Code Black Coffee Roasters

The inside setting of this place is really nice — it has a modern mixed with industrial feel. I haven’t had a chance to try any of their food (I’m not sure if they have any vegan offerings) but their coffee is tasty. The best part of this café though is the staff. At most cafes that are similar to Code Black in offerings, the staff are a bit… pretentious and judgmental. But everyone at Code Black is authentically nice, down-​to-​earth, and even went out of their way to engage in conversation with me. Definitely recommend!

This review is only in relation to the coffee and chai.
After numerous visits to Code Black, there are things I love and dislike about it.
Love: sliding door, open space, décor and friendly staff who seem to know many regular client names.
Dislike: milk is too hot for the takeaways and the people I go with often find it too hot to hold comfortably.
The Chai latte: is on the light side — not spiced and the foam often is quite bubbly.
The Cap: espresso side is aromatic and fresh but the milk is usually over frothed.
The price is on the slightly higher side of coffee and I will provide an update once I try the food and sit down for a drink.

I’ve known the manager for a few years. Amazing barista who’s great at doing a million things at once. I was really sad to see her leave one of my regular spots in the city but so happy she’s running this place. Definitely someone who deserves it and is the biggest draw card for me as I know she will look after everyone.
It’s your typical hipster place with polished concrete floors and light timber everywhere. I don’t find it amazing but that’s down to personal taste, however the timber roof frames are amazing and original I believe.
Coffee is always fantastic. Today’s coffee, a long black, tasted like a fruit liquor. Amazing.
I thought the food menu needed a few more options previously, and this week they started a new menu which is well rounded. Good variety of options. I had the toastie and was deliciously comforting for a cold melb arvo.
This is my favourite of the Code Black family and one of my favourites in Melbourne.

I’ve been to Code Black in brunswick so it would be rude not to check out the latest addition.
The fit out deserves special mention. It really looks great. A converted warehouse, the space has been really well designed. Unlike the other cb it’s really light and airy, although much smaller. Really it was a pleasure to be in such a gorgeously designed space.
Coffee of course was great, and service fast and efficient. The menu isn’t massively breakfasty — sure they have granola and smashed Avo but there aren’t heaps of choices. It seemed to me far more lunchy type options, so worth bearing in mind if you want lots of choices for a big breakfast.
I went for the salmon (I think) with a potato cake and other delicious things. It was yummy but was missing something… Can’t put my finger on it but it just needed a little something extra to blow me away. It was perfectly nice but didn’t have the wow factor for me. But beautifully presented and a stand out if anywhere else served it, it’s just the original cb always blows my socks off with the food in terms of creativity and ingredients.
Anyway do check it out, there were no queues when I went, always a bonus! Would definitely go back.

Popular and ever expanded Brunswick café and roastery Code Black has opened a shiny new café in North Melbourne, bringing yet even more quality coffee closer to the city.
Code Black North Melbourne is almost a mirror image of their Brunswick café, counteracting the jet black fitout with sleek white furnishings but still keeping the base open warehouse style. A mixture of vivid green and stained timber beams add some welcoming colour. Seating is a mixture of two person benches along one wall and some interesting angled tables along the other wall — one person is against the wall on a long cushioned bench with a round table mounted off the wall on an angle and the other person sitting in an angle to match. This smart design, although slightly confusing on first glance, allows for groups of 2 — 4 without taking up any extra space. The front counter and open kitchen form the centrepiece of the café. There is also an upstairs mezzanine with some more bench seating and some tables outside.
The modern clean industrial theme also carries across to the food menu which is written in the style of an automotive service manual. Amusing sections names such as «Oils and Lubricants», «Clean and Detail» and «Engine Mechanical» separate drinks, breakfast and lunch food. Breakfast options consist of some creative takes on the usual choices, such as the Avocado Toast — seven seed toast with sliced avocado, rice wine pickled cucumber and sesame nori salt. Lunch choices are a mixture of salads, sandwiches and sourdough-​based dishes.
On this visit I ordered the Hot smoked salmon, apple wood hot smoked salmon perched on a crispy citrus and herb potato cake and topped with a poached egg, watercress and an avocado and horseradish hollandaise sauce. It’s hard to fully describe how this dish looks and tastes in words alone, I’ll let the photos do the talking. An outstanding dish.
The coffee quality was as expected of a prominent café roastery with a range of blends, single origins available as espresso or filter. A small roaster also lives in the back corner of the café.
This stylish modern café is an excellent addition to the growing North Melbourne area and rivals the quality of its Brunswick, Docklands and CBD siblings.

Amazing coffee. And an even amazing-​er breakie. 2^nd day in a row and have had the avocado, with a poached egg. Beautiful fit out (I want pebbly polished concrete floors and grey leather bench seats in my home!). Oh, and how can I forget?! All this awesome to the sound of early 2000’s (recent vintage — HA!) Hip Hop. That’s my perfect morning.
Thank you universe for showing me this place of yum on a recent shortcut. (Also heard they make the best muffins).