Penny Farthing Espresso

Great coffee, relaxed but efficient service and reasonably priced. The wifi is great as well, top spot for freelancers and to get some work done

As others have said this place is pumping and there is a reason for that — it’s good!
My friend and I have made it our regular for our brunch catch ups. Not because there aren’t other options, just because we have had consistently good food, service and coffee.
The menu has enough options to keep it interesting. The staff are friendly and despite the demand for this place we have never felt like we have been given the ‘hurry along’.

Nice tasting coffee, true, but why is it always lukewarm at best? Penny Farthing is a stones throw from my place, so I’ve been there numerous times, but it’s time for me to start going somewhere that can heat milk. The last time I went I asked for my second coffee to be «extra hot» and they forgot to bring it at all. I went to the front counter and re-​ordered it (no apology, or even an acknowledgement that they’d forgotten), and again it was as though they’d used hot tap water. It really shouldn’t be that hard. Pluses: all of the food I’ve had there has been decent, particularly their breakfast dishes, although there’s nothing you can’t get cheaper elsewhere. Minuses (besides the coffee): cramped, shabby-​looking, always disorganized. They’ll need to give the place a facelift and inject a bit of discipline into their operation before I’ll go back.

Damm this place is B U S Y! On my few visits; almost non stop streaming of large groups, families, more groups, hipsters, students, tourists, and people whom decide they can sit themselves down without asking. This means basically, if you want to grab a premium table outside, you basically have to be selfish and sit down as the other person is leaving rather than having someone actually sit you down. Alcohols are available here, and some great specials too, on top of the brunch, breakfasting, lunching and coffee. There are some pretty decent options for coffee, tea, and chai latte, and you can take home retail beans as well if you wish. Small but popular, great coffee too.

Great spot for brunch or lunch. A small café so I wouldn’t go with to many people, A group of 2 – 4 would be the way. I highly recommend having the Sweet Potato Rostis topped with smoked salmon, dukkah coated avocado, a poached egg, candied walnuts & a beetroot salad, its gluten free and its incredible — perfect if you feel like something savory but different. The vibe is very north Melbourne hipster so if your into that kind of thing you will love it!

Great café! Amazing garden layout at the back of the café with seating!
Coffee was great I order a long macchiato and it was accompanied with a card with brief description of the coffee and how it was sourced!
The food looked amazing however we were just there for coffee and to play abit of skipbo!
Staff were lovely, well treated and will return. I recommend this place if your ever out this way and want coffee :-)

How have I not had industry beans before?!
Little ol’ Penny here serves them and wow do they make a ripper Macchiato. It was one of those moments when you have the first sip of the coffee and you pause with your eyes closed for a moment because it is just so… damn… good. The coffee was a Cup of Excellence from Costa Rica. Number 24. If you find it out anywhere, you must try it. Hints of passionfruit, blueberry, apple and honey. Quite acidic and very delicious. They’ve got all their coffee info up on a big blackboard and you can tell that they take pride in their work.
Penny also makes very nice snacks. I had a blueberry muffin which was delicious. Made fresh, you could tell. The menu is a good one and has plenty to offer. I saw somebody on the way in who was tucking into some smashed avo. I almost bought one, almost, kinda regretting that I didn’t. Ok, definitely regretting that I didn’t buy the smashed avo. Now I’m craving smashed avo. Argh.
As it is situated int he hipster capital of Melbourne, the café has a little bit of a hipster edge to it. You can tell from the name. Luckily it isn’t in your face and it is a very nice café to sit and relax in. The staff are awesome, really friendly and happy to be working there. Whether it be playful chatter about who has the better taste in music or dancing in front of the cash register, working here must be really fun.

Great coffee, good food, best people watching!
I work next to Penny so come here at least once a week. Can take a while to get served or have your coffee arrive, but that’s ok so long as you know.
Industry beans, great food. Not my favorite café, but it’s a good, especially if you’re into the whole hipster barista thing.

I haven’t yet managed to try breakfast, but had a particularly good sandwich for lunch one day. Coffee is lovely, staff are friendly, and it’s a generally nice place to sit for a while.

As I stood on the footpath pondering the menu of Penny Farthing Espresso, a woman entering the cosily-​outfitted nook turned to me solemnly mid door-​push and assured me:
«It’s good.»
Having been already recommended by two friends within two days of arriving in Melbourne, it is clear that the reputation of this little café precedes itself, and I was not disappointed.
Firstly, you would thing the absurd attractiveness of the staff in here would self-​entitle them to muttering, feigned ignorance, and the odd lip curl. Instead, I was greeted with warm smiles and goofy stories about «long pork» and Papua New Guinea. The baristas and the servers are attentive and good-​natured, making the place that much comfier on a cold and blustery Thursday.
Secondly, the coffee was pretty much amazing. Perfect temperature and the flavour actually tasted like the blurb on the card you get with it.
Thirdly, I ordered the pork belly. Words can’t really describe the experience, but I will crudely say that it was transformative. The piece of toast it came on was almost like a piece of cake, and I couldn’t tell whether the white sauce that came with it was cream or mayonnaise. I was confused as to whether it was lunch or dessert or some hybrid of both, but I was incredibly happy nonetheless.

Penny Farthing is one of the 2 internet cafes closest to me. I used to be a regular there. Their wireless had good speed, there weren’t any limits, and that had tasty and savory sweets ranging from $ 2 – 4. Eventually, I quit going for a few reasons. First, their internet drops out occasionally either not functioning or running really slowly. If you’re there for solely for internet, ask first. Also, they have limited power points, so if there’s a crowd… good luck plugging in. And the front room has the best power point. There is one in the back, but your cord will be a tripping hazard for their staff. Due to their internet inconsistency — 3 stars.

I don’t have much to say about the Penny Farthing.
Two things, actually. The first is that it’s a nice café, with baristas who seem to consistently make good coffee. Décor’s friendly enough, although I’m generally an on-​street coffee drinker regardless.
Which segues nicely into my second point. It’s on the hill in the middle of High Street, and you will get a strong stiff breeze. Which I love, but some may not.

Penny Farthing is such an identifiably ‘Melbourne’ café that I sometimes find it hard to distinguish this popular Northcote haunt from the countless other coffee purveyors in North Melbourne. That is until it comes to its coffee.
A decidedly bohemian little café on Northcote’s High Street, Penny Farthing boasts a delicious menu — including scrumptious all-​day breakfast menu of identifiably Melbourne classics such as avocado and fetta on sourdough toast alongside heartier fare like roast pork belly sandwiches and kangaroo fillets on semolina.
In an area that is awash with cafes serving excellent food however, what really marks Penny Farthing out is its coffee, which the owners clearly take very, very seriously indeed. If you want great food in Northcote, head to neighbouring Palomino, if you want awesome coffee, Penny Farthing is a great bet.

The coffee is great, the food is great and it has a backyard. This place oozes high street cool. One of the owners has a pencil moustache and is often to be found wearing a waistcoat and top hat. This why when you visit this establishment I suggest that you order a single origin coffee and a special of the day meal and sit back and soak in the subculture of the north Melbourne rockabilly cool.
The service is also good and they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinners (from Wednesday to Saturday). They also have a small but nice drinks menu.