• Rationale: My Cappuccino Ratings provide basic survival information of a coffee kind (perhaps also view Cairns Living info). The ratings are re-calibrated as often as possible: Canberra - Dec 2005; Melbourne and Lygon Street, Carlton - Dec 2004, Sept 2006, Jan 2008.

• Fair Trade Coffee: There is a more serious side to coffee production world-wide and this OXFAM web site lists Australian roasters who process fairtrade coffee. Note that other roasters may process Australian grown coffee which one would say was also fair trade.

• Update Cairns/Aug 2008:
  • The current best coffee in Cairns is at Dolce & Caffe, Shop 1, 53-59 Shields Street (next to the Regional Gallery), where David Calcagno scores a 9 with Segafredo coffee and a Tuscan style Almond Shortbread (i.e. sort of like a Ricciarelli). (found by C. Perez)
  • Other good Cairns coffee locations:
    • Twelve BC (i.e. Twelve Bar and Cafe) with Numero Uno coffee at city square - found by MM;
    • The Coffee Bean (Earleville Shopping Centre) with Lavazza - found by A. and C. Perez;
    • Nu Nu Restaurant (Palm Cove) with Vittorria coffee and great food - found by A. and C. Perez.
    • Fusion Organics with Genovese coffee and exceptional food.
  • Fusion Organics in the old ambulance building in the CBD does a good job of everything, and especially the food. Interestingly, its Genovese coffee should be tried without sugar as you indulge their excellent sweeter options.
  • Bellissimo Gelateria at the Night Markets (54-60 Abbott St.) is worth a visit - you could balance your (sicilian) diet with a short black from Dolce & Caffe. Bellissimo also have a shop in Carlton.

• Training:
  • There is an Australian National Training registered course for espresso preparation, ANTA training code THHBFB12B, in case you thought Australians were not serious about their coffee! You can use this search link to find out more.
  • Here is a recent (2008 verified) NSW Board of Studies link to THHBFB12B.

• Current Coffee Results:

  Dolce & Caffe	9	f,s,R
  Shop 1, 53-59 Shields St. Cairns 0740412124.
  Coffee Bean	8.8-8.9	L,F,R
  Earleville Shopping Centre, Earleville, Cairns.
  Twelve BC	>8.8 (?)	F,R,N
  City Square, Cnr Shields and Lake Streets, Cairns. 0740312912
  The Sweet Bistrot	?	F,R,g,i
  Shop 16, 9 Abbott St., Cairns (near Cairns International Hotel) 07 40417872
  Fusion Organics	8.7-8.8	F,R,g,i
  Cnr Aplin and Grafton Streets, Cairns. 0740511388
  Nu Nu Restaurant	8.7	F,V
  123 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove. 0740591884.
  Donnini's Ciao Italia	8.7	F,G
  Downstairs, The Pier, Cairns. (closest to marina)
  Biscotti	8.5	F,M
  Edge Hill shops, Cairns.
  Safe Soul Organics	8.5	F,R,i
  Smithfield Shopping Centre.
  L'UNICO Trattoria	???	F,L
  75 Vasey Esplanade, Trinity Beach. 0740578855 (no Adam as barista)
  Brunetti's	9	F,V
  Cnr Lygon and Faraday Streets, Carlton, Melbourne.
  Bar Milazzo	8.9	L,F
  Shop 6 Fayworth House, 379-383 Pitt Street, Sydney 2000. 0292648644
  Cafe Deli Corner	8.9	F,V
  Station Street, Fairfield, Melbourne.
  Moravia Caffe	8.5	F,G
  Burke Road, Camberwell, Melbourne.
  The Thresherman's Bakehouse	8.5	F
  Faraday Street, Carlton, Melbourne.
  Crown Cafe	7.9	F
  Swanston Steet, Melbourne.
  Cafe Trevi	7.9	F
  Lygon Street, Carlton, Melbourne.
  (Cafe Trevi was previously a MacDonalds!)
  	Key:
  	F=food
  	f=quality sandwiches and juices
  	R=raw sugar
  	10+ = >10 coffee blends
  	G=Carlton Grinders Coffee
  	V=Vittoria Coffee
  	L=Lavazza Coffee
  	N=Numero Uno
  	Z=Lazumba Coffee
  	S=Segafredo
  	s=San Remo Coffee
  	g=Genovese Coffee
  	M=Mokador Coffee
  	e=evolutionary food
  	i=interesting food

  If I rated hot chocolates, then Brunetti's (194-204 Faraday Street, Carlton 3053, Australia) and Angelina's (226, rue de Rivoli, Paris 75001) would be at the top of the list. [by the way, this if-then statement connective is true and based on recent chocolate drinking, so is the consequent...]

• Notes:

  • Highly Recommended:
    • The Black Mountain blend from Arabicas Coffee Australia Pty Ltd , especially when taken at their head office and factory in Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands.
    • (from G. Coath) St. Ali, Q Eleven.

  • The Vittoria Coffee home page is http://www.vittoriacoffee.com. See also their coffee art.

  • (from L. Woodward) Equipment: The Illy Company produces the FrancisFrancis! X1 designed by Italian architect Luca Trazzi.

  • The Cafe Guide people are collating a set of ratings on coffee and chocolate (and paid advertising :-) which seems to check out OK so far as Melbourne Australia goes. They are based in Vancouver.

  • RFC 2324 ( Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol, HTCPCP/1.0, Copyright (C) The Internet Society 1998). Unlimited copying permitted.

Aug 11 2008