Coffee Number 14

***Getting through the backlog***

Starbucks
Shop 8
Midtown Plaza
194 Swanston St
Melbourne VIC 3000

Gingerbread frappucino, half coffee base, half cream base


Cold frappucinos (or frappucini?) on hot days always remind me of holidays in Malaysia. Aah, memories. It was hot on 26th of October, and I had an hour between work and meeting some lovely bloggers for dinner.

Me: A small decaf gingerbread frappucino please.
Starbucks girl: No worries… well it won’t really be decaf, we’ll do half coffee base, half cream base, ok?
Me: …blank look… Sure.

Oh man it was good! Loved the gingerbread flavour, not too sweet and super refreshing.
And for someone who officially hates Starbucks, I seem to be drinking quite a bit of it.

Coffee Number 13

Krispy Kreme
607 Collins Street,
cnr Collins and Spencer Street,
Melbourne, VIC 3000
(03) 9629 4902

Latte ($2.75) and Original Glazed Donut

In honour of Barack Obama’s election win, I was in the mood to celebrate all things American with a classic donut from Krispy Kreme. With my donut I ordered a plain ol’ latte. (I’d normally get skinny but that just seemed pointless). You can upsize to a coffee and 2 donut combo for 70c extra, but I wouldn’t recommend this unless you’re not scared of getting diabetes. The coffee was frikkin awesome! Strong and smooth, without any harsh bitterness. The milk was the perfect temperature. Who knew Krispy Kreme would make better coffee than the trendy cafes on the block?

Coffee Number 11

City Wine Shop
159 Spring St
Melbourne 3000
(03) 9654 6657

Cappuccino

I just spent a lovely afternoon at the City Wine Shop with some fellow Melbourne food bloggers and associated people from the ieatidrinkiwork website, enjoying relaxed nibbles, beer, and general food related conversation. Mid-arvo I found myself hankering for a coffee and ordered a cappuccino, (served in the same funky romcaffé cups that they use at D.O.C.s!) The cappuccino was smooth and strong, totally drinkable. The weather was warm and the coffee was lovely. I can’t remember the last time I had coffee just to enjoy it, rather than to shock myself into consciousness in the cold mornings before work.

Looking for your Starbucks fix?

If the sudden closure of so many Starbucks stores has got you longing for your Venti-Oreo-Frappuccino or your Grande-Skim-White-Mocha, or you're an American tourist who just wants "my double-tall-latte, people!", here are the 5 locations that will remain in Melbourne.


295 Swanston Street, Melbourne 3000 (Yup, the big one full of Asian students between Lonsdale and Latrobe St)
674 Glenferrie Centre Shop 1 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, 3122 (Yup, the small one full of Asian students near Swinburne University, and full of rich kids from the high concentration of nearby private schools)
Melbourne Airport (No points for guessing why that one remains)
207 Collins St, Melbourne 3000 (It's not in a particularly student-y location, but I'm gonna guess that the tourists around this hotel/theatre area keep it going).
Shop 8, Midtown Plaza, 194 Swanston St, Melbourne (Again, in the heart of Asian-student town)



And for interest, here's a great article from a Singaporean living in Melbourne up on Melbourne Metblogs.

Coffee Number 10

Sette Bello
Corner Hardware Lane & Lt Bourke St
Melbourne 3000
(03) 9670 7070

This morning, I was early for a high-powered business meeting (no, really), so I wandered down Hardware lane and stopped in at sette bello. I’d read about it on Claire’s and Mellie’s blogs, and it looked right up my alley, so to speak.

They had a divine array of pasticcini, biscotti and savouries (pizzette, bread etc.) I loved the presentation of the food, and the retro-cool décor. I settled in with a short macchiato (usually I drink lattes, but I felt that my new suit deserved a corresponding upgrade in coffee-chic) and a fantabulous cannoli, filled with chocolate-studded ricotta. Amazing.

Coffee number 6

Brunetti
City Square
Corner Swanston Street and Flinders Lane


Cafe Latte - $3.30

I’m meeting my cousin at the corner of Swanston and Flinders Lane. We’re supposed to go to some rocking newspaper party and mingle, but I know we’ll end up in the corner laughing our heads off. I’m trying to have coffee only every other day (today being a non-coffee day), but it’s cold and windy, and for once, Cuz is running late. I walk across the street to Brunetti, order a latté and park myself under one of their gigantic heaters. As with most Italian coffees, the first sip seems too strong, but after that, it’s exactly what I want.