Best places to get coffee at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2015

Melbourne loves fine cinema as much as fine coffee – and the Melbourne International Film Festival is the perfect chance to combine the two at these city cafes, all just a few minutes walk from MIFF venues.

ACMI, Federation Square: Dukes Coffee Roasters

Dukes is a lovely little espresso and brew bar set in the historic Ross House. Espresso comes as the Ross House blend, roasted by Dukes off-site, while various filter methods are used to brew tasty single origins. We love the batch brew here – perfect with a sweet bite from the cake cabinet.

And … Check out the antique French floor tiles.

247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Mon–Fri 7am–4.30pm, Sat 9am–5pm, 4 minute walk

Hamer Hall, Arts Centre, St Kilda Road: Alice Nivens

This cute cafe hides away in the retro Port Phillip Arcade. The coffee is espresso from Small Batch, brewed on a flash Kees van der Westen Spirit Triplette​. Great cakes are baked on the premises – maybe a lavender and apple cake or a slice of bakewell tart – and there's tasty fresh sandwiches like a classic turkey, cranberry and mayo.

And … Sit outside-inside at a terrace table under the arcade's plexiglass roof.

13/228–236 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Mon–Fri 7.30am–4pm, 5 minute walk

Comedy Theatre, Exhibition Street: Traveller

Traveller is a lovely little woody stand-up espresso bar that's part of Seven Seeds – so expect Melbourne's best specialty coffee. If you have time to kill you can linger over a cup of batch-brewed filter coffee, or chase down an espresso of the Seven Seeds seasonal blend or a great single origin with a bite of something sweet.

And … Enjoy some of Melbourne's best coffee in one of its prettiest laneways.

2/14 Crossley Street, Melbourne, Mon–Fri 7am–5pm, 2 minute walk

Deakin Edge, Federation Square: Brunetti City Square

The downtown outdoors outpost of the Carlton grand cafe has all the cakes, pastries and food you could want, plus an Italian-style espresso blend that is getting more progressive by the year. A bit chilly in the evenings ATM – rug up!

And … Too late for coffee? Have a glass of wine instead.

City Square, 214 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Sun-Thu 7am-9pm, Fri-Sat 7am-midnight, 2 minute walk

Forum, Flinders Lane: Axil Coffee Roasters

This standing-room-only espresso bar serves coffee from one of Melbourne's best specialty roasters. It's housed in a futuristic glass box that's part of a new office development. Enjoy with cakes and pastries.

And … Avoid during the 10am rush – local lanyard-swingers flock here for a morning fix.

76 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Mon–Fri 7am–4pm, 3 minute walk

Hoyts Melbourne Central: Plantation

This might be in a shopping mall food court, but the coffee is sourced and roasted by Sensory Lab, so expect it to be several notches above shopping mall food court coffee. It comes as espresso, batch brew, cold drip or V60 pourover. The lounge-y chairs and low tiled tables are great places to stretch out.

And … The view over Latrobe Street is a bonus.

Shop 253, Level 2, Melbourne Central, Latrobe Street, Melbourne, Daily 10am–7pm, 1 minute walk

Kino, Collins Place: Cellar Bar at Grossi Florentino​

This elegant Melbourne institution now has a custom coffee blend called Territory selected and roasted by Small Batch – making Grossi one of the few fine-dining outfits in Melbourne that takes that degree of care with coffee. The woody interior is lovely, the service impeccable an Italian.

And… great house-made custard doughnuts.

80 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Mon–Sat 7.30am–11pm, 6 minute walk

Treasury Theatre, Treasury Place: Coffee Exchange

Not much to look at by the standards of cafe fitouts in this city, but the roster of daily guest beans includes many of Melbourne's best specialty roasters – Seven Seeds, Proud Mary, Small Batch – plus Sydneysiders like Mecca Espresso.

And … Two doors down is Little Bean Blue, with a groovier fitout and coffee from Geelong's award-winning Cartel Roasters.

Shop 9, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Mon–Fri 6.30am–4.30pm, Sat–Sun 7.30am–3.30pm, 4 minute walk

Village Theatrette, State Library of Victoria: Flipboard

Flipboard is as much architecture project as cafe, a series of plywood spaces that fit together like a puzzle. Order a cup of the Bailey Coffee Thursday's Child blend, disappear up to the mezzanine and see if the waiter-person can find you.

And … There are wall nooks out the front for fresh-air inspecting.

141 Latrobe Street, Melbourne, Mon–Fri 7am–4.30pm, 4 minute walk

The Wheeler Centre, State Library of Victoria: The League of Honest Coffee

League is the city child of Brunswick roaster Padre and sister of the Brunswick East Project. The friendly Brunswick East Project mood rules here, too, as do espresso and filter brews of Padre's seasonal blends and single origins.

And … the Padre palate tends towards ripe tropical fruit – just sayin'.

8 Exploration Lane (off Little Lonsdale Street), Melbourne, Mon–Fri 7.30am–4.30pm, Sat 8am–3pm, 5 minute walk