Throughout our hectic lives at uni, we often miss great opportunities that stare us right in the face. We pass by places and stores, without a second thought or a moment of wonder. If you’ve walked left from the tip of Northumberland St., to have a cheeky pint, step a few paces back, and look a little harder.
Inconspicuously denoted by a single black sign, Kuppa Coffee is a basement café that you’ve probably crossed several times. Its unassuming black signage and absence of any sort of advertising probably don’t do it many favours, but if one does notice it, and step behind it’s black doors, they’re treated to something quite novel.
What lies inside is a myriad of cultures, colours and scents, which are as oddly complementary as they are uniquely charming. From open source zen music, to leather couches and large armchairs, Kuppa Coffee is one café that lets the ambience stand out bolder than the coffee itself. An ambience, that’s perhaps best enjoyed in the warmth of a basement, away from the public eye.
The coffee itself, would probably serve as the main attraction, that is if you hadn’t lost yourself on one of their six arms chairs, curled up with a good book. Using a blend of two types of single-origin coffee, the espresso produced makes remember exactly why you choose it over a cuppa everyday.
Much like the coffee itself, the flavour of this basement establishment changes with every slight turn of the head. Upon entry, a large chalkboard filled with art (drawn by the café’s patrons) greets you with large murals of pop-culture’s most memorable icons. Kuppa Coffee, formerly ‘The Blue Bunny’ is the brainchild of it’s Chinese owner, who longed to give his wacky ideas a cosy home.
A slight turn to the left affixes your gaze to the seemingly small seating area, which gets larger with each step. Despite housing only five tables, the restaurants arm chairs and sofas give it a feeling of a much larger space.
One one side, the red brick finish is met with complementary red-and-white striped couches. Stars on the wall and gazebo lampshades evoke a feeling of subtle mysticism that catalyses the process of getting lost in one’s own world.
To the left however, the décor transforms walls, sprayed with cute cards and small plants in an almost panoramic manner. The composition in which they’re arranged gives off a vibe more suited to a cosy rooftop restaurant, let alone a café, as opposed to one in a basement.
The most delightful corner, however, is one that lies perfectly hidden from the first glance. Hidden at the left end of the café lies two stately arm chairs, a rectangular knee-length table, and a bookshelf filled with an assorted array of the weird and wonderful, that one can only be found at an establishment like this. In many ways, the last corner of the café typifies the identity of the establishment; warm, tucked away and full of small surprises.
For your money and your time, Kuppa coffee is worth the trouble involved in finding it. Whether you’re in for a take a way latte, or a sit down with nothing more than a piping hot chocolate, this basement wonder will make you ask yourself how you passed it by so many times without a second glance.
