Slowpoke Espresso

Melbourne-based French designer Anne-Sophie Poirier, aka Sasufi, combined her abundant creative talents with a great measure of thriftiness when designing Slowpoke. Working with a very limited budget, she managed to pull off an impressively warm, light-filled and imaginative space. Mismatched timber offcuts salvaged from furniture makers are pieced together to create an impressive feature wall and bring an inspired earthiness to the small space. Many of the other key pieces dotted around the cafe were either recycled or gleefully foraged from local flea markets.

The same sustainable focus extends to the menu, which by virtue of the tiny kitchen, is kept brief and refreshingly simple. Owner Curtis Riddington likes to use organic and locally sourced produce as much as possible and you’ll find homely soups and stews alongside generously filled grainy sandwiches and Turkish rolls. There’s a wonderful three-grain porridge with baked rhubarb too, spot-on for frosty Melbourne mornings.

The back courtyard is perfect on warm days, but Slowpoke also makes an ideal spot for a lazy winter morning of porridge and papers.