Thursday, October 8, 2009
Pelligrini's on Bourke 
Taken outside Pelligrini's Bar on Bourke Street
Melbourne is known as the coffee capital of Australia, and I have been in search for THE best coffee since I got here in July. I think Pelligrini's might be it.
Free from any pretension, it's a family-run Italian restaurant that has been serving authentic home-cooked Italian meals and coffee for generations. The interior of the restaurant doesn't say much- it looks exactly the same as it did when it first opened, and there are vintage posters and photographs on the wall that tell you so.
The first two times I went in with E, they weren't the most friendly- we tried to make some small talk with the guy at the counter but it was met with awkward silence. But we just needed a caffeine fix and they were the only place that still made coffee after 9.
Yesterday, however, I managed to charm the socks off them.
Maddy and I strolled in after a movie on Collin's Street and decided to seat ourselves right in front of the coffee machine.
The guy mistook us for two Asian girls that had just come in before us and repeated their order of a pasta and risotto to us.
"No, we just want a soup and two coffees," I explained.
He looked over to the other side of the restaurant and realized his mistake. "Oh, you're not those two girls..."
"That's terrible!" I replied in jest, "You mixed us up for other Asian girls."
He smiled. "No, I just mistook you for other girls. But what can I get you dolls?"
"A skinny mocha for me, and a skinny cappucino and a minestrone soup for her." I clarified.
"Skinny?! You don't need skinny!"
"It makes me feel better, drinking coffee at this time of the night."
"You've been here before, haven't you?" he asked.
"Yes, a few times. BEST coffee in the city."
The ice was broken, and we started having a chat. He asked us what we were doing in Melbourne, where we came from, where we lived and all that.
After we were done with our coffee, he suddenly placed a bowl of lime sorbet with two spoons in front of us.
"Is that for us?" I asked, and he winked and walked away.
After we finished our sorbet, he re-filled it with another scoop of pistachio sorbet. We totally lucked out!
He asked for our names and introduced himself and his co-worker to us (but unfortunately I can't remember), and made a passing joke about how he made really good coffee and that we should go to his place to try them.
I excitedly called E after I left the restaurant to boast about my free sorbets.
I think I'll be going in a lot more often now. ;)
Labels: australia, coffee, friendship, photo
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