Coffee is delicious and I recommend the Avocado toast as well. Service is quick and efficient. A bit tricky to find as it's down a back alley way off the main street

Some of the best coffee in Melbourne, but you can now get the beans elsewhere as well - which is good, because this small cafe is almost always very packed, so not good if you're in a rush. Great food if you have time (and can get a table)

Popular brunch place - always try to get there early so we don't have to wait for a table. Their coffees always good. My favorite brunch item is the Koo Koo something- it's potato hash with mushroom and eggs.

Still at its peak I guess, the place tends to get crowded. Nice staff. Great food. The portion of the serving is fair and tastes good. Nice music to go with the hangout feels of the place. Just great. But I guess not the kind of place you'd want to go if you want to have a lax and quiet breakfast type of thing.

Approximate cost: $23

St Alli is a small little cafe tht is so amazing and cute i think its my favorite cafe honestly. I absoltely am in love with the coffees they rovide they are so nice

Approximate cost: $20

For a while St Ali seemed to be trading off its 'fame' with the same menu/little variation for several seasons, nonchalent staff and ridiculous service times. Recently, it seems to have taken a turn for the better. For a starters, there were less than a handful of things which I remember from 2 years back save the classic traditional items. Instead, we saw interesting items like Spicy black bean and chorizo stew with pulled pork, poached egg, aged feta and smoked jalapeños; Parsnip soup with parsnip crisps & toast; and Kimchi scrambled eggs with pan-fried scalloped, coriander, puffed rice and crispy shallots.

this is a wonderful coffee shop hidden away down a side street, it hums and buzzes with activity, the food is fresh and delicious the staff friendly and attentive. the coffee is sublime, it's not cheap however well worth it.

Great coffees every time. The cups they use are slightly smaller than the average cafe, but this means you aren't slurping a bucket of milk. The balance of milk/coffee is slightly stronger and in my opinion, better for it.
The soy chai lattes are also great, made with Melbourne's best chai by Calmer Sutra Tea (wet chai) and simply creams the dry chais and powders (yuck).

This cafe is housed inside an old warehouse in the back alleyways of South Melbourne. The management have retained the warehouse feel, leaving the raw exposed brickwork, exposed laminate flooring, warehouse metal shelves (some with food stocks for the cafe).
The atmosphere here is young, rugged, down to earth & eclectic. Large communal tables fill the majority of the space.
The menu is predominantly brunch items, with a few casual lunch options including salads, burgers, steak etc.
On our table, we ordered a granola ($14), full spanglish breakfast ($21.50), my mexican cousin ($21.50) & the daily salad special ($16.50).
The granola was perfect, packed with honey laced grains, nuts etc, along with a generous amount of berries and yoghurt. A very nicely thought up dish.
The full spanglish (essentially a full english) was generally. The eggs were cooked perfectly to the 63.63 method. The roasted tomatoes & mushrooms bore a intensified flavour due to the roasting but still retained some juiciness & bounce. The baked beans were a little disappointing however; white navy beans in a one-dimensional tomato sugo.
My mexican cousion is the name of the corn fritters at St Ali. We did not like this dish. To begin with the fritters were shaped like golf balls. Second, they were cooked to the extent of being completely brown (a shade short of being charred) on the outside. Third, the corn to batter ratio was around 1:3, they tasted more like corn muffins with bits of corn rather than corn fritters.
Similarly the salad was also a great disappointment. The menu reads in a manner which suggests that the chef makes a vegetarian salad using seasonal ingredients in the kitchen. When the salad came out, it looked like the chef had literally tipped some leftover vegetables on the plate. The salad was made of 3 ingredients, pieces of roasted zucchini, slices of raw zucchini & quinoa. Despite the simplicity of the salad however, their was no effort towards arrangement or presentation. There was little to no creativity and it looked like a mess on the plate.
St Ali, has its strengths, however these are greatly outweighed by its weaknesses. For a cafe with low overheads (location, low maintenance decor, lack of A/C, cafe standard table service, etc) and a comparatively high price point, St Ali fails to impress.

Approximate cost: $20

A really gorgeous cafe that produces excellent coffee & meals. We enjoyed our smoked salmon immensely & our coffee was rich and strong. Great friendly service...prices are a bit high though, but definitely worth it!

Fantastic coffee and yummy chicken burger sandwich with a huge and juicy piece of chicken and a great tasting dressing. The service was friendly and we luckily made it onto a table before the lunch rush arrived! We told the waitress we didn't have much time so our meals were served in a flash! The other meals of smoked salmon etc. and special egg sandwich with the works also looked delicious. I will definitely be going back, worth the South Melbourne prices.

There's such a hype amongst this cafe at my workplace I decided to give it a go the other day. It was pretty busy so only managed to grab a take away coffee and little pastry which was a little annoying since I wanted to sit down - however my coffee was actually very good, probably the best I've had which is a relief since the barista was very enthralled whilst making it! Quite dedicated in that area however the staff where too run off their feet to be able to serve customers accordingly.

Very busy cafe.. Beautiful brewed coffee..! they also sell little cakes or pastry.. which is great to it with any coffees or even teas.. indoor + outdoor seating area.

Great coffee, one of the best coffees in melbourne. The latte is so smooth and creamy and reasonably priced. My favorite breakfast item is "My Mexican Cousin", love the corn fritters. They are always super busy on weekend and have to line up to get seats.

