Your 2013 IAC winner Mark Ashbridge will be competing this Friday, May 24th at the 2013 World Aeropress Championship in Melbourne, hosted by 5 Senses and the Australian Barista Academy. Your Sprudge Editors will be on hand to DJ, MC, and perhaps do donuts in the parking lot in truly awful American fashion if the party gets wild enough. Which it might, actually, because this is shaping up to be one of The Biggest Parties of the 2013 WBC week in Melbourne.

We’ve got the tunes and the talk covered (alongside fellow MC’s Ben Kaminsky and Tim Varney), and the folks behind WAC will be going all out in terms of food (HUXTABURGER!), ping pong, ample drink and a gorgeous space. You just get there and make with the wiggling.

The 2013 World Aeropress Championship happens Friday, May 24th at Five Senses / Australian Barista Academy skunkworks at 300 Rosslyn Street, West Melbourne. Ping pong battle for cash begins at 6pm. Aeropress madness is induced at 7pm. Who knows where we’ll all be by 10p, but we’ll have crowned a new World Aeropress Champion in the meantime. Be there.

The post Watch This Cool Video Of The Irish Aeropress Championship appeared first on Sprudge.com.

This is your quick reference schedule for Round One, Day Two of the 2013 World Barista Championship, hosted by World Coffee Events in conjunction with the 2013 Melbourne International Coffee Expo. Today’s field is 25 baristas total, each eligible to advance based on points to the Semi Finals Saturday Round of 18. Official WBC Livestream is available here. All times in this schedule are listed in UTC + 10:00 – conversion tables for your local time are available here.

Sprudge.com is proud to serve as an Official Media Partner of World Coffee Events throughout the 2013 season. For play-by-play coverage of every competitor live from Melbourne, follow @SprudgeLive on Twitter and accept no imitations.

29. 8:15 AM – John Gordon, Square Mile Coffee Roasters, United Kingdom – @gorillatampers @squaremile

30. 8:35 – Francesco Sanapo, Italy – @sanapofrancesco

31. 8:55 – Kalle Frisse, Finland – @kallefreese

32. 9:15 – Stefan Laurentiu, Barista School, Romania

33. 9:35 - Ryan Tan, Strangers Reunion, Singapore – @Ryankierantan @strangersreu

34. 9:55 – Jose De La Pena, Cafe Casa, Guatemala

35. 10:15 – Areephorn Kaeajaroen, Hom Krun Coffee Company, Thailand

36. 10:35 – Frantisek Rohacek, MyGastro, Czech Republic

37. 10:55 – Jordi Mestre, Nude Espresso, Spain – @nomadcoffeeuk @nudeespresso

38. 11:15 – Pete Licata, Parisi Coffee, USA – @petelicata @parisicoffee

39. 11:35 – Jinkyu Kim, Core, South Korea

40. 11:55 – Louis Donck, Donko’s Koffie, Belgium

41. 12:15 PM – Chia Cheng Chien, Jim’s Burger & Coffee 88, Taiwan

42. 12:35 – Thanasis Nikolis, Tailor Made, Greece – @thirdwave14

43. 12:55 – Colin Harmon, 3FE, Ireland – @dublinbarista @3FE

44. 1:15 – Jose Luis Herrera Madrid, Inversiones Ingeniosas, Honduras

45. 1:35 – Mihael Gerhard Putnik, Eliscaffe, Croatia

46. 1:55 – Kevin Israel Fortu, Craft Coffee Workshop, Philippines

47. 2:15 – Hidenori Izaki, Maruyama Coffee Company, Japan – @hcoespsp @maruyamacoffee

48. 2:35 – Mirriam Simasiku, Blue Moon Cafe, Zambia

49. 2:55 - Lovejoy Chirambasukwa, Origin Coffee Roasting, South Africa – @LovejoyLJ

50. 3:15 – Jeremy Ho, Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters, Canada – @OhYmerej @philandseb

51. 3:35 – He Hong Cao, North Woods Coffee, China

52. 3:55 – Rasmus Gamrath, The Coffee Collective, Denmark – @rasmusgamrath @coffeecollectif

53. 4:15 – Doddy Samsura, One Fifteenth Coffee, Indonesia – @doddy_samsura

 END DAY TWO – SEMI-FINALS ANNOUNCEMENTS TO FOLLOW

 Sprudge.com’s coverage of the 2013 World Barista Championship is made possible by direct support from the St. ALi / Sensory Lab family and Nuova Simonelli.

