Melburnians can’t seem to survive the day without it – for the buzz or the simple pleasure. Coffee, that is. And now, the espresso faithful north of the Yarra are perking up with news that Market Lane Coffee has opened near the Queen Victoria Market.

Caffeine connoisseurs have already been flocking from far and wide to enjoy an affair with Market Lane Coffee and their café at the Prahran Market. But when chance provided a prime location on Therry Street, opposite the QVM, business partners Fleur Studd and Jason Scheltus couldn’t resist the opportunity to expand, giving followers another source to get their Market Lane fix.

The second outpost shares signature good looks with its older sibling, with the use of recycled timbre, white tile splashbacks, polished concrete flooring, painted brick walls and exposed lightbulbs and worker lamps. The minimalist design and monochromatic colour palette allows for the coffee to stand out as the real hero.

Smaller in space than its predecessor, the new kid-on-the-block is more of a pit stop and retail outlet than traditional café setting. There is bench seating and an intimate bar, so you can relax while you wait for your ‘medium-strong double-ristretto extra-hot piccolo latte’ to be expertly made. Here, you can refuel on market day with a single origin or seasonal blend espresso, or maybe a clean and complex-flavoured pour over, and then grab a snack with a small selection of Dench pastries or housemade cakes.

Replenish your brew supply and pick up a bag of freshly roasted beans, or stock up with coffee-making equipment. Each week, choose between five different types of beans or the seasonal espresso.

This is premium-quality stuff, and enough to take your nose on an exotic journey to Brazil, Costa Rica, Kenya and beyond. That’s not too bad of a jaunt for mere gold pocket shrapnel, and should leave you with enough spare coinage (not to mention pre-deal carbon credits) to pony up for any remaining goodies on your Queen Vic shopping list.

Where: 109-111 Therry St, Melbourne
Hours: Tue, Thu-Sat 7am-3pm | Sun 9am-3pm
Phone: (03) 9804 7434
Details: marketlane.com.au