Only Coffee Project

After relocating their boundary-pushing cafe Double Cross just around the corner, Samuel Lee and Quinton Ng decided to keep the old site and create something new for the area.

Only Coffee Project was the result, a petite espresso bar serving exactly what it says on the tin. Milk coffees are made with Melbourne’s Market Lane, with only full-cream, skim and Oatly oat milk on offer. If a customer’s preferred milk isn’t served, they’re encouraged to try the black coffee, which is where things get really interesting.

At the time of opening, Only Coffee Project was the sole Australian stockist of Sey Coffee, a New York-based micro-roastery considered one of the best in the US. It champions producers and transparency (even listing the price it paid for the beans on tasting cards), and you can buy its brightly coloured boxes of coffee from the tiny retail section here. Be warned – they come with a hefty price tag.

Filter coffees, also made with Sey, are served in a ceramic Origami sensory cup, which looks a lot like a wine glass and acts much the same too, trapping in the aromas. You get a completely different flavour profile when sipping from this cup, as opposed to from a regular mug. It’s this sort of experience and education that Only Coffee is all about.