The post World Barista Championship Quick Reference Schedule: Round One, Day Two appeared first on Sprudge.com.

This is your quick reference schedule for Round One, Day One of the 2013 World Barista Championship, hosted by World Coffee Events in conjunction with the 2013 Melbourne International Coffee Expo. Today’s field is 28 baristas total, each eligible to advance based on points to the Semi Finals Saturday Round of 18. Official WBC Livestream is available here. All times in this schedule are listed in UTC + 10:00 – conversion tables for your local time are available here.

Sprudge.com is proud to serve as an Official Media Partner of World Coffee Events throughout the 2013 season. For play-by-play coverage of every competitor live from Melbourne, follow @SprudgeLive on Twitter and accept no imitations.

1. 8:15 AM – Roberto Pablo Caldas Portugal, Arabica Espresso Bar, Peru

2. 8:35 – William Hernandez, Viva Espresso, El Salvador – @VivaEspresso1

3. 8:55 – Maria Auxiliadora Bonila, Beneficio Don Mayo, Costa Rica

4. 9:15 – Lucca Casadei, Segafredo Zanetti, France – @lucacasadei7 @segafredo_z_spa

5. 9:35 – Jefferson David Castillo Bermudez, Nicaragua

6. 9:55 – Ron Harvey Valero Balaguera, Juan Valdez Cafe (PROCAFECOL), Colombia – @ronaldvalero2 @juanvaldezcafe

7. 10:15 – Godfrey Batte, Africa Coffee Academy, Uganda - @gbatte007

8. 10:35 – Romeo Porello Jr., Eurocoffee, United Arab Emirates

9. 10:55 – Daniel Andres Cifuentes Diaz, Caffe Lattente, Argentina

10. 11:15 – Graciele Rodrigues, Lucca Cafes Especials, Brazil

11. 11:35 – Rasmus Helgebostad, Java Espressobar & Kaffeforretning AS, Norway – @recaf

12. 11:55 – Eniko Kantor, Hungary

13. 12:15 PM – Mariarosa Gomez, Ristretto Cafe, Puerto Rico

14. 12:35 – Marian Plajdicko, Slovakia – @plajdo

15. 12:55 – Christian Vera, Dach Coffee, Chile – @baristacristian

16. 1:15 – Natalia Kuranakova, Kredens Cafe, Ukraine

17. 1:35 – Zjevuan Lemar Janga, Restaurant Ivy, Netherlands – @jevaunJ

18. 1:55 – Torfi Torfason, Iceland – @TheTorfi

19. 2:15 – Kapo Chiu, The Cupping Room, Hong Kong – @TheCuppingRoom

20. 2:35 – Oskar Alverus, Drop Coffee, Sweden – @dropcoffee

21. 2:55 - Alejandro Escobar Vazquez, Cafe Etrusca / Pare de Dormir, Mexico

22. 3:15 – Serkan Ipekli, Mambocino Coffee, Turkey

23. 3:35 – Matthew Perger, St. Ali, Australia – @mattperger @st_ali

24. 3:55 – Rhoda Kamau, Nairobi Serena Hotel, Kenya

25. 4:15 – Shem Lupin, Stoll Kaffe, Switzerland – @shemspresso

26. 4:35 – Tomas Rudys, Lithuania

27. 4:55 – Nick Clark, Flight Coffee, New Zealand – @flightcoffee @nickroydclark

28. 5:15 – Dmitry Boroday, North-West Coffee Company, Russia – @lyudim

END DAY ONE.

 Sprudge.com’s coverage of the 2013 World Barista Championship is made possible by direct support from the St. ALi / Sensory Lab family and Nuova Simonelli.

The post World Barista Championship Quick Reference Schedule: Round One, Day One appeared first on Sprudge.com.

We’re in Melbourne for the 2013 World Barista Championship, our first visit to this splendid city. How do you write a guide for a city if you’ve never been? Easy. We polled a dozen Melbourne residents and frequent visitors with excellent taste on their very favorite places to eat, drink, and have a coffee around town. Read more features like this one in our Melbourne Sprudge Guides hub!

Melbourne is one heck of a classy town, with world class restaurants, gorgeously fitted cafes and brunch palaces, and no shortage of classy establishments at which to enjoy classic cocktails and sublime wines. But you know what? Sometimes you just need a pub. Sometimes jeans and hoodie need to be okay. Sometimes you want a burger and a beer, and you don’t want to break the bank.

