Juddy Roller

No longer a café, Juddy Roller’s latest iteration is as an art gallery /​artist’s residence. Open sporadically through the year for exhibits of some of Melbourne’s biggest names in street art as well as other young up and comers, the artwork is often priced reasonably for those looking to start a collection, or just the casual art fan that gets grabbed by something. The crowd is über-​hipster but interesting, the artwork amazing, and the beer often free courtesy sponsors. Check their facebook to keep tabs on upcoming events.

A great space to participate in a workshop from Work-​Shop Melbourne.
The area here is open, very rustic/​edgy street art.

The mashed avocado and artichoke was delicious, and they have awesome art in there!

Great location and a must-​see for fans of Melbourne’s street art. It was a quiet daytime coffee for a friend and I. Fortunately, my friend is an expert on Melbourne’s street artists so she could put names to the incredible designs. The barista was friendly and there was zero hipster attitude, as I had been afraid of. Totally recommend it but I can imagine it gets really busy on evenings and weekends. Pick your time wisely!

How do you open up a garage door and create a café so unusual that you gather a following even though there is hardly any room to move. First you fill up the lane in which the garage resides with some of the best graffiti in town and then you serve up a mean coffee and an even meaner iced coffee delight. Add some great food that caters for all types including vegans and you have the start of an Fitzroy institution. Juddy Roller deserves the five stars just for the novelty value of its position and the way its clientele gather from all parts of Australia just to soak in the atmosphere and the food. We were quite frankly gobsmacked and will be sure to be regulars in future.

After some friendly banter over Twitter with Juddy Roller, the man and I decided to venture to this side of town to check it out for Sunday brunch.
The staff are lovely, the street art makes for great viewing and the coffee is spot on. Tick, tick, tick!
Having gotten there a tad on the later side, we were starving at this point and the small selection of sandwiches on the menu didn’t quite grab us. So we skipped the food and got our coffee to go. That said, it was good enough to have been worth the visit. I’ll definitely go back.

Juddy Roller is someone’s garage turned into a coffee shop off Johnston Street. Probably easier to find than other off the main street cafes, Juddy Roller is perfect for an afternoon coffee break and random conversations with strangers.
I spent one afternoon at Juddy Roller getting to know another American and exchanging our Melbourne experiences — a great 20-​minute conversation that I would have otherwise not had. Perhaps it’s the café and the friendly and relaxed owner that got us to open up a bit?
Run by a very cool looking guy from Vancouver, Juddy Roller uses street art/​graffiti to adorn a café that is also a communal space for artists and admirers of art. With both local and interstate artists, you can expect a variety artwork being showcased.
Whilst the space is cool, the coffee is just as good. Love the vibe so I’ll definitely be back especially to check out the art.

I swear I used to go to parties upstairs what is now Juddy Roller, a tiny café off Johnston St with an even smaller sandwich menu. It’s not too unlike being at a house shindig here, either, squatting on the small box seats out the front with a skinny wooden surface for a table. The staff are super casual but attentive and their coffee explains why this place was opened: they clearly have a passion for the stuff.
I ordered a ‘Fitzroy Fresh’ sanga for $ 8 and it was a ripper lunch — large, soft multigrain slices filled with avocado, rocket, hummus, onion and pickles. It’s amazing how difficult it is around these parts to get a simple and simply healthy (and delish) sanga, so it’s awesome to find somewhere that offers just that for a real-​person price.
The only drawback is that the seating and location mean there’s not much temptation to hang out and relax. It would be fairly hard to open a paper or come with a group, but if it’s a lunch duck-​in you’re after, or just a great coffee pit stop, Juddy is ace.

Leave your boyfriend at home because this café-​cum-​graffiti gallery space is full of beautiful, beautiful men. Okay, I’ve got that out of my system, so I’ll now write a proper review:
It is sure to become madly popular, but right now it remains pretty low-​key and local thanks to the slightly hidden location. It’s just off Johnston Street in a converted garage, and if it weren’t for the sign out on the street you’d easily walk by without realising it’s there.
It’s a must-​visit for fans of street art, with both the inside and outside covered in murals by local artists. Although I appreciate street art, I’m no aficionado so I will instead focus on the coffee, which is fantastic. It’s the perfect strength and temperature; I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s the best I’ve had anywhere in Fitzroy. They also do food, with a decent proportion of vegetarian options. The smashed avocado is an absolute winner.
Really, it would have to be my favourite new mid-​week brunch spot (this is when the gorgeous men are around). Seriously, bring a book, get comfortable and spend a good hour or so just enjoying all the sights.