Café BÜ: Carlton North, Melbourne

In Melbourne, you don’t have to go far to get good coffee. This is one of the reasons why I moved to beautiful Carlton North, which boasts a number of cool little coffee shops serving up the good kind. Thankfully one of my favourites, Café BÜ, is just a few doors up from me in Canning Street. When I’m not working at Naughty Boy Cafe in Lygon Street and have enough dosh to splurge away from the home-brewed stuff, Café BÜ is my first choice for coffee in the area. There’s certainly no shortage of places to choose from and most serve decent cups of coffee, but I like the intimacy of Café BÜ.

Café BÜ may just look like a hole in the wall at first, as people poke their heads in to pick up their morning takeaway, but hidden away on the roof is a charming little deck filled with tables and chairs overlooking Pigdon Street. Ok, you may not have the same views you’re used to when enjoying a cocktail on the roof of a city skyscraper, but it’s a great little spot to people watch and catch a breath of fresh air. I haven’t included a picture because I want you to check it out for yourself 😉 – although you could always check out their Instagram page!

Five Senses Coffee are the roasters of choice, with Café BÜ’s baristas making a damn good cup of coffee. Every now and again they offer a new single origin which I always like to try, with my favourite being the Santo Antonio from Brazil which had a “caramel, buttery, hazelnut, lingering cocoa aftertaste”. It was particularly smooth and sweet, just how I like it. You also get a sugar coated chocolate ball with every coffee (even takeaway) which is another reason why I’ve grown to love this place. It’s little touches like this that win me over every time.

I enjoyed a festive mini mince pie with my single origin latte which was scrumptious, but did taste a little like it had come from Coles and if that was the case, was a little over priced for $2. Still, mince pies aside, there’s a good selection of other sweet treats displayed in the counter inside. Café BÜ also have a small local sourced food menu which consists of a handful of classic items like Toasties and Smashed Avo with dishes changing on a regular basis.

I do like to pop into Café BÜ to enjoy a coffee on the roof with friends or even just a good book. It’s one of those places I would like to spend the whole day blogging, rather than in the comfort of my own home just a few doors down. The only downside is that they don’t have wifi, but I suppose that means people are more likely to enjoy the view as opposed to playing on their phones. Next time you’re in a coffee shop, just take a look around to see how many people are glued to their phones, we’re all guilty of it!

If you fancy a good cup of coffee or are looking for somewhere to chill out for a bit, drop by Café BÜ and head upstairs to the deck, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Good news, they have now reopened after the Christmas break! 

Value – 7 (on par with others in the area)

Quality – 8 (let down by the mince pie)

Ambience – 9

Service – 9

Return? – Soon!

Living life, loving coffee,

H x