Great coffee, great service. My 3stars is due to the fact that I'd love to sit outside, but the young hipsters have taken all the seats!

L'Espresso is great, and rivals any inner Melbourne cafe for sure. Great coffee and great music!! I moved to Ballarat from Melbourne, and it is my number one choice for coffee in Ballarat.

I have been going to this cafe since it opened. I love their collection of cds and the atmosphere is relaxing and cosy the music they play is enjoyable and appropriate for a cafe. The coffees are consistently good and the food is scrumptious! The staff are friendly and professional. I wish I lived closer.

This coffee shop serve the best cappuccino in Ballarat that I have come across. The place is very cool and the atmosphere is relaxing. The staff at L'Espresso have always been friendly and welcoming. Highly recommended.

Hoping to try thier food after reading other reviews below!

L'espresso does fabulous dinners- only open Friday for dinner I think; but book in. It's a dining experience. Beautiful fresh (and local!!!) food, really cosy, and private and attentive but not pushy staff. Their coffee and desserts are divine!
I'm a big fan for dinner but i'm not fussed on their breakfast menu.

My sister and I pop into L'Espresso regularly and enjoy the cappuccino and food. We find the quality good, the atmosphere cosy yet private, and the service attentive. It's a nice place to stop, chat, drink and eat. CDs are on sale for music fans. Conveniently situated in central business district of Ballarat.

Food was really good. I had a risotto that was cooked perfectly and I couldn't stop eating it after I started it just tasted so good. The only bad part was the coffee. I expect a lot from my coffee when I have to pay for it. This one tasted like they had filled it with water then added a little bit of milk like with a normal home made instant coffee. I expected a lot so I was more disappointed here than if I was receiving an instant coffee at a friend's house. Overall though, great meal, which is what I was really there for.

Approximate cost: $25

It's a lovely little place that feels like it belongs in Melbourne. Always pleasant and friendly staff. Often bustling due its popularity and that can be a bit off putting if you're after privacy and solitude. Great at nighttime.

Approximate cost: $27

Good place to go for Italian food in Ballarat esp if you want something more than La Porchetta's
Have a good variety of main meals and also cakes

Enjoyed the food and cakes there

The food is the major drawcard to L'espresso, especially the lunches, high quality and just plain yum!! I have had some bad coffee and some good coffee, its quality ranges from really great to really bad, which is unfortunate as the coffee should be the fantastic with a name like L'espresso