Freestyle Espresso
So glad I just happened to peek into another side-street on my way to the Markets; otherwise would not have discovered this little gem nestled away in Union Street, South Melbourne.
This cosy establishment comes complete with a sunny courtyard for absorbing that much-needed morning dose of vitamin D. As we head into winter, inside is definitely a much more attractive option with comfy armchairs just calling out for you to snuggle into them, coffee in hand of course.
Freestyle serves an Allpress espresso blend; smooth and full bodied, lending itself well to my “magic coffee”, superbly brewed with a La Marzocco unit by the experienced barista.
For breakfast, I had the Welsh rarebit- ordered this without knowing what it was just because of the cool name. Turned out to be cheese on toast but it was definitely the tastiest cheese on toast I’ve ever had, with the gourmet addition of braised leeks, rocket salad and a delicious tomato sauce, not to mention the always reliable Dench sourdough toast.
(Note: I Googled “Welsh rarebit” afterwards- apparently, “rarebit” is just a corruption of “rabbit”. The name originated in the UK in the 18th century and was apparently coined as a slur against the Welsh- rabbit was poor man’s meat in England but in Wales, poor man’s meat was cheese. It describes a range of dishes centred around melted cheddar cheese on toast- a variation in which tomato sauce is mixed in with the cheese is called a “blushing bunny”.)
I also ordered one of the cute little rhubarb muffins in the display cabinet. It was not too sweet with a light texture. Nothing beats a good dessert to round off a perfect weekend breakfast haha.
Also recommended is Freestyle’s bircher muesli; a very generous serve of creamy muesli topped with toasted almonds and passionfruit curd that is definitely on my list of favourite birchers.
Along with the likes of St Ali, Dead Man Espresso, Chez Dre and Q11, there’s no question that it’s getting pretty hard to decide where to go for a good meal in South Melbourne.
egg tarts and apple pie 