You do you, that’s what we always say. So here’s a list of some of Melbourne’s finest pubs and local haunts, where the air is never fussy, and if you hang ’round long enough everyone will know your name.

The Standard – One of Melbourne’s classic laneway pubs, The Standard was home to a very hip record label in the 1990′s, and today sports authentic mid-century ephemera decor and a by-all-accounts gorgeous outdoor garden. Beer, wine, pub grub til late (sausage rolls!), and not an ounce of nonsense. (293 Fitzroy St, Fitzroy)

The Beaufort – We visited the Beaufort on our first night out in Melbourne, on the overwhelming recommendation of several poll responders. She’s a charmer, alright, situated on the corner of a long, palm tree studded boulevard you could easily mistake for Dolores Street in San Francisco. The vibe feels like the Mission District, too, or maybe SE Portland, or Bushwick, or you get the picture. A dive by presentation but not by menu, as the Beaufort sports a deep, well-considered Scotch selection (!) plus inventive beer cocktails and loads of American bourbons. This is clearly one of Melbourne’s young, hip after-work shared spaces, and quite popular with baristas. We loved it! (421 Rathdowne St, Carlton)

Huxtaburger / Bill’s Bar – Melbourne is, improbably, something of a hamburger town, and several people mentioned Huxtaburger as being home to one of the city’s best. They have gluten free buns, a jalapeno and sriracha mayo option, and a fun pub ’round back where every last pour of liquor – from fancy Scotch to cheap hooch – goes for $9 a pour. Lots of bar snacks, too, and we could go on and on, but this place sounds awesome. (106 Smith Street, Collingwood)

The post 10 Places To Eat & Drink Cheap In Melbourne: Sprudge Guides appeared first on Sprudge.com.

We’re in Melbourne for the 2013 World Barista Championship, our first visit to this splendid city. How do you write a guide for a city if you’ve never been? Easy. We polled a dozen Melbourne residents and frequent visitors with excellent taste on their very favorite places to eat, drink, and have a coffee in the city. Read more features like this one in our Melbourne Sprudge Guides hub!

Because drinking and coffee events go perilously hand in hand, there may be no more important guide than this one. Like our dining, coffee, breaky and pub guides, it was an exercise in controlled impossibility to narrow down this city’s choices of great bars into 10 recommended spots. But fortunately the folks we polled all seemed to be in agreement on the basics – wine here is awesome, cocktails are great, and the great beer options abound. Be sure to consult our other guides in addition to this, as there’s quite a bit of crossover between restaurants and bars in this fair city.

But seriously, on the wine thing, it’s almost as though Aussies take their plethora of delicious wines for granted. It’s gobsmacking how much great wine there is to drink here. Even if you aren’t a wine drinker by default, try it out. Take a chance and you may well be handsomely rewarded.

The Aylesbury (103 Lonsdale Street) – Melbourne is a wine town, and the Aylesbury is a great spot to dig in to that scene. Their wine list has what you’re expecting – carefully curated Shiraz choices from the Yarra Valley, Pinots from Yarra and elsewhere throughout Victoria – as well as some fun designations like “Textured Whites” and “Grenache and Friends”. It’s all about the rooftop seating here, a covered and heated situation where you’re welcome to enjoy a fine cigar, if so inclined.

Black Pearl (304 Brunswick Fitzroy) – A cocktail institution in the middle of Fitzroy that stays low key on weeknights, and becomes something of a suave madhouse on weekends. Order your favorite classic cocktail here and soak in the scenery.

Cumulus Up (45 Flinders Ln) – The upstairs wine bar at Cumulus Inc (featured in our dining guide), this is another top choice in Melbourne’s sprawling dossier of wine destinations. They’ve got a climate controlled cellar to keep their vintages tasting great, and a small plates menu to pair with all that good vino (one of our polling team gushed about the “foie gras waffles”). Esteemed and classy by all accounts.

The Everleigh (1/150-156 Gertrude St, Fitzroy) – Another option for great cocktails, with a beautiful interior, a deep selection of fine spirits, and an overall air of sophistication. This is the sister bar of Milk & Honey in New York City. If the enjoyment of fine cocktails is a component part of how you travel, place this spot high on your list.

Hihou (1 Flinders Ln) – Japanese in spirit and presentation, one must politely ring the bell and be chaperoned up to gain entry at Hihou. Winner of Time Out Melbourne’s “Best New Bar” award for 2012, this place features several Japanese inversions on classic cocktails, plus a deep selection of sake and shochu. And yes, of course there’s tsukemono and sashimi drinking snacks to go alongside your drinks. This is the cocktail arm of Izakaya Den, featured elsewhere in our Melbourne guides.

