Manchester Press: Coffee, CBD Melbourne (26 May 2012)

8 Rankins Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000

Laneway coffee oasis

A friends recommendation brings me to Manchester Press to try their coffee while in Melbourne for the agIdeas conference. My Cappuccino ($3.50) was impressively good. Being a non-coffee drinker I find it smooth, flavoursome and well-rounded on the palate with hardly any hint of bitterness which allows me to happily drink it without the addition of sugar. Having hidden gems located down dodgy looking laneways seems to be normal for Melbourne. If you didn't know better there's no way you'd find yourself walking past it. I love the see-through menus using old school labels and the use of old stamps and buttons in jars to decorate the toilet area — Melbourne does rustic quirky resourcefulness so well. Staff seemed friendly and helpful and I'm sure the majority of the customers were locals in the know. I'm not sure what the food is like but it seems to offer a good selection of breakfast and lunch options at a reasonable price.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Coffee was very good, Service was friendly, Interesting decor and quirky details, Menu seems reasonably priced

CONS: Hard to get a seat when busy, Hidden down a dead end laneway so if you didn't know about the place you'll miss it

MUST TRY: Coffee

—

Cappuccino ($3.50)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

I once heard you can tell how good a coffee might be by how well it sticks to the inside of the cup — is this true?

Baristas and service counter

Seating and decor

Entrance and seating

Menu — quirky and old school design

Order number '3'

Sugar, salt and pepper

Table plant

Clean and functional toilet

Old stamps in toilet

Odd buttons in toilet

Something I see very often in Sydney restaurants

Wait list written in chalk on the wall = resourceful

Down the dodgy laneway you'll find a coffee oasis

View Larger Map