. A friendly smile greeted us as we came in and sat down. It is a big place, so there’s quite a few areas to choose from, including a nice outside area that was stunning on a sunny Melbourne afternoon. There may be nothing highly original about this place, but it doesn’t matter because what they do, they do well. The food is great, I seem to have an obsession with scrambled eggs and they do them well. My friend Nicole loved her mussel dish. Then there’s the coffee, and it’s a decent cup. It has a nice rich and rounded flavour. Like the café, it may not be overly special but it is good quality. I certainly think this place is worth a visit.

AMBIENCE:    Stunning area (I live in Elwood, of course I’m going to say that), and with a prime corner position it’s great. Nice, stock standard furniture. 4 out of 5.

SERVICE:    Friendly and fast. The staff seem to like where they work and that always makes for a better dining experience. 4 out of 5.

COFFEE:    A nice coffee indeed. Has a beautiful flavour – happily had my second cup. 4 out of 5.