Overview
Next time you drop by South Melbourne Market, you'll have a new spot to visit. Meet The Coventry, a light-filled, greenery-splashed cafe opposite the market that looks set to become a local community favourite.
Bring your friends. Bring as many as you like. There's enough space here to hold a party. In fact, The Coventry is hoping to become not just a coffee hang, but also a hub for all things communal and creative. Owner Nick Bourgaza knows the area and the hospo business well: he grew up at the markets, and has since owned Piatella and Meat in the Middle in Glen Waverley.
If you swing by early, get your avocado fix accompanied by smashed feta and a healthy dose of seeds (including sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and chia) — or, for sweet tooths, opt for the French toast with a quenelle of smoked yoghurt and vanilla-infused mascarpone, berries and crumbed pistachio.
Come lunchtime, even the most mammoth of appetites will find satisfaction in the Korean fried chicken and waffles: freshly-made waffles and crispy Korean-style chicken, topped with bourbon-maple syrup dressing. Alternatively, go Italian with house-made ink potato gnocchi, porcini mushrooms, chicken and pesto.
Meanwhile, the coffee is a Cote Terra blend by The Flying Dutchman. Think fruity Indian tones combined with Colombian caramel. And there's also an ever-changing supply of single origins
Find The Coventry at 315 Coventry St, South Melbourne. Opening hours are Tuesday-Friday, 8am-4pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 8am-5pm.