There are some wonderful places around Geelong to get a great coffee, and it was hard to narrow it down to just ten. We would love to hear where your favorite coffee can be found. Drop us a line on Twitter or Facebook and let us know.
Coffee Cartel Roasters
Located in the back blocks of Breakwater, in an inconspicuous industrial estate, inside a slab cement factory building is what some say the finest coffee in the Geelong region, if not the country. The Coffee Cartel Roasters is more than just a coffee shop. It is a funky café with extensive coffee, tea and food menu, very friendly staff and a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. The Coffee Cartel Roasters also a sell an amazing range of coffee beans, both to the public and to a large wholesale customer base. They are well known for stocking some of the rarest and most unique grades of coffee and tea found anywhere in Australia, being sourced from all around the world. Coffee Cartel Roasters can be found on the corner of Leather and Industrial Streets and are open Monday to Saturday. Leather Street runs off the end of Boundary Road and Breakwater Road, on the Barwon River end. For more information http://www.coffeecartel.com.au/
UPDATE: Coffee Cartel Roasters have just opened a brand new cafe on the corner of Little Malop Street and James Street, right across the road from Beav’s Bar.
The Pickers Union
The Pickers Union Café can be found in Mackay Street off Melbourne Road in North Geelong. This wonderful coffee spot is part of the Geelong Vintage Market complex. The Pickers Union is a funky café constructed from recycled and vintage items. Rickety chairs, old doors turned into tables, lots of old lampshades and artwork sourced from granny’s place. It is the very eccentric and quirky old artefacts that help give this café a cool and casual feel. But like all cafes it’s the coffee that people are here for, and they certainly won’t be disappointed as the coffee is great. Much of their carefully selected coffee is sourced from the Coffee Cartel and is rich, complex and delicious. The Union also serve a great range of casual food including pannis, rolls, homemade cakes, slices and also a wide selection of tea. A visit to the Picker’s Union Café can form a wonderful afternoon out in Geelong with the interesting Vintage Market, only meters away. For more information www.facebook.com/thepickersunion
Fuel Cafe
Fuel Café is tucked in behind the TAC in Gore Place only a few metres from the Bush Inn Hotel. Since opening at the end of 2010 this café that is somewhat of a hidden treasure, is known by many as the place for wonderful coffee. Fuel specialises in using Campos coffee that is sourced from Papua New Guinea. Campos is renowned for having a delicious distinct rich, smooth and nearly caramel taste. The small but quirky café is very inviting with friendly staff and a fun and inviting atmosphere. It is decorated with an interesting vintage industrial theme, there are cement floors, bare brick walls, metal chairs, beautiful filament light globes and even a few vintage bicycles. Fuel is the perfect place to escape the city for a few minutes and relax reading today’s news, while enjoying a fresh taste and aromas of the coffee and perhaps a bite to eat from the tasty menu. http://www.fuelcoffeefood.com.au/
A spot for Joe
The Ryrie Street Car Park in Little Ryrie Street is home to A Spot for Joe, another of Geelong’s best places for a great coffee. This small but fresh and trendy café has a great atmosphere and their coffee is superb, with the barista working at an incredible pace during peak hours. A spot for Joe has an all-day breakfast menu as well as a lunch menu. Their range of cakes, slices and sourdough rolls on display are to die for, they look and taste so tasty. A Spot for Joe is open Monday to Saturday for breakfast and lunch.
Box Office
Tucked away in Preston Street behind Pakington Street in West Geelong is Box Office; one of the funkiest and more interesting cafes in Geelong. This café made from a shipping container, crates and recycled items has become one of the favourite places for a coffee for people visiting Geelong’s cosmopolitan and trendy Pako Street. The atmosphere is vibrant and very now, with great service, an interesting and ever changing delicious menu. The coffee is spectacular and is right up there with Geelong’s best. Fresh coffee served by brilliant baristas with the beans being sourced from the Hawthorn based Axil Specialty Coffee Roasters that are very popular in many of Melbourne’s finest coffee houses. Box Office is located at 77 Preston Street, West Geelong next to the Shed off Pako vintage market.
The Sprout and the Bean
The Sprout and the Bean is a small café located next to the Organic Larder and opposite Rivers in Malop Street. This café with a quaint and relaxed atmosphere is another of Geelong’s best places for coffee. The recycled and vintage decor like the delicious menu is rustic, organic and has real soul. The food is delicious and real, made using lots of local produce, much of it sourced from the larder next door. The coffee is amazing, with perfect quality and consistency. The beans are from Jasper’s East Timorese Coffee and are specially brewed using an Exobar machine and mixed with the most beautiful rich and creamy organic milk from the western district. The Sprout and the Bean is open Monday to Saturday for lunch and breakfast
Capra
Capra is in Fyans Street South Geelong, a few doors up from the Valley Inn Hotel. As well as a small café where you can taste some of the richest and most delicious coffee, they also stock a huge range of coffee blends, many that are roasted right in the store. Other than a huge selection of beans, the store also carries a huge range of coffee related items including coffee machines of all sizes and types, pods and a great selection of cups and teapots. Capra stock both commercial and domestic products, and that hard to get quality products that real coffee enthusiasts are looking for. The friendly staff are more than happy to help you find the perfect coffee for your tastebuds. Capra also have a store in Hoppers Crossing for people living in the Werribee region
The Rio Coffee Lounge
The Rio is an institution in Geelong and has been serving coffee and its café menu for generations. Located on the corner of Gheringhap Street and Ryrie Street opposite the old Post Office the café is a step back in time to days when malted milkshakes, toasted cheese sandwiches and piping hot pies were menu favourites. The old fashioned décor has become charming with its vinyl and stainless steel and the service is genuine and friendly. As for the coffee it’s great, don’t expect exotic flavours from the most remote parts of the world or new fancy soy lattes or frappuccino, expect a great coffee and that’s what you will get, rich and creamy and carefully prepared.
Bean Squeeze
Bean Squeeze is a drive through coffee chain that started in Geelong and is growing throughout our region. The first store opened in Mercer Street on the city’s fringe in 2006 and since then several stores have opened around the city’s suburbs including Manifold Heights, Norlane, Newcomb, Moolap and Grovedale. Bean Squeeze make a great range of coffee using medium roasted blends based around Central American beans. They also offer a range of teas and other beverages plus a good selection of tasty baked goods that are promptly served to the comfort of your vehicle.