If you’ve been in Canggu longer than it takes to froth some milk you’ll notice that there’s more coffee shops and cafés than good looking European’s clogging the surf. And if you’re anything like us (not being able to function before a caffeine hit), and your morning coffee routine was thrown out of whack once you arrived in the Gu, we bring to you: The Melbourne girls’ guide to coffee in Canggu.
The Melbourne Girls’ Guide to Coffee in Canggu:
“The People Pleaser”- Milk and Madu
Jl. Pantai Berawa No. 52, Berawa, Canggu
Milk and Madu is always buzzing so if you’re looking for a moment of solitude, this aint the place! You can expect to see lots of familiar faces of the Gu, digital nomads, families and a cracking Melbourne style breakfast menu. The latte was en-pointe and made even sweeter with the pairing of a cheeky bite sized biscuit. You can always rely on a solid caffeine fix here. Given it was before 9am, we didn’t try the latte with ice-cream for milk, so we will be back to indulge on a cheat day.
“The Quiet Achiever” – Savage Kitchen
Canggu Plaza, Jl. Canggu Club, Berawa
If you want to hear the voices in your head, make your way to Savage for a quiet, perfect, creamy latte without a side of hipster. With a generous serving size sans the attitude, bask in the morning sun on the deck with your cute yellow cup. The short and sweet breakfast menu will free up your brain power for more of the important tasks in your life. Easy.
“Cheap and Cheerful” – Bumbak Coffee
Jl. Bumbak No. 170, Umalas
If you’re willing to risk your life getting over Gang Mango during morning peak hour, Bumbak is worth a quick stop while on the go. We love the coffee here, it’s the most humble cup of joe with the shortest wait time we’ve found. No frills attached.
“Vegan’s Paradise” – Peloton Supershop
Jl. Pantai Berawa No.46, Berawa
Get your iPhone at the ready and Instagram loaded up, because you’ll be sure to find a “likeable” latte here. Peloton offers a great working space too if you’re a budding swimwear designer or freelance model. We had a latte with “milk” straight from the teat of a young coconut... And whilst not our cup of latte, vegan’s can all rejoice together with an extensive list of “milks” to boot.
“Southside” (South of the Yarra) – Quince Bali
Jl. Pantai Berawa No. 51, Berawa
It doesn’t get more South Yarra than this. Granted, the owner of this often overlooked gem did have a café in Melbourne’s Malvern before returning to Bali. Come for the latte, stay for the polenta pancakes whilst you peruse the handmade linen and crockery at the adjacent homewares store. We also recommend the ice coffee, its creamy, fluffy and indulgent without the added calories.
“Northside” (North of the Yarra) – Ruko Cafe
Jl. Pantai Berawa No. 99, Berawa
Check out our live feed from Ruko on the Gu Guide Facebook page. Whilst we certainly didn’t break the internet like the deconstructed coffee that popped up in Fitzroy a few months back, we can assure you it’s got the same hipster vibe. Served up on a wooden board in an array of random vessels, mix up your coffee concoction. With coffee fast becoming a fine science in the Gu, this iced latte is a “cool” 10 because you make it to your liking.
“The Bondi Hipster” – Crate Cafe
Jl. Batu Bolong, Canggu
We’ve all seen the keyboard warriors donate their 2 cents to the travesty that is a rice field turned carpark saga (on a side note, had a Macca’s actually been on the cards, we wouldn’t have minded that much. Our late night McSpicy fix would have become a whole lot easier than travelling into Kuta!). Alas, the people watchers can now enjoy their latte with a side of carpark from the tables of Crate whilst eavesdropping on what went down at Sandbar last night. We dig the size of this quality cup, the wait for the table is worth it.
“The Yummy Mummy” – Sprout Cafe
Jl. Raya Semat No. 18a, Berawa
Dropped off the little one’s at the Garden ELC? Head to mummy mecca Sprout after for your mid-morning latte. Feeling flustered? Try their Black Russian, I mean, Single Origin Cold Drip for a refreshing caffeine fix. We enjoyed the latte here but regretted not indulging in the most perfect looking croissant with jam.
“The Fitness Fanatic” – Avocado Cafe
Jl. Batu Bolong No. 69B, Canggu
A must try and the OG, the Tumeric latte at Avocado certainly wins gold in its field. It’s creamy 5 spice flavour remind us of a chai without forgoing your coffee hit. The Matcha latte, whilst not mucha to our taste, will satisfy those garden gangstas. The “normal” latte suited us just fine.
“The Underdog” – Nude Cafe
Jl. Pantai Berawa, Berawa
As regulars of Nude we’ve never been disappointed in the quality of the coffee, even on a day when the barista was M.I.A. We can put this down to their recently refined bean roasting time. And Ayu can vouch for this having attended a coffee sampling session at Nude a few weeks back. We love the laid back vibe, uber friendly staff and the soundtrack that accompanies your coffee. Don’t be surprised if you see a crazy Irish man whacking pancakes against a wall, because his batter wasn’t perfect. Kudo’s to these guys for listening to their customers and trying to improve. We hope to see some chocolate dust on our cappuccinos next visit.
“Incognito Coffee”– 4Quarters Cafe
Jl. Discovery, Gang Beji No.3, Berawa
Tucked away, 4Quarters is the perfect place to spend a day stalking the hotties of the Gu on Facebook whilst you “work”. It’s the perfect hideout if you’re avoiding awkward encounters after your drunken escapades at Deus, or come to enjoy a quiet and modest latte without the foot traffic. At a glance, the menu boasts some pretty enticing breakies, so you might catch us “working” from there sometime soon.
“Shortcut Scene to be seen” – Marakuja Cafe
Jl. Subak Ambengan (shortcut road), Canggu
We could sit here for hours waiting for the next hero to dive head first in to the rice paddy and we’d happily indulge in as many coffee’s as it took to see it. They’re great here. Sadly, we had to move on before the paddies claimed another unsuspecting victim. We also tried to hunt down the elusive $15 iced/soy/frappacino/whatever but to no avail. In fact, considering the view, the menu is quite reasonably priced. We will be back to hit the bakery, that’s for sure.