This is why coffee in Australia is so trendy and delicious

Coffee in Australia

When walking through the cities of Melbourne, Sydney, or Brisbane in Australia, you usually don't have to look far for a coffee shop. Small espresso bars, neighborhood cafes, and local roasteries abound. Australians grab a coffee on the go, meet up at a cafe, or sit down for an extensive brunch on the weekend.

That strong café culture emerged largely after the Second World War. Italian and Greek immigrants brought espresso machines, coffee habits, and the idea of ​​the café as a meeting place to Australia. Particularly in Melbourne and Sydney, this gave rise to a vibrant coffee culture that continued to develop.

Flat white, cold drip and more

Australia and New Zealand are still debating the precise origins of the flat white, but the drink is inextricably linked to Australian coffee culture. This delicious coffee consists of espresso with warm milk and a thin, smooth layer of microfoam. As a result, you often taste the coffee more clearly than, for example, in a frothy cappuccino.

However, the Australian coffee scene now goes much further than just the well-known flat white. On menus at coffee shops, you will often find cold drip, pour-over, batch brew, and coffee brewed with a V60 or AeroPress.

In Melbourne, you can also order a magic: this is a double ristretto – a very concentrated and strong coffee, brewed with the same amount of ground coffee as an espresso, but with half the water – with steamed milk in a relatively small cup. The result is powerful, creamy, and popular among coffee lovers who feel a latte could use a bit more kick.

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Why does Australian coffee taste so good?

A good cup of coffee naturally starts with the coffee bean. Many specialized cafés work with local roasters or roast the beans themselves. In doing so, they pay attention to origin, harvest, processing, and roasting, and regularly rotate their coffee beans.

In short: there is much more focus on the quality of the bean. Single-origin coffee, made with beans from one country, region, or even one plantation, is therefore quite normal.

On top of that, being a barista is seen as a serious profession in Australia. The grind, amount of coffee, water temperature, and brewing time are carefully adjusted. Milk frothing also receives a great deal of attention: it must be smooth and silky and cannot consist of a thick layer of airy foam. You can taste the difference, even when you simply order a cappuccino and are not a connoisseur.

What also helps is that there is a lot of competition. In the big cities, you can sometimes find hundreds of good cafes and coffee bars (Melbourne, for example, has more than two thousand cafes), and even far beyond, you can get good coffee almost everywhere. Consequently, a mediocre espresso can easily cost you your customers as an entrepreneur.

From coffee shop to elaborate brunch

The popularity of Australian coffee also has to do with everything surrounding it; many cafés pay just as much attention to the food and the interior as they do to the espresso machine on the bar. It wasn't just the food that had to be good, but the coffee as well. Nowadays, you often enjoy the best local and seasonal ingredients when ordering food, paired with locally roasted and flavorful coffee.

Thus, drinking coffee became part of a complete lifestyle. Melbourne plays a major role in this; starting in the 1980s, shady alleyways were renovated and made increasingly attractive to small cafes, shops, and restaurants. By now, they are among the city's most famous spots to drink coffee, enjoy a hearty breakfast, or have a delicious brunch.

Especially in the Central Business District and Fitzroy neighborhoods, you can walk into almost any café with your eyes closed; you won't find bad coffee – or bad food – anywhere. Looking for more tips for Melbourne? Check out these restaurants and hotspots:

Coffee trends in Australia

Single origin and transparent provenance

More and more coffee bars know exactly where the coffee beans come from, how they are processed, and what flavors to expect. On the menu, for example, you read about notes of citrus, chocolate, stone fruit, or caramel. As a result, coffee is approached almost like wine.

Espresso remains popular, but lighter roasts and filter methods are gaining ground, just as in the Netherlands. With a pour-over, for example, hot water is slowly poured over ground coffee. This often brings out fresh, fruity, and floral flavors better.

