Flipboard Cafe

Sometimes Melbourne cafes start to look all the same. The decor, the coloured steel stools, employment of the hipster logo generator ; these days indie coffee dispensaries are becoming more common than Starbucks.

Flipboard, however, have resisted the trend and carved out a more unique concept. They’ve achieved a venue that not only pumps out beautifully-brewed beans, but is a genuinely exciting space to experience.

Sharing the entrance to Bennett’s Lane Jazz Club and creative workspace Brolly Studios, this innovative, multi-level shop front is as much an artistic endeavour as it is a cafe. Designed by architects Martin Heide and Megg Evans, the two-story structure utilises recycled materials to take full advantage of the building’s original fittings and surfaces. The real treasure is in the detail; clever nooks and opportunistic usage of space results in an enchanting, almost cubby-like venue.

“We started drilling and found the walls were hollow inside, and the space just kept going,” says Heide of the outdoor wall, which has been converted into window-box seating.

Also look out for the signature Press Stool seating — built using stacks of old magazines wedged between blocks of recycled plyboard and bolted together — which has made the finals of the Melbourne Design Awards 2013. Soon, you’ll be able to order your own, customised version or the chair using that pile of decommissioned National Geographic’s or Cosmo‘s sitting in the toilet (contact Brolly for more details).

Backed up by barista Lincoln Walker (formerly of Wide Open Road) and coffee roaster Joshua Bailey, Flipboard prove they’re not just an aesthetically gifted caffination station — they’re tipped to rise to Melbourne’s cafe crema in no time.

FLIPBOARD
141 LaTrobe St, Melbourne
Mon to Fri 7am till 4pm (soon to open Saturdays)
flipboardcafe.com.au