Melbourne is a city obsessed with making, drinking and talking about new ways to consume coffee, but Patricia brings things back to where they all started.

Modelled on a traditional Italian espresso bar, the new ‘standing room only’ café serves its beans in three ways: black, white or filter – all to go. Its coffee comes in ‘one size fits all’ cups, accompanied by a refreshing shot of soda water (tapped from the in-house fountain). From concept to design, Patricia is laced with old world charm. Its sturdy marble counter, hand-worked brass detail and ceramic glazed tiles are time-honoured without ever looking ‘dated’.

The café employs highly trained baristas to get the best out of beans, which are sourced from some of the city’s finest roasters. There’s even room for a bit of whimsy; the roof features a beautiful neon light that reads ‘sunshine’.

Not surprisingly, the man behind Patricia knows what he’s doing. Bowen Holden has worked at Seven Seeds and Brother Baba Budan, two of Melbourne’s most respected coffee stops. His creative team is on the money too. Interior architects Foolscap Studio oversaw the design alongside local studio Beyond The Pixels.

Patricia’s approach plugs into the global trend of reinterpreting old world traditions and authentic production, and connecting it with modern consumers at a local level.

Photography by Ben Glezer