Brother Baba Budan

Luckily we were well armed with an accurate address when we went searching for this elusive coffee making gem of a place. Melbourne being the painfully hip place that it is actually having a sign on your shop appears to be old hat. We noticed some people hanging outside an unassuming corner shop holding mugs and following our guess, opened the door to be assaulted with the wonderful smell of fresh coffee.

The cafe is decorated with a lot of old chairs hung from the ceiling and the industrial chic of the rest of the place consists of some line drawings of coffee plants on the partially stripped walls. There is one large table and a few bar stools. Most people don't sit in. The overwhelming impression is that this place is a serious venue for caffeine addicts to get their morning fix before going about their business.

We tried the Ethiopian Aricha single estate in latte form. It was subtle and a little oily, strong but not bitter. Very good indeed. Brother Baba Budan is one of only three Melbourne Cafe's to have earned the elusive 3 bean status in the 2010 Melbourne Coffee Review. On the basis of this visit we must agree that they are doing what they love very well indeed.