A trip down Sydney Rd for my mid day caffine hit, on this occasion was… Pretty decent.

The Green Refectory an art deco style, multi level cafe with some serious character. serving all sorts of sandwiches, foccacia’s and cakes the massive line waiting said it all. But could they impress with the coffee? Illy was the blend used. Adding even more character was a waitress working here, who seemed to create a coffee natzi status for her self. Unless your ready to order, dont approach this woman!!

My order was the usual short mac, followed quickly by a latte. Both came out relitivaly fast and were of pretty good standard. A full flavored cup, not over extracted and a good temperature. A little let down with the texture of the milk. And no effort made for a bit of artistic creativity which i love to see.

All up a good experience at the Green Refectory, A good atmosphere and a barista with heaps of potential.

A solid 1 beaner, from the caffined’s apprentice…

Coffee Illy

Oh No! I thought to myself………………….not another coffee shop, great, that’s ALL we need!
Well at least the rumour has it that they roast in store, better head down and see for myself what all the fuss is about, it’s time for some serious caffeination!
Put up your DUKES guys, the CaFFiend is in town 
This brand new addition to Melbourne’s vibrant cafe scene is on Chapel St, near High St, it looks absolutely fantastic, a rustic feel, lots of open space, a BIG communal table, smiling faces, burring grinders and a shiny new MISTRAL adorning the bench space, what a statement, what an expectation, Oh! What a feeling!!!
Bring it on!
My ristretto arrives promptly, I am captivated by the aroma, the dense crema concealing 15-2o mls of pure nectar, thick, rich and viscous; clear floral tones with a big finish, exactly the way to impress the CaFFiend, as they say it’s all about first impressions.
My cafe latte arrives, delicately adorned with a rosetta, but at this point in the game I’m well and truly over latte art, it’s all about what’s in the cup, and boy is this a cup full of goodness!
Velvety milk, well combined espresso and milk, thick and creamy; truly delightful, my palate would thank me if it could speak, I can feel the joy in my very being.
It’s always great to get that rush, that excitement of a new addition to the scene, and these boys, spearheaded by Peter have got it all going on. The only thing that rivals the coffee here is the delicious menu, WOW! I was extremely impressed at the overall performance of these new comers who are definitely serious about their business, and by all accounts business is GOOD!
Three beans for the DUKES of Coffee, true royalty, a great start by all accounts, keep it up you impressed the hell out of the CaFFiend!!

Till next time…………………… Keep on caffeining on!!!!
Coffee: DUKES

It seemed like a good idea at the time, sometimes though it’s all about the kids, not about the coffee.
I wasn’t expecting too much from this quaint little family run bakery, as far as coffee was concerned….although I was quietly hoping for a bean or two. All the tell tale signs were there, oily hopper, dirty steam wand, full dose chamber, why did I even bother ordering?!?!?
Enough said, I’m sure you all get the picture, this was definitely a one sip wonder!
Anyway, let’s talk food for a minute…..or two!
Our brekky was divine, the ingredients were fresh, the service top notch, the staff were very friendly and obliging! Well done to the team at Annabelle’s, no beans for the coffee, sorry, but all in all a pleasant experience, it was absolutely Annabelle’s!

Till next time, keep on caffeining on!!!!

Coffee: Vittoria

251 West Coast Drive,

North Beach (near Trigg Beach)

Hours: Every day from 7am

Dinner Wed to Sun

This is the second of my series on nortern beachside cafes:–

Nestled on the edge of the Indian Ocean with views to die for, parking spaces are at a premium at this popular cafe which is usually packed with eager clientele wining and dining or enjoying some delicious cake and sipping on a latte.

It was a wet and windy winters day when we visited but tables were at a premium, in the finer months diners spill out onto the alfresco area to enjoy the panoramic  views of the amazing coastline. The interior was cosy for a winters day and the display cabinet full of cakes, tarts and biscuits looked oh so tempting.

The breakfast and lunch menu had some amazing sounding dishes and feedback I’ve had from friends and family who have visited recently have given Soda the thumbs up in the food department.

My wife’s mini carrot cake with cream and my New Norcia sour dough bread were very enjoyable.

This is a coffee reveiw so I’ll get down to the nitty gritty, I ordered a traditional mach and my wife a cafe latte.

I was pondering what to expect from the 3 group Rancilio when my short mach arrived in a latte glass and aroused my suspicions as to what I should expect, the first sip justified my fears, bitter and overextracted, lacking body and crema  and leaving an enpleasant aftertaste, it was such a disappointment.

My wife commented that her latte was far too milky and needed more coffee for the size of the tall glass it was served in.

Coffee: Grinders

Million dollar views, great decor and ambiance, great food but I can’t give any beans here I’m afraid.