Five To Try: New Coffee Shops That Go Way Beyond the Flat White

Melbourne’s love affair with coffee is nothing new. The city perfected flat whites and impressive latte art decades ago. At this new batch of coffee and matcha shops, your classic cuppa is likely being infused with Magnolia Bakery-inspired banana pudding or stirred through a house-made pandan syrup that takes two days to prepare.

Maji Pantry, Collingwood

Maji Pantry sits quietly in Collingwood, in a former coffee shop space surrounded by apartments and new office buildings. It’s a small, welcoming spot that feels more like a home kitchen than a cafe.

There’s simple Japanese food including prawn katsu sandos and large made-to-order onigiri filled with salmon, house-made pickles and more. The popular iced oat matcha can be made with a dash of hazelnut syrup, while the creamy banana bread hojicha latte is great for winter with its warming spices.

A menu refresh is on the way, with seasonal drinks like tomato-basil-ade and matcha yuzu soda coming soon, plus new sando specials and an afternoon tea set on weekends. There’s also a small, well curated pantry section of Hunted & Gathered chocolate bars, Cham Cham sauces and instant noodles.

Morrow, West Melbourne

Behind the grey stone counter at this new West Melbourne coffee shop, owner Jae Kim uses a Zeroth Law Real Nine machine. The Korean contraption extracts coffee at room temperature, with no need for heat. “We’re pretty obsessive about quality,” says Kim. The cold-extracted brews come as typical lattes and espressos (and are even served in coffee flights). But they’re also amped up with marmalade, stewed pineapple, chocolate ganache and more to create specialty drinks. These include the shop’s signature Morrow Fog, iced espresso brew topped with house-made Earl Grey cream.

Morrow sources two different cultivars of matcha from small farms in Japan for use in a strawberry matcha with house-made strawberry puree. There’s more on the way at Morrow this spring, including desserts designed to pair with the drinks menu.

Trbl Coffee, Melbourne

Presgrave Place may be known for its street art, but new coffee shop Trbl brings a new energy to this classic Melbourne laneway. The Korean cafe works with local supplier Dukes for coffee and Plot for sogum (Korean salt bread), melonpan and other baked goods.

The sea salt chai latte has become a favourite since the shop opened in July, but the team is just getting started. There’ll soon be new pastries from Plot, seasonal drink updates and a small ceramics collaboration is in the works.

In Btwn, Melbourne

Just a short walk from Queen Vic Market, In Btwn is lit by warm orange light that draws you in. The cafe treats its coffee and other ingredients the way good cocktail bars treat their spirits: as a palette for experimentation. Coconut cold brews are layered with a pandan syrup made in-house over two days. They’re served with a cloud of pandan smoke that’s both visually exciting and works to boost the pandan flavour.

The drinks menu changes seasonally. Currently, there’s a matcha einspanner (a green version of the Viennese whipped cream-topped double espresso drink) as well as La Vie En Rose, a house-made hibiscus, rose and lemon brew.

Local Goods, Flemington

After visiting New York City and trying Magnolia Bakery’s Sex and the City -famous banana pudding for the first time, Bianca Meneghetti knew she wanted to incorporate its flavour profile into something at her matcha cafe Local Goods.

It’s fair to say she’s been successful – the banana pudding matcha is now the cafe’s signature drink. But other favourites include a strawberry matcha topped with vanilla cream foam, and the brown sugar and salted coconut matcha, a vegan drink featuring frothed coconut milk and a drizzle of brown sugar syrup on top.

The space is full of character, with wood-panelled walls, burgundy tiles and hanging sphere lights. The cafe, which opened in the middle of July, also uses coffee beans from Dukes and sells chunky New York-style cookies from Sydney favourite Butterboy.