At specialized roasteries, you can taste different beans side by side. Some establishments even offer a coffee flight featuring multiple filter coffees. Cuppings—professional coffee tastings—are also becoming increasingly popular. Market Lane Coffee in Melbourne, for example, organizes tastings and workshops focusing on various brewing methods.

Oat milk has become indispensable at many Australian cafés, although that is probably not much different than in the Netherlands. Other types of plant-based milk, such as almond, soy, and macadamia milk, also regularly appear on the menu. The most important thing? Above all, the milk must froth well without overpowering the taste of the coffee.

Besides iced lattes, you are seeing cold brew and cold drip increasingly often in Australia, especially in the summer. Cold brew steeps in cold water for several hours and often tastes round and mild. With cold drip, cold water slowly drips through the ground coffee, creating a concentrated and refined flavor. Some well-known roasters now even sell chilled canned coffee for on the go. Want to give it a try yourself? Then give this recipe a go:

For your daily shot of caffeine, you really don't need to go to Starbucks anymore or stand in line for hours at that popular coffee shop on the corner. Making your own iced coffee is actually super simple. Here's how!

The best coffee shops in Australia

Nowadays, it is almost impossible to order bad coffee anywhere in Australia, yet there are a few coffee shops that are just slightly better than the rest. These are therefore some of my favorites, mainly in Sydney, Melbourne, and one in Brisbane.

Opening hours and locations may of course change; always check the café's website or social media before you leave to avoid finding yourself facing a closed door.

Gumption Coffee in Sydney

You'll find Gumption Coffee right in the heart of Sydney's historic Strand Arcade. The approach is simple but incredibly good. For instance, there are no extensive menus, but the coffee is seriously good. On a warm summer day, the cold drip is highly recommended.

Room Ten in Sydney

For years, Room Ten has been tucked away in a narrow street in Potts Point, Sydney. The small café is beloved throughout Sydney, partly due to the combination of good coffee and an incredibly good breakfast. The lively neighborhood atmosphere completes the picture, although you should be prepared to wait in line.

Only Coffee Project in Sydney en Melbourne

At Only Coffee Project, everything revolves around good coffee, as the name suggests. The team works with rotating beans from renowned roasters and is particularly known for carefully brewed pour-overs.

This year they were ranked fourth in the World's 100 Best Coffee Shops, quite an achievement. You can find them in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Market Lane Coffee in Melbourne

Market Lane is an accessible and atmospheric place to get acquainted with Australian specialty coffee. The roastery works primarily with single-origin beans and has several locations in Melbourne, including at Prahran Market and Queen Victoria Market.

Order an espresso or pour-over and take beans home right away, or attend one of the interesting workshops to learn more about coffee.

ST. ALi Coffee Roasters in Melbourne

This is probably one of the most famous names in the coffee world in Melbourne, and perhaps even in all of Australia. ST. ALi Coffee Roasters is a café, a roastery, and an experimental coffee spot all in one. It is one of the best places for a cold drip, but also for a hearty breakfast or lunch.

Proud Mary Coffee in Melbourne

Proud Mary Coffee sources specialty coffee beans directly, roasts them itself, and serves both espresso and filter coffee. The café is known for its consistent quality and is therefore rightfully included in the list of the World's 100 Best Coffee Shops. Incidentally, the food there is also excellent…

Coffee Mentality in Brisbane

This coffee roaster in Brisbane started out as a mobile espresso bar but eventually expanded to multiple locations in the city. At the roastery in Woolloongabba, you can taste various Australian single-origin coffees, including beans grown in Australia itself.

Traveling to Australia

Can't wait to plan the perfect tour of Australia? Then get in touch with the travel advisors at TravelEssence. This travel agency specializes in tailor-made trips to Australia and New Zealand and would be happy to help you put together an unforgettable journey.

Based on all your wishes, travel experts put together a unique trip that takes you to small-scale accommodations and local experiences.

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Eats everything in sight. Never skips a meal. Thinks cold pasta and pizza are the best breakfast in the world. According to him, cheese is the most beautiful product ever. Dips his chips in salsa, but also dances it.