The coffee culture in Melbourne is insane, and no Starbucks can match it (I tell you that!) it is also one of the most unique elements in this city.
The coffee culture was originally brought to Australia in the first fleet. Coffee houses/ palaces were established in the 1830s as a product of the temperance movement. The first was opened in 1837, where coffee was seen as a better option than alcohol. James Monroe, an influential Melbourne businessman and a temperance campaigner built many coffee palaces in Melbourne including the Victoria and Federal Coffee palaces in 1880 and 1888. However, over time coffee palaces were not financially stable and by the 1890s depression, many of them closed down and were mostly forced to apply for liquor licenses to stay afloat.
Between the 1950s and 1920s, there were street coffee stalls, which were located on street corners where these places provided cheap snacks throughout the day for Melbourne workers.
At the end of the second world war, there was a significant boom in the European coffee culture in Melbourne and that’s when tea took a back seat at the coffee lounge and began the love relationship for coffee by the Melbournians. Many migrants by the 1960s were associated and socialized with espresso bars. Luigi Bezera invested in the espresso coffee machine in 1901, and these coffee machines were found in restaurant kitchens and especially with the Italians who started up cafes in the CDB and inner-city suburbs, creating European-style café culture which we insanely adore now. And today, according to Tourism Australia, Melbourne has more than 2000 cafes along with some of the world’s best baristas.
With over a century old history behind us, we Melbournians have not only got the real essence of taste for coffee but also, make a fair deal on knowledge and literacy of coffee flavors. We keep developing our sources with the best beans, methods, and equipment to keep making Melbourne one of the coffee capitals of the world.
Us and our loved ones have now converted as real snobs for coffee and worship for a good coffee, and the best thing is every café, restaurant to hotel serves the best of Melbourne coffee and you will not have to walk miles to find a hearty cup of coffee, and you will always pick your local coffee house over global coffee chains at any given time. There’s so much choice here, and be able to support local coffee shops and there’s nothing like having a friendly chat with the local café owner as they prepare your regular order without even needing to tell them what you want.
It is named the coffee capital of the world simply because the coffee-crazed city of Melbourne has more coffee shops per person than any other city on the planet.
The coffee culture here takes massive twists and turns and every day is phenomenal with your local barista. From seasonal blends to unique brews and techniques which has attracted even the younger coffee customers.
Post lockdown in 2020, one of the first things we all craved was to go to a café, sit down with friends and have a barista-made coffee. Oh, what a momentous event.
Long live coffee!!
