What do you guys look for in a cafe?

[Wassabi_Jones]

is it the people, the coffee, the music the decor?
i'm looking at cafe's around melbourne and need a list of basic things to look for to write a review on.

So far i have
Coffee
Music
People
Staff
Decor/Facilities
And how freindly they are to tired clubbers oh Yeah
Food

Anything else you guys would like to see?

[drew]

illy coffee

[buda]

Of course coffee and the other obvious, but also for me:

Inventiveness/ originality of the menu. Are they trying new things or is it boring same old chicken breast burgers with sweet chilli sauce ?
One thing - they have to serve bacon & eggs till at least 4pm.

Whether or not the staff can relate to me. If you can share a laugh with them. There are a million boring losers out there - but why work in the hospitality industry ?

Being able to have a laugh, + good service and fine aesthetics = good tip.

[stylustrouble]

coffee and at least one of the cafe del mar cds on constant rotation

[danaele]

Ya im a big cafe freak, and i go for everything listed above ( u gotta b able to have eggs benedict at 4pm!) , but its gotta be comfy. I hate those aluminium and glass shrines to the coffee bean. Gimme a bowl of coffee, and comfy couch any day.

Side Note: I heard that place in bondi is really good - the bookstore/coffee place on hall st - anyone been?

[feeble]

ok....where shall I start?
1. Indoor and outdoor seating to cater for us poor maligned smokers. For the outdoor section, those big heater things (braziers, I think they're called) are much appreciated.

2. Lounges aplenty

3. Good selection of interesting magazines to read.... from ultra-hip wanky fashion mags (so we can flip through them and laugh at the stupid hairstyles), to NW to the latest edition of the paper (SMH or Australian please...no Daily Telegraphs.)

4. Most important...GOOD COFFEE. And staff who know how to make it (and while we're on the issue of staff is it possible to avoid hiring the " I'm only working here til the casting directors from Home and Away call me back, so don't expect a smile from me, you pleb" type that's so common in the Eastern Suburbs?

5. All day breakfast

6. Freshly squeezed juice

Feebles Sydney picks: Bar Coluzzi (Darlinghurst-great coffee), Gusto (Bondi), Well Connected (Glebe), Kink (Oxford St), Citrus (Newtown)

[TwoUp]

just to back up the all day breakfast thing. This is VITAL 'speshially after a big night/weekend when you finally rise at 3 or 4 in the afternoon with the fragile mind, tender stomach, bland mouth and a jaw you cant open any more than 15 degrees from excessive clenching over the past 20 hours, the last thing you want is to be confronted by a menue of T-Bone steaks, mega stack burgers and other unfriendly dishes. MMmmMMmMMm to the soft fluffy eggs and juices !!

Other important aspects: warm inviting look (couches, cushions, natural light) as oposed to some of thise stainless steel sterile things that are popping up now.

Young, funky staff (as opossed to the 70 yr old fish and chip shop couple) and also young people already eating in there (same attracts same)

BACKGROUND music, some nice chilled beats or world music to softly float along in the background under your conversations. Its not a club, so dont have the music banging out of 4 x 400 Watt JBLs, and a selection of CDs rather than just wacking it on radio is important too - I dont want to get advertised to whilst sipping my lime spider ;)

Clean , but not sterile. And perhaps two way mirror for windows so you can watch the world pass by but they cant srate at you or your meal as they walk past, avoiding the 'fishbowl effect'

happy dining !

<img src="http://www.inthemix.com.au/images/contrib/two.gif ">

[melli]

let me see.................... there are so many things that i look for in a nice place to relax. the brekkie thing is most important. i agree whole heartedly with you guys about that one! couches, cosy couches are extra important. but not the ones that you sink too deep into! soft, mellifluous tunes that. the food has to be varied, from small snacks to decent feeds. and there needs to be a smokinh section, although in melbourne it's going to be hard to find a suitable place, with our state government banning it in places that serve food. anyway, basically it needs to be friendly, warm and have great decor! and of course, good coffee!!

i recommend orange on chapel st in melbourne. this place is very funky!

