The Brunswick East Project

438 Lygon St, Brunswick East

Update: This venue is synonymous with the Padre coffee brand. On a visit for takeaway this morning, I noticed the following stencilled onto their door:

No hawkers
(No bloggers)

At least they're letting you know up front!

See original entry for Artisan Espresso

The Artisan Espresso site that opened in April has, after a short hiatus, re-opened as the Brunswick East Project. The interior feel is very similar, and many of the fittings are the same. The furniture has been slightly re-arranged, however, and with the back room now lit up and housing a coffee roaster there's a more expansive feel to the place.

It's worth popping in during its early days of operation and having the pleasure of observing and talking to the barista, Marinus, while he's at work extracting your caffeinated beverage. The Padre blend is still in the grinder - a sweeter coffee, aiming for a burnt toffee taste, which, with the addition of milk, makes for a caramelly latte.

There's a small range of muffins and mini slices available, but the focus is undoubtedly on the bean and its proper handling to create a drink of distinction.

(In its original incarnation the cafe featured a noticable, yellow-topped, circular table spruiking 'petit dejeuner'. A gold star to anyone who can identify in which local eatery it has ended up!)