Lily Blacks (17 Meyers Pl) – A cosmopolitan Melbourne laneway bar, with classics and new creations sharing space on their sprawling, inventive cocktail menu. Expect to pay New York City prices, look for an armada of housemade bitters and tinctures, and geek out about the multifaceted rum and bourbon Old Fashion options. This is probably where we’d go first with our cocktail nerd friends back home.

The Long Play (318 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy) – A cocktail and wine bar in Fitzroy with a miniature cinema in its back room! The interior is all Danish minimalism, there are European apertifs aplenty, and reasonably priced small plates. Nothing too fancy, tastefully appointed, and did we mention the movie theater?

The Melbourne Supper Club (1st/161 Spring St) – Broadsheet Melbourne called this spot “arguably the city’s best bar”, and they’ve got hours til 6am on weekends. Huge wine list, spirits, oysters, and a cigar bar upstairs called Siglo…

Siglo (2/161 Spring St) – The aforementioned rooftop cigar bar above The Melbourne Supper Club. Did you know that Cuban cigars are totally legal in Australia? They’ve got ‘em here, with more detail than you knew imaginable and a humidor to make even the uninitiated curious. Worried about the cold? They’ve got heaters. Just want a drink? Spirits and wine are cheerfully available. Drinking on a budget? Maybe not here you aren’t. Friends with a wealthy coffee magnate? This would be a fine place to suggest.

Whisky & Alement (270 Russell St) – Melbourne might be 10,000 miles from Edinburgh, but that hasn’t slowed down this Scotch spot one bit. They’ve got drams and drams of the good stuff for you to enjoy, plus classes and and regularly scheduled events all year long. Yes, there is Scotch in Melbourne, and it’s here – you knew we’d find it, right?

Loop back ’round to our Melbourne info portal, why don’t you? Good on ya!

The post 10 Places To Drink Fancy In Melbourne: Sprudge Guides appeared first on Sprudge.com.

We’re in Melbourne for the World Barista Championship, our first visit to this splendid city. How do you write a guide for a city if you’ve never been? Easy. We polled a dozen Melbourne residents and frequent visitors with excellent taste on their very favorite places to eat, drink, and have a coffee in the city. Read more features like this one in our Melbourne Sprudge Guides hub!

With a total population of over 4 million, and a reputation as Australia’s cultural hub, you might expect that Melbourne would be home to some pretty awesome restaurants. And you would be right: this was an enormously tough list to whittle down into a top 10, based on the responses of the dozen or so Melbourne locals and frequent visitors we polled. From an incredibly diverse and exciting field of restaurants to choose from, here’s 10 restaurants with very little in common, save for promising you a nice time during your visit. For more choices, spend time with Broadsheet Melbourne, the city’s premiere dining and urban exploring guide.

Cumulus Inc (45 Flinders Ln) – A top pick for the vast majority of people we polled, this destination restaurant on Melbourne’s trendy Flinders Lane has been well-regarded since opening in 2008. Their menu is chockablock Cupidian arrows aimed directly at our Pacific Northwestern hearts: think regional Aussie oysters, epic charcuterie, whole roasted lamb shoulders to share, grilled octopus…we’ll meet you there.

Chin Chin (125 Flinders Ln) – Very busy and not too fancy, with a menu “modeled on the hawker dining halls of Asia”, according to their menu-less website. Broadsheet’s listing for them mentions items like suckling pig pancake rolls, a plethora of Thai-style soups, and a focused wine program. They’re open til late, so consider this a post-party “let’s take a cab, I’m starving” option.

Izakaya Den (114 Russell St) – Located mere blocks from Sensory Lab on the corner of Russel & Little Collins, this is a big city modern Izakaya befitting the bustle and hustle of the CBD. Modeled on the chic urban drink-and-eateries of Tokyo, our responders highlighted the service and sake list here as being especially noteworthy. Be aware: Izakaya Den is located in a basement, and their door is pretty much unmarked, so look closely at the ol’ iPhone. It’s there, promise.

The Town Mouse (312 Drummond St, Carlton) – We’re tempted to call this place “New American”, but that would be blindingly empiricist of us. The Town Mouse has smart wine and food options – “Blackened pork jowl, smoked carrot kimchi, cos, green apple & peanut” FTW – with a focus on local, seasonal goodies. Lots of vegetarian options and delicious sounding meaty entrees, plus its in a hip and fun part of Carlton.

