"Welcome to Five Senses Coffee"

The word is spreading across Melbourne, murmured amongst passengers crammed together on trains, passed from commuter to commuter as they alight from trams: the secret espresso bar tucked into the Degraves subway, aptly named Cup Of Truth, is just beneath your feet.

Cup Of Truth (otherwise known as COT) is the brainchild of hospitality stalwarts, Courtney Patterson and Verity Govett. It’s embedded in the tiled subway underneath bustling Flinders Street, between one of Victoria’s busiest train stations and the iconic caffeine lovers’ haunt, Degraves Lane. Verity and Courtney have followed the time honoured tradition of a hole in the wall, owner-barista run espresso bar. Sporting a shiny Synesso Cyncra and Mazzer Robur, these guys are attending to the fast moving schools of CBD workers and locals alike.

With minimum breathing space behind the counter, COT is focused on serious coffee, served seriously fast! They’ve jam packed their 2m² with barista and coffee geek gear, and offer tampers, Hookturn cups and beans for sale. It’s truly amazing what a funky, energy-packed space Courtney and Verity have managed to create with such limited options! If you’re dashing off a train on the way to work or to tour the city, the wafting aroma of freshly ground coffee tempts you to wander in the direction of COT, grab a cup and continue on your way down the subway, more energised and ready to take on Melbourne’s hustle and bustle.

With a focus on takeaway coffee, COT is pioneering the growing trend towards reusable coffee cups. Hookturn cups are environmentally clean and allow regulars to personalise their experience, washing and using their coffee cup for fabulous coffee again and again. Perfect for the environmentally conscious. Along with this unique takeaway option, COT offer a handful of hot espresso cups to espresso drinkers, allowing them to down their sweet shots, European style.

Unable to overcome their inquisitive coffee geek nature, Verity and Courtney instead decided to embrace it, and offer a rotating single origin for intrepid caffeine explorers. They’re currently showcasing a delicious Sumatran Lintong which has great fresh, herbal characters, while the Ethiopian Yirgacheffes, with their sweet, tropical fruit and bergamot characters remain a customer and staff favourite.

They’ve paid the same meticulous attention to their house blend. Created in conjunction with the current Victorian Barista Champion, Caleb Podhaczky (our head roaster!), COT’s custom blend presents a slightly fruity front palate with a rich body and dark chocolate lingering aftertaste. Key to the blend is the Sumatran Lintong, a bean which is close to Verity’s heart after her trip to Sumatra with the Five Senses crew.

For such a small site, Cup Of Truth certainly manages to pack a quality coffee punch. Thinking creatively, Verity and Courtney are pioneering a great espresso bar, and serving delicious coffees with practiced ease. If you’re in the city and need a coffee, Cup Of Truth will serve up your salvation: head along to support this great, barista-run project!

Cup Of Truth
12 Campbell Arcade
Desgraves Street
Melbourne

T: 0415 962 922
E: info@cupoftruth.com.au

Opening hours
Mon – Thurs: 7.00am – 6.00pm
Fri: 7.00am – 4.00pm