Le Hoang Giap
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Brother Baba Budan is the kind of espresso bar that makes you grin the second you walk in. The room is tiny, the ceiling is famously hung with chairs, and there is a pleasant buzz of grinders humming while the queue shuffles forward. It feels like a pocket of pure coffee focus right off Little Bourke Street. Baristas work shoulder to shoulder behind a compact bar, calling out names, wiping the portafilter clean, and dropping shots with that calm, practiced rhythm that says they do this all day and still enjoy it.
Coffee is the headline and it shows in the cup. The house espresso runs rich and syrupy with chocolate and hazelnut notes, the kind of blend that holds its shape in a flat white without turning heavy. If you like things brighter, the rotating single origin brings a citrus or stone fruit lift that really sings as a straight espresso or long black. Milk is textured properly, glossy and fine, and alternative milks are treated with the same care. There is usually a filter option on hand for people who prefer something lighter and it is poured cleanly with no bitterness.
Food is a supporting act, small but thoughtful. The pastry cabinet tends to carry buttery croissants, fruit danishes and a couple of sturdy cookies that pair neatly with a second coffee. Seating is scarce, mostly a central communal table and a few stools, so be ready to perch for ten minutes or take your keep cup and wander back into the city. Staff keep things moving without rushing anyone, answer questions about beans and gear, and have tap payment ready so the line never stalls.
If your idea of a good morning is a dialled-in espresso and ten minutes of people-watching, Brother Baba Budan delivers exactly that, every time.