Bessa Coffee

On any given morning, more people seem to spill out of the vine-covered Bunker than the neighbouring Milton Train Station. So its owner opened Bessa just a few hundred metres down the road. It’s run by Marcus Allison, who also co-owns John Mills Himself.

Bessa is a sleek wooden kiosk in a leafy pedestrian laneway connecting Little Cribb Street and Coronation Drive. One side of the pod pops open to serve a never-ending queue of office workers ordering takeaways, while those with time fill two communal tables or play ping-pong in the lane.

The Dark Horse blend from Perth coffee roaster Five Senses is Bessa’s house choice. A second grinder rotates through local roasters such as Brisbane’s Sum Coffee. Bessa also offers batch brew, V60 pour-over and Bunker’s range of bottled iced coffees. There’s a 50-cent discount for customers who bring in a Bunker Keep Cup, and a 20-cent discount for a BYO cup.

Like its older siblings, Bessa also serves Heirloom hot chocolate and chilled chocolate milk, a range of house teas and a special-reserve tea made of cascara (the dried skins of coffee cherries). In the counter you’ll find a daily supply of pastries and pretzels from Crust & Co and treats from Alphabet Cafe. Four days a week a different food truck parks right outside around lunchtime.