Commodity Cafe

Easily the best coffee in Fortitude Valley, at a reasonable price, plus with the added love from the owner Margit. She knows everything about her coffee beans and will be able to answer any questions you have. She’s always got several different types of beans for you to choose from, depending on your taste and style.
Sometimes she closes up around midday though, so you’re out of luck if you want an afternoon coffee. There are a few food items such as slices and biscuits which generally are pretty decent, but the real star here is the coffee.

Any espresso bar that offers self-​serve honey is a winner to me. This place is so quick and convenient its practically a drive through (being located on a parking lot helps.) All about coffee, offering all kinds of blends-​mine had notes of rum and cherry, apparently. Happy and helpful staff, too.

This place is great,
I am lucky enough to work around the corner so if I’m organised and arrive ten minutes before work I am sure to pop in to see Margit at Commodity.
Margit knows everything there is to know about sourcing good beans. You can often catch her between visits to melbourne to see her buddies at Market Lane Coffee.
The coffee quality is also one to take note of. With the variety of beans offered I usually go for a flat white on the Espresso blend, it’s strong but smooth. However when they occasionally get a one off bean in, I have to try it. I forget the name of the most recent one I had but it was initially a light taste that turned richer and finished with a devine coco/​chocolate taste. I am not usually one for the chocolaty/​rich coffee’s but this one just hit the spot.
Its a cool, simplistic place to go, a few stools and umbrellas out, some reading materials (pretty trendy mags) and yummy food that I resist getting each time.
Check it out if you’re in the area and feel like trying a different coffee haunt.

This one woman show is the brain child of Margit who, behind this garage door space has opened Commodity Espresso.
Set amongst a stable of diverse businesses, Commodity is in an unusual yet perfect place. Almost smack bang in the middle of the ever busier McLachlan Street, it is the only café and despite the ambient urban noise is quite a peaceful perch to enjoy a smooth and mellow coffee.
I’ll be honest, as I sat sipping my coffee on the funky Objx stools I wasn’t sold on the liquid gold before me. Yet a few hours later, free of the usual sick feeling I get after two or more coffees in a day, I caught myself thinking about just how good my flat white had been. Its delight had crept up on me but there it was. It was light, mellow and free of fuss.
That pretty much sums up my experience of Commodity. Margit has focused on her strength: coffee. The rest falls in to place around it and in doing so has an air of simplicity, sophistication and a little bit of ‘tude.
Should you arrive starving, your hunger pains can be squashed with a dense banana and walnut bread and other cakes. There is talk of a full menu to come soon. Market Lane coffee beans are available to buy or you can select the Commodity house blend which is a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ Fifth Battery combination.
It is cash only so bring your pennies and not plastic.