Brother Espresso

I recall going here on my way to work when I was in Charlotte St but now I am back in the CBD in Mary St and thrilled to remember this place exist just around the corner, and I was even more thrilled to see it still exists.
Amazing coffee, old world meets new interior charm. This one is definately going on my Daily Grind list

Nice atmosphere, decoration, etc.
Good coffee as previously reviewed.
Limited menu, no bacon ?!?
Expensive… you will pay for the hipster vibe.

I could count the number of times I’ve headed to this end of the CBD on one hand. Shameful really when along Margaret Street is a strip of stunning old buildings and Brother Espresso’s city café. With time to maximise (read: kill) I stopped into Brother with my laptop in tow. It was a pleasant surprise to discover they have complimentary Wi-​Fi (provided by Internode and at decent speeds for a café connection). This beautiful building is alive with the sounds of the coffee machines pumping out pretty decent coffees for punters and a similar menu to their Valley café. I opted for the smoked salmon on 12 grain bread with a lemon and dill crème fraîche, rocket and fresh lemon. The perfect mid-​morning bite with enough guts to get you through to well after lunch. It all seemed pretty cruisy and I definitely felt I could have spent many an hour working away from my table near the door. There’s every chance the number of times I head to this part of the CBD will soon extend past being able to be counted on two hands.

Whenever I am in the city I always try to stop in here for a coffee of cold drip. Their coffee is amazing and they have heaps of seating and great tables to meet with people. Their menu is small but good quality and they top of the place with free wifi.

It’s easy to find a decent coffee in the CBD — around Margaret Street there’s a clutch of one-​off coffee shops and a swag of coffee chains to boot. But I love nothing more than to escape during the work day to Brother Espresso. It’s a bit of a haven, and thankfully a haven where the business of coffee is taken seriously.
Over the past nine months, I’ve pretty well worked my way through most of the food menu — with the smoked salmon on toast, the chicken sandwich and the beef salad all highlights. When I’m not drinking my usual flat white, I’m sipping on one of their super delicious banana smoothies. So yum, and a meal in itself!
But good food and coffee is only part of the story of what makes this place so great. The heritage building is beautiful. And the shop’s space, on the ground floor, has a real warehouse-​feel with concrete floors, a garage door at the back, exposed pipes above, plenty of recycled wood in the furniture and the most lovely window to gaze out at the front. No matter where you choose to take your coffee, you’ll always get a different outlook. While I don’t know if it’s a regular thing, the local art on the walls is a bonus — especially the Ellie Anderson works currently on display.
The staff are pretty great too — especially the guy who drops off your coffee and then comes back with a glass of water, just in case. While I could go and get the water myself, I’m always chuffed at that little bit of extra service. Thanks Brother!