TO Florence there is currently the highest concentration of specialty coffee shops in Italy. Especially considering that the city is not that big, not when compared to Rome or Milan. What stole my heart, in particular, was Melaleuca, an American/Australian-run bakery where nothing is left to chance, starting with the beautiful atmosphere and the wide variety of offerings that allow you to take a trip around the world with a view of the Arno. This would be enough to make it an unmissable stop, but there’s more. Much more.
Melaleuca, an international coffee shop in Florence
I admit, I have a soft spot for Florence, especially for its cafés. To give you an idea, allow me a brief personal anecdote: an afternoon many years ago, when it was the exclusive territory of Artisan company, a roasting company that set the example in Italy, I rushed off a train to Rome to sip a filter coffee in Via de Neri, in a time when specialty coffees were still a mirage. I discovered Melaleuca only in January 2024, during a wild coffee tour in the pouring rain, which began with the scent of flat white oats (my personal obsession) and pistachio babka.
Each bar visited deserves its own story (which will perhaps arrive sooner or later) but the address of Lungarno delle Grazie it stuck in my memory more than any other. Enough to push me, three weeks later, to buy another train ticket to understand if it was just an infatuation or true love (spoiler: it was love).
A place where anyone can feel at home
Crossing the threshold of the café, you immediately feel welcomed: it may be for that Northern European environment, international but not at all cold, with the warm tones of the wood but not aseptic, or for the attention to every detail, from the external veranda with plants and wires of lights to the kindness of the many waiters who rush to take your order, but such hospitality certainly should not be underestimated. Sumptuous desserts emerge from the counter and yeasts fragrant, people linger at the tables pancakes And French Toast, scents from all over the world came from the kitchen, a thousand languages were spoken between the chairs, you felt a bit like London and a bit like Paris, a bit like Melbourne and a bit like Berlin. You are everywhere and nowhere but in any case, whatever your origin or dialect, at Melaleuca you are at home.
Specialty coffee, yeasts and fast service
I admit, I know almost nothing about the history of the bakery and its owners. But to convince you don’t need great stories, just one filter coffee well done (with grains of D612 Coffee Roasters), a palmier (the puff pastry fan) with homemade chocolate and caramel with textbook puff pastry, an inviting counter and big smiles. No rush, you take your time: you queue in front of the cashier and in the meantime the dining room staff comes to take your order, because the feeling of quiet here is not synonymous with slowness. The service, on the contrary, is streamlined, fast, attentive, even for those who order at the table.
A great brunch in Florence
They choose from the counter Cookies, babka, Pain Au Chocolat, cinnamon roll (unbeatable), Carrot Cake and all the best of the Anglo-Saxon repertoire. The real gem, however, is the plated breakfaststarting with pancakes with mascarpone, strawberries and dukkah, a mixture of spices, seeds and dried fruit typical of Ethiopia, moving on to avocado toast on sourdough bread and green harissa, Florentine eggs (vegetarian version of the classic Benedict, with spinach instead of bacon), and then a series of tacos delicious, burgers, sandwiches and salads. All seasoned with an “Aussie” (Australian) touch and accompanied by a slew of coffee drinks and soft drinks, as well as drinks and glasses of wine. In Florence, we were saying, there is the highest concentration of specialty coffee shops in Italy. They are all beautiful, different, equally important and extraordinary, each in their own way. This, however, is the story of Melaleuca, which I know nothing about but which I can’t stop thinking about. If this isn’t love at first sight…
Melaleuca – Florence – Lungarno delle Grazie, 18 – facebook.com/MelaleucaFirenze/
