Comments on: Don’t monkey with the coffee

By: Ned

Ned — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:56:39 +0000

After just having a long black at Tre Biccheri the other day, I feel I should add to this discussion, my thoughts about this coffee: it was divine. One of the best coffees I’ve had in Melbourne. And this wasn’t just a one-off for me; every time I’ve been to Tre Biccheri before, I’ve really enjoyed the coffee. This one though was even better than my previous coffees there.

I’m also a bit of a coffee snob, believing that the majority of coffees around are either average or pretty crap – so I don’t say this lightly. Perhaps they’ve ironed out some issues they’ve had in the past? Also, I loved the Portuguese Custard Tart – so sweet, but so delicious!

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 05:57:12 +0000

Gerard,
Can a cafe afford to be that bad serving coffee that horrible. When you enter there is a contract that the fod and drink should be palatable. The coffee wasn’t. Quite horrible but i probably haven’t emphasised exactly how bad. And it seems more thna a few are with me.

By: Gerard

Gerard — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 03:09:14 +0000

Wow! Its a lot easier being a critic than running a cafe it seems. I hope all you guys are as perfect at running your lives as you expect cafe’s to operate. I tried the pastries at Tre Bicchieri and they were great, very sweet but that is how they are supposed to be, and the coffee well I guess many people don’t have the expectations of needing to have the palate of a winemaker when they’re drinking their coffee. Hope you find what your looking for but remember everyone has their good days and their bad ones too!

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:59:33 +0000

Ben, I like Gerald’s but haven’t tried North but will put it on my list. Cheers.

Johanna, sounds like it is more than an isolated problem. Let’s hope the owners read this post and lift their game.

Gobbler, I do hear good things about Preston now and then. I can’t remember from who and what exactly, in fact I’m not sure if I’m making sense.

Mustang,I’ll put those on my list too.

By: Mustang

Mustang — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:36:31 +0000

It amazes me to make good risotto is a skill, souffle yep not easy but to make a good coffee it is not brain surgery, I think Melbourne Uni needs to add the Barista degree to its repertoire. Went to Tre Biccheri once for a take away coffee, average coffee filled three quarter in the paper cup customer service nothing like the cafe’s in Italy that delight in you drinking that yummy coffee on the way to work stand up, or a quick take away!
Try Rathdowne Street Food Store, Sweet Source across the road or in Scotchmer Street the Corner Store.

By: the-gobbler

the-gobbler — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 06:40:31 +0000

I left Brunswick & Coburg with my memory of ray & samll block intact. I’m so glad that I’m not there to see those that tag along on their shirt tales offer a lite version of these tralblazers. Like all cutting edge stuff, by the time we all hear about it, its over & so it is with the cafe that spring up in the wake of the colonising cafes
I reackon its got to the stage where some people think anyone can open a cafe & by copying some sort of paint by numbers approach & that they’ll hit pay dirt.
There are very few real innovators & suburban prospectors anymore, its seems every frontier has a beachhead these days. Except of course Preston, now theres a challenge! Never was there a wider chasm than between Northcote & Preston.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:20:17 +0000

Ed, my experience at Tre Espresso in Brunswick was similar. Disinterested staff who, though they must have realsised that we were unaware that we had to order at the counter, continued giggling at their in jokes rather than inform us of this. When we finally cottoned on, they were just plain rude.

And the coffee was shit, too.

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:42:16 +0000

Its a shame as Tre Bicheri was good when owner Vince was behind the machine, but no longer. Then he opened Tre Espresso in Brunswick which was also initially good, and is now run by good looking and vacant Gen Y-ers who can’t make coffee and think customer service is a foreign language.

In that strip Ed, I’d recommend North for a good coffee, and the food is interesting as well.

Gerald’s is worth the trip Ed.

By: Ed

Ed — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:00:23 +0000

Steve, you should have moved to Geelong where they ar etrying to claim to be the capuccino coast.

Jess, coffee drinkers a just as bad as the baristas, they don’t know shit. The remarkable thing is that it only takes a few hundred dollars of training. Still though many baristas are to pushed for time and don’t even bother to adjust the grind throughout the day.

Matthew, i like Gerald’s although it is a long way to go for a drink which reminds me that I need to try Handsome Steve’s…

By: Matthew

Matthew — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:08:22 +0000

My side of town!

Tre Bicchieri’s service is by far the street’s least serviceable; you should try the Carlton Paragon, where the food is excellent and the coffee is almost perfect every time. Or just go to Gerald’s Bar, where you can throw peanut shells on the floor, and in fact are encouraged to do so…