26 Mar The Vertue of the Coffee Drink, Carlton

Walking through to the end of a little alley just next to the Shell station I came to this little oasis of food and coffee. The Vertue of the Coffee Drink is in such a random location that it’s almost like finding goodies in an Easter egg hunt.

The front counter has a cabinet full of sweet treats such as cookie sandwiches from Butterbing Cookies, scrolls by Kwak Scrolls, doughnuts from Matt Forbes, pastries from Noisette. Vertue also doubles as a retailer, having coffee beans and other equipment for sale.

The commercial coffee roaster takes a prominent place on the floor and has quite a commanding presence.

It’s a small space, but one filled with natural light beaming down from the high ceilings.

My choice for lunch was the smoked ocean trout, curried arancini, soft duck egg, mango and chilli jam ($21). There was a generous portion of beautifully smoked trout presented on the plate. The arancini could have done with a touch more salt but were not bad when eaten in combination with the other components. I appreciated the crisp crust around the arancini and the subtle curry flavour that didn’t overpower the lovely smokiness of the trout. I quite liked the arancini together with the mango and chilli jam.

The duck egg yolk was slightly overdone at the bottom, though was still runny enough to ooze out. Overall the dish had a nice balance of salty, sweet and sour. Hopefully I’ll have the time to come in and try out more of their menu and enjoy the beautiful interior. It seems like the perfect, hidden place to escape and relax during a hectic day!

The Vertue of the Coffee Drink
8 Raffa Pl
Carlton, VIC, 3053
(03) 8060 6987
http://vertuecoffee.com.au/