Cookie (First Floor/252 Swanston St) – Contemporary Thai food plus lots and lots of beer. Deep fried shrimp cocktail! Soft shell crab! Seriously, they have like 200 beers. This place sounds awesome and we’re going, that’s final.

Anada (197 Gertrude St, Fitzroy) – Spanish tapas and raciones, with a super-affordable tasting menu that sounds like a lot of fun. There’s a really deep cheese list here too, if you’re into that, and a well-curated not-too-intimidating list of Spanish sherries, ciders, and wines. Sounds like a fun spot for that big group dinner you’re tagging along with. Lucky you.

Dainty Sichuan (176 Toorak Rd, South Yarra) – No foolies, this place is home for real-deal Sichuan spice euphoria. Everything you order here will be hot and spicy and of plentiful portion, cooked directly in front of you on table-top burners. Careful though, because this stuff will get you spice-stoned.

Estelle Bar & Kitchen (243 High St, Northcote) – “A modest local eatery” as per the front page of its website, and there’s something rather classy about the whole scene here at Estelle. There’s a courtyard and quaint dining room, multiple prix fixe options on the menu, and individual selections that don’t outnumber the guests. If somehow, within the madness of MICE and WBC, you’ve managed to meet someone nice and plan to take him or her on a date, this place looks pretty much perfect.

Builders Arms (211 Gertrude St, Fitzroy) – Housed in an 150 year old pub, Builders Arms is absolutely one of the most intriguing entries on this list. The bar and bistro area offers a contemporary update on the classic public house it once was, with fine beers and wines on tap but also standards like Coopers and Carlton. There’s a beer garden, and an awesome wine list, and a separate dining room called Moon Under Water, offering a nightly 4 course menu for $75. This spot intrigues because, to a visitor’s eye, there’s something about it that seems to encompass modern Melbourne while nodding to its past. Fun and not too fussy, but by no means dingy, it’s the kind of bar every cool neighborhood should have.

Stokehouse (30 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda) – You could spend a week in Melbourne and forget it’s a seaside town, or you could journey out to St. Kilda and really get a sense of where you are: a thriving coastal metropolis on the bottom of the world. Stokehouse has fine dining upstairs, a less formal cafe downstairs, and delicious food in both. Seafood, of course – Melbs is mad for seafood – as well as awesome sounding steaks and desserts. And you’ll be right on the beach...near the penguins!

Loop back ’round to our Melbourne info portal, why don’t you? Good on ya!

The post 10 Places For A Nice Dinner In Melbourne: Sprudge Guides appeared first on Sprudge.com.

You’re in Melbourne, mate! Modern and lively, sprawling and vast, this city of more than 4 million people boasts no shortage of delicious things to eat and drink, plus fun things to see and do. If you’re reading this, you’re probably here for the World Barista Championship, held in conjunction with the 2013 Melbourne International Coffee Expo. Visit our Melbourne Sprudge Guides hub for a king’s ransom of recommended food and drink, compiled from a series of informal polls we sent out to friends with an intimate knowledge of the Melbourne urban landscape. This particular feature is meant to orient you towards what you can expect out on the town in Melbs.

Getting Around:

The post Where Am I? What Am I Doing? What Shouldn’t I Miss In Melbourne? appeared first on Sprudge.com.

We’re in Melbourne for the 2013 World Barista Championship, our first visit to this splendid city. How do you write a guide for a city if you’ve never been? Easy. We polled a dozen Melbourne residents and frequent visitors with excellent taste on their very favorite places to eat, drink, and have a coffee in the city. Read more features like this one in our Melbourne Sprudge Guides hub!

Breakfast, colloquially shortened to “breaky” or “brekkie” across Oz, is a matter of great cultural importance in Melbourne. You thought Portland and New York City were cool brunch towns? Melbs is utterly besotted with and captivated by breakfast foods, and you’ll see residents of this fair city getting down on brunch from Ascot Vale to Fitzroy, and everywhere in-between.

What’s the difference between a brunch place and a breakfast place? We haven’t the foggiest, because even Melbournians will tell you that the line between a good breaky and a proper brunch is blurry at best. (Brunch probably involves booze, and starts later, but we digress…) Some of Melbourne’s best restaurants and cafes are breakfast food joints first and foremost, blurring the cultural divisions even further, but one thing is crystal clear: breaky is Melbourne’s favorite meal of the day, and it’ll be yours too while you’re here.

