The Reformatory Caffeine LAB

Growing up on a coffee farm in Colombia instilled in Simon Jaramillo an appreciation for the complexity of creating premium coffee, from bean to cup.

At The Reformatory, Jaramillo showcases his carefully tested roasts in a range of blended, filter and cold-drip coffees. Its signature and best-seller is the cold-drip fermented for 16 hours to bring out an oaky, cognac flavour.

The menu has been kept simple so as not to eclipse the coffee aromas. Choose from Argentinean empanadas, filled with lean beef with boiled egg, potatoes and green olives, plus a selection of cakes and scrolls from Oregano Bakery. The room’s gently sloping floor is a nod to its former life as a loading dock. All the better to house a giant bar the full length of the space, with a row of wall-mounted perches replacing the typical seating area.

One of the cafe’s aims is to give people a lot of information about what they’re drinking and how the beans have been processed. Beans from the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia have been roasted to bring out hints of jasmine and blueberries, served as an espresso with a little bowl of the grind to add another dimension to enjoying the coffee.