Up the corporate end of the CBD, Patricia brought to us by Bowen Holden (ex Seven Seeds feels a world away from the looming collection of towers nearby. Tucked away on Little Bourke Street, this charmingly petit space takes coffee and how we drink it in both old and new directions. One part throwback to traditional European coffee bars, the other an insight into the contemporary Melbourne coffee scene at its best, it is not the kind of place you would stay for hours on end to read the paper and have a late breakfast. But if you are in want of one thing, and one thing only, this is the place where you will find it.

Patricia is standing room only, and the coffee is about quality rather than showmanship. Straight-up, black, white or filter coffee is on offer with a rotation of beans from various suppliers. There is a small selection of pastries available too, but nothing substantial enough to detract from the coffee menu offering selections from Seven Seeds, Market Lane and Proud Mary.

The space, by Foolscap in conjunction with Beyond the PIxels (who also designed the identity and packaging), is sharp and slick with clean lines, white walls, flowers on the windowsills, the aforementioned titled entrance plate and a neon light roof installation feature.

The team know their stuff inside out, happily sharing their mutual love of coffee with customers. Even at busy times, the atmosphere remains relaxed.There’s no pretension here at all and the simplicity and good use of a rather tiny premises does exactly what it should. At Patricia it is simply about good coffee.