The folks at St ALi have taken it upon themselves to bring their knowledge and expertise into the middle of ‘Main Street’ with Plantation at Melbourne Central, the first of many Plantations in similarly high-profile locations. The idea behind this venture is to provide an opportunity for the broader coffee drinking public to enjoy the best coffee, where previously the most handy and obvious options might have been Starbucks or Gloria Jeans.

Plantation is headed up by the crew from Sensory Lab (also by St ALi) and is designed to be a coffee-craving worker’s introduction to all that can be known and done with coffee beans.

The front of shop appearance almost conjures the image of the coffee merchants of a century ago; at the end of the long counter is a small shop where one can buy small bottles of cold drip coffee, assorted blends and single origins, the finest home-brewing paraphernalia from Hario and even some tea. Sandwiches, pastries, and espresso cheesecake also make appearances.