Stand-Up Cafe

You might have to line up during the 8am to 11am rush at Stand Up Cafe – a little hole-in-the-wall at the bottom, bottom end of the Melbourne CBD, near Flinders and King Streets.

Owner Dan Chrystal opened the small (two-seat) spot in 2015 after the building’s tenant approached him with the idea. It was good timing, Chrystal had just quit his finance job after realising the industry wasn’t for him.

After a gig at Three Bags Full, Chrystal moved into this tiny joint on the corner of Katherine and Mercantile Place.

He keeps things simple and sticks to the essentials; there’s no drip or cold press here. Light-roast beans come from Seven Seeds and milk comes from Fitzroy-based St David Dairy.

The small menu includes coconut pistachio seedy bars (muesli bars with a bunch of nuts and seeds) and fig, nut and grain slices from Munja Bakehouse, which are neatly displayed in a small glass cabinet until sold out. Chrystal also sells Seven Seeds coffee beans and his own merch, including homemade “Puckerup” moisturising and exfoliating body scrub, made with recycled coffee grinds from the shop.