Collective Espresso – hipster find in Camberwell

I thought I’d squeeze in a short food post before the Christmas festivities…

The only criteria was to be near a train station, preferably in the ‘burbs.  So with a bit of research (seriously, where would we be without GoogleMaps?), Collective Espresso was the chosen spot for a quick catch up before a dear friend disappeared overseas for the summer.

It definitely had that Melbourne CBD hipster vibe which exuded from the staff and the customers that seemed to be regulars at this quaint little joint.  The staff are definitely an eclectic bunch (look out for the guy with the quirky moustache) and their menus reminded me of Auction Rooms…

My friend was running late so I ordered myself a Granny Smith Apple Juice ($3.50).

I think I was expecting the longlife-type apple juice you can get from the grocery store (which just shows how often I order apple juice from a cafe  = nil) so I was pleasantly surprised when this arrived.  It was amazingly refreshing on this warm summer day though.. I could have ordered another :).

After perusing the menu numerous times, I settled on the Chorizo w/romesco, spinach and fetta on a pida ($9.50) which had been recommended on one of the sites I’d stumbled upon in my Google search:

My friend arrived just before this did so we shared half and she ordered a second one for herself :). It was really good!  Just enough of everything and toasted to perfection!

There were a number of things I’d be keen to come back and try (they continue to serve breakfast way after breakfast hours = big ticks!) plus prices are quite reasonable compared to their CBD counterparts.  They also had a newspaper clip in their storefront window that listed them in The Age’s Top 100 coffee places (though I’m not sure in which year) so will have to go back to give their hot beverages a go too!

A great little find and definitely worth a visit if you are ever in the area!

♥ Ames