The Vertue of the coffee drink

Finding this place is an adventure in itself. We walked down past the petrol station and I was almost certain we were not in the right place, but then we saw a sign that said coffee with a finger pointing left. We turned left and sure enough there was two big doors with an old English lamp above the entrance. Step one complete. We found the place.

For some reason because it was a somewhat hidden location I thought it would be a really small place but I was wrong. It was spacious with high ceilings with a coffee bar with a glass cabinet of delectable sweets and an open restaurant eating area.

In the centre of the space was a gigantic coffee-grinding contraption. When you see that beast of a machine, you know you’re in for a good coffee.

Step two we ordered coffee. And as expected it was delicious.

More coffee.

The scotch egg was delicious. It was soft with a crunchy crumb, sitting on a bed of onion marmalade, which added sweetness. There was a slice of pork cotechino, which is like an Italian charcuterie meat, which was lovely with the sour of the caper berries and the piccalilli (pickled veg relish) mayonnaise which was a bright yellow sauce. Then there was the light and crunchy pig skin cracker, and toasted brioche soldiers, which were soft with a lightly toasted outside.

We also tried the smoked ocean trout, which was cooked to perfection and had a really strong smokey flavour. It was great. The curried arancini were so yum I could have eaten a whole plate of them. There was a silky yoghurt dressing, a creamy soft duck egg and a sticky sweet mango and chilli jam. The flavours together were interesting and delicious.

Their ‘mad as a hatter chai w soy’ had a strong spicy flavour, which was lovely. It was served in this exquisite copper pot with a long golden handle. Very cute. And if you want a chai but need a dose of caffeine, you can order the ‘dirty chai with a shot of espresso.’

They have the perfect selection of baked goods to go with their exceptional coffee. The big round cookie was deliciously crumbly and shortbreadesque. And it had big badass chocolate chunks throughout. We got a salted caramel butterbing cookie sandwich, which was absolutely delicious. It was a deliciously rich chocolate cookie sandwich with the perfect balance of crunch, chew and crumble with a smooth salted caramel filling. They had kwak scrolls, the cinnamon ones, which were incredible. I was covered in icing sugar and I did not give a care. I was blissfully unaware of my surroundings they were so yum.

Max was loving the Portuguese tart. It was really good.

The vertue of the coffee drink has lots of character and a quirkiness about it, which is also reflected in the meals they create. The meals are inventive and unique and mouth-wateringly delicious. The staff were really lovely which added to its charm. It is definitely worth tracking this place down for some great coffee and a whimsical brunch adventure.

I heart The Vertue Of The Coffee Drink!

Olives x

The Vertue of the coffee drink
Address: 8 Raffa Place, Carlton VIC 3053
Website: http://vertuecoffee.com.au/
Phone: 03 8060 6987
Trading Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun: 7.3-am-4pm