Locals, did we leave out your favorite spot? It might be over in our Melbourne coffee guide…sorry mate, but again, the lines are blurry! Feel free to pass along more recommendations via @Sprudge on Twitter.

Duchess of Spotswood (87 Hudsons Rd, Spotswood) – The top answer for nearly all of our responders, home to what one breaky-minded American has unabashedly called “the greatest breakfast of my life, and one of my three favorite meals ever.” Dang, bro. The Duchess is located a little ways outside of the city, but by all accounts worth the trek. The menu is traditional English, with lots of smoked fish and pork, and you’ll probably see lots of coffee people here throughout the week of MICE.

Pillar of Salt (541 Church St, Richmond) – Kissing cousins to Top Paddock, and located just down the block on Church Street in Richmond, the sublime little Pillar of Salt came first and is enormously well-regarded for their breakfast options. Richmond is full of attractive, charming young Melbournians, so that may be reason enough to go, but a delicious looking food menu and 5 Senses coffee certainly sweetens the pot. Pop in and pretend like you live just ’round the way.

The Premises (202 Bellair St, Kensington) – House blend espresso from Seven Seeds, regularly rotating filter coffees from Proud Mary and Market Lane, and a worldly influence on the menu, with items like their “Kensington Eggs” – two poached eggs, goat cheese tzatiki, and eggplant puree – or a classic pulled pork BBQ sandwich with pickled watermelon.

Bluebird Espresso (134 Johnston St, Collingwood) – Three different kinds of baked eggs, multiple takes on muesli, and a B vitamin supplement placed right at the top of their menu. Bluebird also has a full range of lunch sandwiches, all available for a very reasonable $12.5, with tasty sounding stuff like a lamb burger, classic BLT, or smoked Tasmanian salmon with capers and dill.

De Clieu (187 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy) – There’s no official website for De Clieu, and that may be part and parcel with what Broadsheet Melbourne describes as the cafe’s “elegant simplicity” and sense of space. De Clieu is tiny and cute, and their menu is a locavore’s paradise of stuff like pork neck, avocado quinoa toast, and corn fritters, which keep popping up on menus we look at across the city. De Clieu serves coffee from Seven Seeds, and is one of the few places in Melbourne you’re likely to find a French press.

Monk Bodhi Dharma (202 Carlisle St, Balaclava) – As a roastery, breaky joint, and dinner location, there seems to be a great deal of multi-tasking going on at Monk Bodhi Dharma, but by all accounts they pull it off – this spot came recommended by several of our poll respondents. But we’re including Monk Bodhi because of the care and consideration they take for folks with dietary restrictions on their menu; all of their breaky offerings are vegetarian, with gluten free and vegan options to boot. Melbourne is very progressive when it comes to accommodating dietary restrictions, but this cafe goes a step further than most.

Hammer & Tong 412 (412 Brunswick St, Fitzroy) – Fitzroy is cooler than cool, and Hammer & Tong fits right in. Their brunch menu is playful and eclectic – see the “fried chicken wings w mango, grapefruit, candied chilies, crisp shallots, avocado & lime” – and they’re open clear through til dinner. The interior here personifies the whole Melbourne industrial modern thing quite nicely, and it’s a great place to sample coffee from Dukes, a roaster located in the nearby suburb of Windsor.

Two Birds, One Stone (12 Claremont St, South Yarra) – Another top gear 5 Senses breaky zone, with a lazer-focused coffee menu that offers just three options: “milk, black, or filter.” Lunch is served all day here, so if you need a steak sandwich with beetroot chutney, bacon, and horseradish at 9am, they won’t judge. Their menu changes all the time, but a sample list posted online included fancy ham hock baked beans with goat curds and rocket on toast, which sounds just cursedly sublime, right?

Twenty & Six Espresso (03051/594 Queensberry St, North Melbourne) – They’re serving up Proud Mary coffee here at this North Melbs breakfast spot, lauded by Broadsheet for having “some of Melbourne’s most creative and impeccably presented breakfasts.” This would be like getting called New York’s best cocktail bar, or Portland’s best outdoor patio, or Wisconsin’s best Bloody Mary – it’s a high compliment. There are apparently lines on the weekend, which is what happens when you’re doing something right. We’ll be stopping in.

