87 Hudsons Rd, Spotswood, VIC 3015
(03) 9391 6016
Google map link
Coffee Brand: Small Batch (By Auction Rooms, North Melbourne)
The Duchess of Spotswood is a cracker of a little cafe across the Westgate Bridge. On the outside Spotswood would seem an unusual place for a quality cafe. The local residents would vigorously disagree this we would imagine, but walking down Hudson St is like High Noon and tumbleweeds. With nary a soul in sight, bar the frequent trucks, entering The Duchess is like finding a little Oasis in the middle of nowhere. There are a few cafes in the strip too so obviously business is good. The place has a friendly vibe, offers beautiful food and finding that they use Small Batch coffee is a pleasant surprise.
We noticed a different barista on our third visit, and there was only a small drop in the review scores. The Candyman blend is doing wonders in this cafe, seeming to suit the broad clientele. A single origin would be handled well by the baristas here.
On all of our visits the service has been attentive and our coffees have arrived without too long of a wait. The cafe has appeared busier and busier on each of our visits, which is great to see.
Score Summary.
Macchiato: 16.5, 16, 14
Espresso: 17, 16.5, 17, 17*
Ristretto: 17, 14
* Denotes we both reviewed an espresso each on 3rd visit.
Overall Mean Score: 15.83 Recommended.
Hooray! Love the Duchess!