We have reviewed 350+ cafes across Australia. 31 scored 7.5 or above and earned our Must Visit badge. Here is how it works and what it means for you.
We visit unannounced. No bookings, no press invites, no free coffees. We order one latte and one double shot espresso. Same order, same size, every cafe.
We score on five elements: crema quality, extraction timing, bean freshness, milk texture, and balance. The score is the average of espresso and latte performance.
Your score is permanent until we revisit. We do not accept payment to change scores. We do not accept free product. We pay full price at every cafe.
Cafes scoring 7.5 or above earn a free verified badge. Display it on your website, in your window, or on your socials.
Your score. Your badge. Verified by data.
Every cafe that broke into 7.5+ territory did these five things:
Pull test shots before opening. Taste them. Adjust the grind. This takes 2 minutes and is the difference between 6.5 and 7.5.
Visible roast dates. Monthly rotation. Throw out stock older than 3 weeks. Stale beans cap your score at 6.5 maximum.
Introduce air at 0 to 2 seconds. Dunk at 2 to 4 seconds. Finish at 65 degrees. Silky integrated microfoam, not bubbly foam on top.
Daily backflush. Weekly deep clean. Quarterly professional service. A dirty machine adds background bitterness to every shot.
Drink your own coffee every day. If you do not know what your cup tastes like, you cannot fix it. This is the most common failure we see.
We do not accept payment for reviews. We do not guarantee timing. But if your cafe is in Southeast Queensland and you want us to visit, let us know.
Tap "Suggest a Cafe" on our homepage. Suggestion does not guarantee a review.