Cheerio (323 Lennox St, Richmond) – This cafe is a high-flying collaborating between two well-known Melbourne coffee types, Charlotte Devereux and Chris Handley, who’ve got experience at Seven Seeds and Wall Two 80 shared betwixt them. The breaky menu here is relatively small, but people freak out about the porridge, and the interior design looks really gorgeous. Plus it’s in Richmond, which we’re pretty sure is where we’d want to live if we ever lived here…which is starting to sound like a better and better idea…

Loop back ’round to our Melbourne info portal, why don’t you? Good on ya!

The post 10 Places To Eat Breaky In Melbourne: Sprudge Guides appeared first on Sprudge.com.

We’re in Melbourne for the 2013 World Barista Championship, our first visit to this splendid city. How do you write a guide for a city if you’ve never been? Easy. We polled a dozen Melbourne residents and frequent visitors with excellent taste on their very favorite places to eat, drink, and have a coffee around town. Read more features like this one in our Melbourne Sprudge Guides hub!

From the dozen or so experts we polled, here’s our 10 recommendations for having a nice coffee time in Melbourne. It was an enormously difficult list to determine, and we remain impressed by the diversity in answers offered by our poll responders. There’s a chance your favorite cafe has been left out, but be sure to check over at our Melbourne Breaky Guide, because perhaps we’ve listed it there – the line between a cafe and a breakfast spot in Melbourne is all but non-existent, and visitors should consult these two lists in concert.

Still think we blew it by leaving your favorite out? Read us the riot act on Twitter (@Sprudge) and show us more cool stuff.

Proud Mary - This cafe in Collingwood appeared on literally every set of polling answers we received. One responder said, “If they could fit more coffee equipment on the bar, they’d do it. A mammoth 6 group Synesso and siphon bar bracket in a bunch of mad coffee enthusiasts. The awesome crew at Prouds look after everyone who comes through the door.” Others called it “hectic” but a must visit nonetheless, and several touted the food. Oh, and they’re one of the few cafes in Melbourne to offer public wifi. Go here! (172 Oxford St, Collingwood)

Patricia Coffee Brewers - Another cafe mentioned by nearly all of our respondents, Patrcia is the closest thing to a true “espresso bar” you’re likely to find in breaky-mad Melbs. The cafe is a standing room only affair, with a simple menu of “black, white, or filter” options. Very highly regarded by our poll folks. (493-495 Little Bourke Street)

Market Lane - Internationally renowned and likely already on your list, Market Lane’s brand is closely associated with the thriving coffee scene in Melbourne. This roaster-retailer has three locations around the city to enjoy espressos and filtered coffees, plus pick up a bag of beans for your friends back home. (109-111 Therry Street, 176 Faraday St. Carlton, Shop 13 Prahran Market - 163 Commercial Road)

Code Black Coffee Roasters - A newcomer on the Melbourne scene, with one of the more astonishing build outs (or “fit outs”) you’re likely to find in Melbourne, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. Code Black was home to the 2013 Victoria Barista Championship, which happened the very same day they opened their doors. Code Black will be home to our upcoming international cupping with Cafe Imports, happening Tuesday, May 22nd. (15-17 Weston Street Brunswick)

Seven Seeds - Another brand closely associated with Melbs, Seven Seeds’ flagship warehouse coffee bar / roastery was recommended by nearly every responder we polled. They’ve got La Marzocco Stradas and a variety of filter coffee methods, plus a revered kitchen serving food until 3pm daily. Seven Seeds is an important part of the ongoing narrative of specialty coffee in Melbourne, and a must-visit on your trip. Go here! (106 – 114 Berkeley St Carlton)

St. Ali / Sensory Lab – Peas in a pod, these two brands share the same familial lineage and ownership, and together they’ve dominated the Australian competitive coffee scene in 2013, boasting a staff that includes both current Brewers Cup and Barista Championship winners. St. ALi is a coffee and brunch palace with two locations; Sensory Lab sits in the foyer of a department store in the CBD, and serves roaringly good espresso alongside multiple Hario filter options. They don’t make cafes like this in North America, which seems increasingly foolish the more time we spend down here… (St. ALi North: 815 Nicholson St, Carlton; St. ALi South: 12-18 Yarra Pl, South Melbourne; Sensory Lab: 297 Little Collins St)

