Code Black

Great coffee selection! The brews were delicious. Options that worked well for my stronger taste and for my partners smoother preference. The Mushroom meal was delicious, and the chickpea dish balanced it perfectly. We were served by an absolutely brilliant waitstaff, who gave great suggestions on helping us decide.

I live next door to the Code Black Coffee Roaster’s HQ, which situated in the upcoming and trendy area of Brunswick. The building is black with several white and one golden circle. On top of the entrance it says in capital letters “YOU HAVE ARRIVED”. That was the reason why I went there to drink my first coffee after my arrival in Melbourne. I enjoyed this first coffee in Australia, a washed Kenya from the Komothai Kirura washing station. The design of the building is minimalistic and raw; a great combination of black painted bricks, metal, natural polished stones. This time I went for a full brunch, and ordered a filter coffee, to start with. When the coffee arrived, its aroma stroke me immediately. ETHIOPIA URAGA WINE PROCESS ANAEROBIC FILTER. Normally, I am not a big fan of experimental processing methods, but this coffee was clean, with an intense sweetness, a complex, well-integrated acidity, an oily, coated texture, bold body, and a lingering aftertaste, and intense flavors. That was an amazing start. To eat I asked for the breakfast roll – bacon, fried egg, aged cheddar, house ketchup and aioli, tomato, lettuce on ciabatta. The presentation was beautiful, and it tasted great. All ingredients were well balanced, and the sauce gave it a magical touch. In Europe, it is very rare to see blends in specialty cafés. Here in Melbourne, it seems to be more common to serve blends as a house espresso. Therefore, I went for a flat white with their house espresso blend: 3056 ESPRESSO BLEND. 3056 is the postcode for the Code Black Roastery. It is a medium roast. The flat white was super sweet and smooth. Again, the milk texturing skills of the barista were amazing. And the espresso cut well through the milk. To round up my excellent experience, I ordered a Lemon, ginger, and mint fizz. I saw another client enjoying it and could not resist the tempting presentation. It was refreshing and mouthwatering, just perfect for a hot summer afternoon in Melbourne. All baristas and team members were friendly and served me with a great smile (under their masks). Thanks a lot. I am happy to come back and taste some more single origins.

Was here during afternoon tea time and only ordered a hot chocolate, but I must say the hot chocolate was superb - Rich but not too sweet, and cool presentation as well (served in a ceramic pourer). The place has a cool dark interior and also an outdoor area that is great for bringing the dogs along.