As Melburnians miss out, tourists seek out this coffee shop that bridges worlds

Previous SlideNext Slide

Depending on your decided route, your journey to Ageyo in Collingwood will take you past a combination of several gyms, yoga and pilates studios, and miscellaneous contemporary wellness centres. A sense of wellbeing at this cafe, however, looks and feels somewhat different. Upon walking in, you’re invited with professional kindness to relax, feel at home, and to connect with either your coffee-drinking companions or yourself.

On the first of many visits, I skipped to the end of a logical ordering sequence and went straight for the tiramisu, which is exemplary in its balance: coffee, marsala and cream combining without excessive sweetness or saturation. At one point, owner Dan Seyoum divulges that he actually makes the espresso for Pinto Tiramisu, the Fitzroy business which supplies the dessert. A richer story begins to emerge.

The journey to Ageyo – not the namesake cafe, but a village in south-western Ethiopia – was made by Seyoum’s father several decades ago, and a family coffee farm was established there. After finding a new home in Melbourne, Seyoum and his wife, Soliana, decided to revisit the region to source and import coffee. The 2020 COVID lockdowns forced their hand from distribution towards making the coffee in their formerly industrial location, and Seyoum now counts this turn of events as a blessing.

The day’s batch brew evokes dark stonefruit; milk coffees are delivered flawlessly. If you seek less-caffeinated beverage options, you’ll have several hot and cool alternatives to sip from as you sit in a foliage-accented afro-minimalist space soundtracked by introspective psychedelic groove.

The team also works within the constraints of a limited kitchen to deliver dishes that reference slow-cooked, labour-intensive traditional Ethiopian meat stews, as well as “The Ethiopian Experience”: a home-style variety plate inspired by Ethiopia’s beyaynetu mixed platters. Here, your plate is filled with stewed seasonal vegetables, red lentils, and rice.

Simpler breakfast items include Melbourne staples such toast with avocado and feta or plain old butter and jam. A selection of sandwiches features a toasted option with tamago (egg), fresh shallots, Ethiopian berbere spice mix, mayonnaise and the crunch of pickled celery.

Ageyo’s ethos of traceable and sustainable coffee sourcing seems to have reached as far away as Taiwan. Taiwanese customers make space in their Australian trip itineraries for a visit, or order takeaway bags of coffee beans via international shipping. Melburnians, perhaps spoilt for choice, so far seem to not have paid as much attention.

Seyoum and his team have succeeded in bridging worlds, by melding a strong heritage, culture, and tradition of personal hospitality with industry experience at other leading Melbourne food and wine venues. There is a clear focus on simple, quality food and drink here, with an even greater emphasis placed on the customer and their experience.

As Dan puts it, “for me, it’s about guests being honoured, and cherishing that you are in a position to host someone who has come through your door”. There’s a reason this place has regulars – it’s because you’re made to feel like one the first time you walk in.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.