Everyday Coffee - Multiroasters are still a bit of a rarity in Melbs, but Everyday Coffee fills the gap by offering a revolving menu of coffee options, comprised of around 5 filter coffee choices and multiple espressos. Owner Mark Free is well-versed in global coffee trends and who’s-who in the roasting world, and his cafe reflects that – they’re one of the only cafes in all of Australia serving batch brew! We’re teaming up with Everyday for a cupping party following the madness of MICE, featuring coffees from all around – we’re calling it the WBC Come Down, and you can learn more by clicking this link. Also, as an aside, people freak out about the key lime pie at Everyday Coffee (multiple responders mentioned it). Did you think you’d be flying to Melbourne and eating key lime pie? We sure didn’t, but you know what? Screw it, two slices please. (33 Johnston St)

Brother Baba Budan - This is the sister cafe to Seven Seeds, and is highly regarded by Melbourne locals and visitors alike for capturing the city’s charming modern allure. Tucked down an alley (or “laneway) on Little Bourke Street, this is in many ways the quintessential urban Melbs coffee bar, with espressos & filter coffees done right. Towards the top of our must-visit list, and it should be on yours, too. (359 Little Bourke St)

Top Paddock – Just 6 months old, Top Paddock is Melbourne’s symphonic love affair with coffee & brunch, presented in a single passionate aria. There is a lovely take away counter up front, but the real action here is at one of Top Paddock’s 150+ seats, clustered tastefully in nooks and crannies across a tastefully outfitted custom built space. The food here is divine but the coffee steals the show, with SOE and blended espresso choices alongside filter coffees, all roasted by 5 Senses. Our coffees were presented with tasteful info sheets; brunch goers are handed a coffee menu in perfect harmony with the food offerings, and all the printed materials are gorgeous. We ordered everything on the coffee menu and were uniformly impressed. If Melbourne is the greatest fancy coffee brunch city in the world (and signs point to yes), then Top Paddock is among its crown jewels. (658 Church St, Richmond)

Auction Rooms - For our last selection, a preponderance of those polled mentioned Auction Rooms, the cafe outlet for the folks at Small Batch Roasters. Like most shops in Melbs, Auction Rooms has a dual focus on expertly prepared coffee and delicious food. But unlike most shops in Melbs, they’ve got hours until 10pm on weekends, and an extremely high volume siphon program. Melbourne’s industrial chic design has a comfortable home here. We’ve been instructed to try the fruit salad. (103-107 Errol St, North Melbourne)

Loop back ’round to our Melbourne info portal, why don’t you? Good on ya!

The post 10 Places To Drink Coffee In Melbourne: Sprudge Guides appeared first on Sprudge.com.

Welcome to Sprudge.com’s exclusive, sprawling guide to the cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs of Melbourne. We’re in town for the 2013 Melbourne International Coffee Expo and World Barista Championship, and the following pages are meant to be partners in crime for the international legion of Sprudge readers set to descend on Melbourne in the coming week.

In order to construct this guide, we turned to a roster of friends and acquaintances with a wide range of experience in the Melbourne coffee scene. We polled around a dozen people; some are Melbourne natives, others are ex-pats living and working in Melbs or frequent visitors, but they’re all huge coffee enthusiasts, which means they’ve got great taste in all the other stuff that counts. Trust us, that’s how it works.

It’s our pleasure to pass along the following Sprudge Guides to Melbourne:

10 Places To Drink Coffee In Melbourne

10 Places To Eat Breaky In Melbourne

10 Places For A Nice Dinner In Melbourne

10 Places To Drink Fancy In Melbourne

10 Cheap Spots To Eat & Drink In Melbourne

Where Am I? What Am I Doing? What Shouldn’t I Miss In Melbourne?

These guides are not The Last Word on what’s good in Melbourne, not by a long shot. If your favorites are left out, or you think we’ve done a knob’s job of collecting info, you can always let us know via Twitter – feel free to point out more great stuff we shouldn’t miss But we think we’ve spun together an pretty darn fun operational series of field guides to help you – and us – get the most out of our time in Melbourne. We’ll also recommend you towards Broadsheet Melbourne, which really is the city’s Last Word on what’s good, and whose archives are a really fun way to explore and learn about Melbourne as a visitor.

Last, we’d like to thank our team of poll responders, including Tim Varney, M’Lissa Muckerman, Ben Bicknell, Anya Sereda, Eileen Kenny, and several more folks who responded anonymously. Thank you all! Now let’s go have fun in Melbourne.

The post Melbourne Sprudge Guides Hub – Drinks, Food, Advice, Coffee, Penguins & More appeared first on Sprudge.com.