It was barely 9am when we finally found ourselves walking down the alley of South Melbourne and stepping in to the huge cafe, but the place was already packed with breakfast-goers and coffee lovers. Bustling and full of chatter, St ALi Coffee Roasters – one of the pioneers of specialty coffee in Melbourne – is awake and full of life.
We were ushered to a table as soon as we stepped in, and the bubbly staff welcomed us with some much needed warmth after walking in the cold for a while. Breakfast would be good, we told ourselves.
These folks take their coffee very seriously, with strong focus on quality beans and unique brewing methods. If you ever find yourself at St ALi, you’d know to never leave without a cuppa, yes?
The menu has both breakfast and brunch choices, and we went for The Daddy (AUD $17.50) and Up Seven Creek Without A Paddle (AUD $24). Damn, the latter was a mouthful. But it is really an awesome open-faced steak sandwich with smoked onion, garlic mayo, baby beet and gruyère. The beef used is a Seven Creek marble score 9 Wagyu beef, and it is done medium well with a hint of char. Needless to say, this had our hearts and we polished them all within minutes.
The Daddy is a breakfast burger of brioche bun, scrambled eggs, pork, bacon, chilli & fennel sausage and Daddy sauce. Whatever that is. Brown sauce, perhaps. A very meaty dish instead, so it is not for the faint-hearted. But this makes a filling breakfast and we love the blend of the different meat textures.
This St ALi outlet at South Melbourne is housed in what used to be a warehouse, and the space is ever lively with club tracks and funky baristas. Definitely one of the most memorable cafes we’ve been to in Melbourne!
St ALi Coffee Roasters
12-18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne
Tel: +61 3 9686 2990
Daily: 7am – 6pm