Platform Espresso

If you haven't spotted it, Melbourne made CNN.com's list of eight world coffee cities a few weeks back. Among the others were Seattle (natch), London (thanks to the influx of Australians and New Zealanders; Wellington made the list, too) and Rome (quantity, not necessarily quality).

The story didn't probe too far, and was illustrated with a picture of a wintry, bobble-hatted crowd in Centre Place, which used to be close to the city's cafe epicentre, but maybe isn't now. The story named a few must-visits, but any list of Melbourne musts is either going to be too short to do little more than scratch the surface, or too long to hold the listicle reader's attention.

Melbourne's coffee culture has depth and breadth. You can find very good coffee (and food) all over, in places where CNN journalists never go. Case in point: High Street, Glen Iris, a short strip of shops squeezed between Malvern Road and Glen Iris station, is home to a little local by the name of Platform Espresso.

It looks like it should have good coffee - a clean fitout of plywood, white tiles and Edison lamps hanging from electric cords, a handwritten blackboard brew menu and two grinders on the bar beside a La Marzocco.

Looks can deceive, but in this case they don't. Platform serves up espresso and filter brews of coffee roasted by the Maling Room, and they are pretty good. Maling Room's Black Mamba blend has a nice mix of smoky and fruity flavours in a piccolo latte, and they put it through a batch filter brewer for a clean, rounded cup of black.

Then there are pourovers for seasonal single-origins, such as an Ethiopia Tchembe with the more obvious fruit flavours beloved of filter fans (let's call it the sauv blanc effect). The kitchen, unusually, is downstairs, and that keeps the young floor staff fit running plates from a brief seasonal menu - a brioche breakfast bun of fried egg, bacon and green Tabasco aioli; truffled scrambled eggs with sauteed mushrooms and salsa verde; grilled saganaki with tomatoes and a toasted baguette - which is supplemented by a couple of rotating specials.

Potato and leek croquettes is a lovely tumble of complementary tastes and textures - two crisp croquettes with smashed peas, a curl of smoked salmon, a blob of beetroot jam and a salad of witlof and microherbs. It's crisp, creamy and rich, with cut-through crunch from the witlof and that tangy beetroot thing. The cinnamon French toast is a bit of an eyes-bigger-than-belly affair - two plate-size slices are soaked in honey-butter syrup and topped with ricotta, grilled peaches and a sprinkle of toffee-like praline crumbs and crushed pistachio. It's a sweet and indulgent brunch to take your time over with a cup of that filter brew.

The young owners, Patty Karakostas and Peter Elston, did some coffee time at Prufrock and Workshop in London before they opened Platform, but this is a very Melbourne style of operation.

Do … Try a black coffee from the batch brewer.

Don't … Forget the train: Glen Iris station is nearby.

Dish … Potato and leek croquettes with smoked salmon.

Vibe … East-side neighbourhood haunt.

The Age Good Food Under $30 is available at selected bookshops and newsagents and online at theageshop.com.au for $9.99.