Approximate cost: $19

This is an excellent breakfast venue who are seriously serious about their coffee. Food is delicious and the menu changes frequently. I especially love the repurposed factory location. It can be hard to get a table so be early.

This is a unique cafe. This is hidden in a back street of South Melbourne in an old style warehouse. The breakfast menu is a little different to the usual and the different types of coffees are great as well. Looking something different for breakfast - Well this is the place for you!

Approximate cost: $20+

What hype, so much activity. The aroma of coffee and the good hearty food fills the air.
Old fashion setting in an alley, very rustic but it works. The service is friendly and feedback they appreciate. A very enjoyable experience.
We will return and next time with our puppy.

Approximate cost: $17

Best coffee in South Melbourne (personally). Some nice local beers, great coffee. Chai Latte was a little disappointing- too weak. Service can be a little slow but always friendly and unpretentious. Food is good- 'Mexican cousins' dish has shrunken in the last year unfortunately.

Approximate cost: $13

Pricey but good coffee. Friendly service.
When I walked in there for the first time after reading SO much about them, I expected the single freaking greatest coffee I ever had in my life.
That didn't happen.
Their house blend is really good but Toby's estate at Degraves Espresso trumps them. The one time they came close was when they had Ethiopian Yirgacheffe as blend of the week.
But seriously, too pricey for everyday coffee. $3.80 for a small latte. :P

Approximate cost: $3.80

Housed in an eclectic warehouse environment, this cafe is definitely a standout venue for any sophisticated individual who is up to date with the latest movements.
The menu is composed of dishes that contain thought and flair.
The only complaint... would be that prices are somewhat high ....
$20 for my salad (entree sized)
servings are not big, warehouse surrounds are not high maintenance (if they require any maintenance at all) and location is not expensive (down a back alley)
But I suppose that all the mentioned characteristics are fashionable traits.

I really loved this place the first time I went and the coffee is worth the trip across town alone. Service was ok but they were really busy so I took that into account.

Fantastic food during the week for business lunches. On weekends, however, we have been disappointed recently with here-and-there-service and much to be desired from the coffee.

Approximate cost: $16

It's amazing how much can change in a year! To the point where I no longer want to really step foot in this place. The last few coffees I had here have just been average or worse. I am judging this place more harshly because its held so highly in the coffee world and therefore my disappointment is just greater...

During one visit, I actually heard the barista tell another staff person that the grinder was off. The staff member then went into a mad fury setting it correctly. Yeah ok.. its going to be fixed up, but you know its off, why are still dishing out coffee? One of those was my coffees and it was far from great! Rather bad from a place that values the quality of their coffee so greatly.

After every visit, I was just that little bit more disappointed with the place until recently I asked myself, why am I even coming here anymore.. Turns out that my new fave coffee place in South Melbourne was waiting for me just around the corner...

Approximate cost: $12

St Ali has it all - great food and a varied menu, the staff are friendly and enthusiastic and the atmosphere is quirky and fun. It is off the beaten track with no signage (very melbourne) but worth finding.

Approximate cost: $15

St Ali offers a highly eclectic menu and wonderful coffee. Tucked away in a small side street in South Melbourne, the cafe is open-plan, with a mix of seating and table styles. Excellent food and friendly service add to the enjoyment. You can also buy their wonderful coffee which is roasted on the premises.

Approximate cost: $14.00

The coffee here is quite good and meals are appetizing. They roast their own beans and promote organic and free-trade products.

The place is inside an old warehouse and is hidden away in a small alleyway. It has a great atmosphere and the staff are always friendly.

Coffee lovers - this is Mecca. Still 'underground' since I discovered it several years ago, St Ali still has no external signage on the white warehouse, yet is usually full of those in the know. My interstate friends have complained about Melbourne coffee, till I take them here. My Melbourne friends are now all devoted St Ali caffeine addicts too.I have a weekly pilgrimage to St Ali now I don't work in Sth Melbourne. Breakfast from 7.30am always includes porridge with fruit and honey, even tho it isn't on the menu. BTW always wash your hands there with the Aesop soap and moisturiser too :-) *EDIT* 12 Oct 2009 - since I first wrote this review in 2008, it has changed hands, expanded, got new staff, changed the menu, and received a lot of publicity and is as popular as ever. Oh well, off to find a new haunt now

Approximate cost: $8

the coffee here is really good - organic and free-trade. They also have great chai tea. It's hidden in an alley off Coventry st and the building itself is very cool, an old warehouse with the bones visible - atmosphere is very cool. Fhe food is middle-eastern inspired flavours, which can be a bit heavy - choose cafefully at breakfast time - the twists that sound yummy sometimes don't work.

Approximate cost: $14

I've not eaten at St. Ali, but I adore their coffees! We use only their beans at work - anything else is a compromise for us. I'm told that the food is just as good. The next time I'm in the area, I am going to make it a point to drop by so that I can perhaps comment on the food too.

Edited to add: I've now eaten at St. Ali several times, and the food is excellent! Service is always friendly and efficient, and the staff are always happy to share their expertise on what coffee to try.

This is the brother shop to Brother Baba Budan in Little Bourke Street and is a coffee mecca. This place roasts fantastic coffee and sells fabulous coffees. The barristers really know what they are doing. Check out the latte art as well.