We have rated Maling Room very highly for a number of years, more for its coffee than its food, although its breakfast menu is also highly creditable. Housed in a former post office, The Maling Room has played a significant role in developing specialty coffee as it is in Melbourne today. Roasting on-site on a 5kg Renegade roaster, using a pair of Synesso espresso machines and an original 1957 Faema lever, an ever changing offering of single origins are served alongside a seasonal house blend which are all available to take home. With its recent participation in a group buy of a Nicaraguan Cup of Excellence lot, barista competition involvement and their continued passion for specialty coffee, The Maling Room will be shaping the Melbourne coffee landscape for years to come.

Was treated like dirt by snobby staff. Wife treated likewise in separate visit. Good coffee does not make up for staff that are disorganised and coffee people that are up themselves. Recommend other lovely places on Maling Room, where coffee AND service is grt!!

Good? Really? Am local so want this to be the case - not so. Food average, coffee good- ish, service and attitude Appalling and sooo disorganised even though the place is full of staff. I hear this place has slipped. Think service has hit rock bottom.

The coffee was brilliant and the barista was so talkative and passionate. He allowed us to test and taste a few macchiato shots just to demonstrate the different flavours in each bean. Truly my favourite cafe

This place is golf; ducks nuts for coffee in Australia. No doubt about it. Andrew, Adam, Kirby and Annie are ACE. Fast becoming Canterbury royalty. Long live The Maling Room.

I've been there a lot of times mainly for breakfasts as well as coffee or even takeaway coffee. I find their coffee to be a bit inconsistent so its a bit of a shame. The espresso shots seem to vary a fair bit. The milk based coffees such as Cafe Latte's and Cappucino's or their smaller Barista Latte's are sometimes top of the world, sometimes too bland and doesn't do justice to the coffee. Having had Barista experience I think its because of the way they manually pull the shot everytime according to eye, rather than size of shot. Percentage of milk is thus inconsistent as a result. Latte art however is usually top notch, so its a shame the taste wasn't upto it on occasions. Wished it was more consistent as when its 'right' it can't get any better.

Fantastic new cafe that is owned by a very knowledgable barista who very friendly and makes consistently fantastic coffee. Very well presented and a welcome change to the usual rubbish in Maling Road. The other staff are really friendly and also make great coffee.

The two owners of this cafe make the best coffee in Melbourne. A perfect cafe!

Best cafe in Melbourne. Andrew and Marika create a perfect atmosphere for any coffee lover... friendly service, great food and the perfect coffee. Marika get best barrista award in my books and heaps of others also! Well done to the both of you. Everyone else... PLEASE dont deny yourself the chance to experience the best coffee and cafe in Melbourne.

A delightful place that can accomodate any age group. The building itself is historical and the modern features on the inside complement this. Everyone who works here are more than willint to help, they offer a great service. The barista Marika, no doubt makes the best coffee in Melbourne. Certainly the only decent cafe on Maling Road and in my opinion Melbourne.

Definitely the standout on the strip but coffee, despite polished appearance is particularly bland. Trying hard though.

Found the coffee just "OK". Twice I had to go to the counter to get service after being ignored for over 15 mins. Waiting staff ignored eye contact in spite of there being an abundance of staff hanging around. They also manage to take a beautiful ornate building and make the atmosphere somewhat sterile.

By far the most enthusiastic coffee experience in Melbourne. The service is fantastic, especially considering their customer volume during lunch for example. We were approached numerous times by staff to check up on our order etc. I've lost track of the number of times Andrew has come out with a taster shot, something new, or even a second double ristretto that exceeded the first. Just because.. No extra charge. This is the very essence of the coffee experience no?. The food is conventional cafe fare but very well executed. Generous portions, fresh ingredients. Of course - Marika's milk drinks always come out beautifully too! Fantastic.

This is hands down one of the best cafe's in Melbourne. One of the only places in Melbourne which serves great coffee, time after time have never had a bad cup. The staff andrew and marika are extremely knowledgeable and are happy to share there knowledge with others. The Breakfast menu is extensive and quite well priced, considering portions are large and the cafe is located in a very prestegious strip. It is laughable that a cafe up the road luccis advertises that they sell the best coffee in the area. A disgarded shot from the maling room would be five times better extracted than the very best shot pulled at luccis!! keep up the good work!

Andrew made me feel like a true afficionado! I went here on my birthday and was rewarded with the finest coffee I have ever tasted. My piccolo latte was almost entirely comprised of crema - heaven! I was lost in the swirling patterns of the sweet coffee oil dancing around in that tiny cup. Andrew followed this up with a 3/4 latte that left a taste on my palate for many glorious hours that night. I didn't want to brush my teeth because that beautiful taste would be lost! I'm really looking forward to my next trip to TMR.

How can anyone make such a stunning building so sterile and dreary? The coffee, yes is excellent, however, as far as the comments about this being one of melbournes best cafes - you must be joking!! Melbourne is full of sensational cafes, and this is certainly not one of them! The barista is good yes, but - get outta canterbury and look down all the side streets, in the dodgy suburbs, there, you will find melbourne's best cafes.....

After 4 visits, coffee quality ranges from very good to mediocre, and food quality varies too. Service staff all seem to be part time schoolgirls, so the best you can hope for is enthusiasm - very patchy. I keep going back, hoping it will live up to the good reviews, but it hasn't so far. Consistently have a much better experience/quality in places like Brunswick St and St Ali's. Shame, because MR is in my backyard.

After several visits my final verdict is positive. Although the coffee isn't always perfect in every form, it is generally brilliant in flavour and immaculately presented which, as a barista myself, gets full credit. I had a very dissapointing espresso(short black) but followed by a double shot latte with brilliant rosetta and exquisite flavour. Food is comparable to anywhere (I had eggs benedict) but also was nicely presented and hot. It is particularly interesting that they manage this even when they are busy. Service is among the best you will get ANYWHERE, not overly friendly but pleasant enough and extremely helpful. Ambience is the most lacking here, no real eye grabbing features and when it's busy obviously it is very noisy which can't be helped but generally easy enough to find a paper or magazine to read and relax. I recommend this place for individuals who have understanding and appreciation for quality. Anthon