[nexus-6]

cafe lounge opposite bpm records.
it's all a cafe should be: extensive vegan/vegetarian menu, luscious couches, awesome music, great people, licensed (very very important), funky friendly staff, open late, smoking area outside, not too expensive.

[neffitz]

*comfy couches

*quality hot chocolate (i don't drink coffee)

*yummy smoothies (sorry, but a good banana smoothie's alot better than eggs after a big night!)

*tasty food (of course) that's inventive and good value for money

*mouth-watering desert sort of things that you can't go past

*cleanliness

*friendly staff

[Stridingcloud]

Here here Nexus!!!

Cafe` Lounge ROCKS!!!. Great food (available at almost anytime) + great price. Good coffee, comfy lounges, off-beat furniture, NO post-modern Anythings. Good beats AND Alcohol (if required)


cafe` lounge
cafe` lounge
cafe` lounge


try it y'all.....

[Juggalo Muli]

starbucks is coool, but i like real funky and trendy shops, with a cosy lounge etc. plus what most people said above.

Muli

[TwoUp]

McCafe ??

[innA]

werd drew.. illy is the strongest coffee ive ever tasted.. great wake up call.
danaele.. i hear that there is a nice cafe in the cross/darlinghurst area, but i think it has a coffee "nazi" :p

[marcus]

Comfortablility factor
Clientelle
Couches
Lighting
Atmosphere
Price

Add all that to everyone elses...

Best places in melbourne Ive experienced were
hairy canary
revolver (but is it a cafe?)
and that colourful one that seels the biggest cakes ever...

[danaele]

inna - weird, i heard that as well :)

i hear they also serve coffee in bowls and for that...ill wait forever. -grin-

[innA]

well waiting for coffee is the 'in' thing to do these days.

[feeble]

danaele....you can get coffee in bowls at this place in Centrepoint Shopping Centre, believe it or not...i think that its called Counterpoint, and it's on the 2nd floor.
Massive bowls of coffee with mad foam designs on it.....highly recommended :)

[Spitchen]

Darlo area - La Petit Creme on Darlinghurst Road. French coffee in a bowl and great baguettes. Busy.

Cafe Nikki's - Bourke St, Surry Hills. Great coffee and food, and great music. Busy.

Barmuda, Australia St, Newtown - food is great.

[i-clanVJ]

the sugar

[innA]

ha.. spitchen knows the deal.. "Darlo area - La Petit Creme on Darlinghurst Road. French coffee in a bowl and great baguettes. Busy."
but beware.. the owner is a <b>COFFEE NAZI!... <i>no coffee for u!

[danaele]

lol ya spitchen, the guys a bit of a domination control freak ;)

Brown Sugar, and Gusto both rock. Oh and for a classic - Mickeys on Oxford st. Damn those sundaes! I owe at least 3 or 4 kgs to them ;)

Feeble - hrm. shouldnt have told me. you may b witnessing the beginning of an addiction :) not sure if id go all the way into the city for it tho...

[driload]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm : )

im off to sydney to lap some of this up! (well no im off for work but time off will be coffee swilling... : P

as for Brisbane... um... ah... shame on me i have little idea

i DID like the place Stephen used to own (the guy who has those hair dressing stores...)

its above the mall but looks out on one side at the buses going into the bus depot
dont like the smoke

plus its going downhill "glamour"-wise

i tell you what i loved in sydney, was No. 1 Martin Place : )

is it pitt street?

i was staying in the WESTIN hotel there and its beautiful.

but back to coffee (or like me... green tea... just cause its healthier)

good music is essential!!!

[Dusty]

I hope that person wasn't serious about McCafe. The most gag inducing sight or though after a big night is slimy fast food. One look at those menus and I can taste the bile.