Espresso Emporium - Brisbane

Opening up a trio of three more places to grab a bite to eat, mainly seeming to aim at businessmen, the Bellezza Group continues to showcase why - whether for a sit down meal, or a cup of coffee - they still continue to have such a presence within and around the Central Business District of Brisbane. Right next to the heritage-listed house, a skyscraper called the 180 has been built. These three places are all within a short reach of each other, with Espresso Emporium needing a tiny maneuver of exploration to find. It is then like finding a diamond in the rough. I was at work one day, and it was a bit of a slow one at that point. There was a couple of items that I had to get from the supermarket before heading off home, and while I was at that I decided in advance that a coffee or something could be really good. During that time, I was searching around to see if there were any places nearby or around the city to get a coffee within the meantime after work. Well, between two stops that I normally get to go between places, there was Espresso Emporium. Like I said beforehand, this will require a little bit of exploration - and by that, there are a couple of steep escalators going in and out of the 180. Go on the one going up and Espresso Emporium will be right there in plain sight. The whole look of the place is decidedly simple, however with the aesthetics that they have chosen - there is something about it. It is possibly the marble backdrop that they have chosen, which looks classy and is a nice touch to it all (same goes for the floor). It is one long buffet with a cabinet showing all sorts of treats in there to be selected and then eaten. Right down the far end is a big espresso machine. That makes perfect ergonomic sense, where the clients just wanting coffee can head right down the end, and those wanting a little something extra can hover and make up their mind without holding people up. Seating is essentially a simple tables strewn around the cafe end of the atrium. That extra touch is certainly considerate if you have no place to be. And what is the best aspect of it all? All of this equals to a real relaxing place, whether it is a business meeting so you don't feel to out of place, or have a small hang out. Although it right on one of the main, busy streets in the city center, going up and down the steep escalator, there is the feeling of being a long way up and having a great view over the city buildings. That is one aspect where Espresso Emporium has a real advantage.   Plus, when it comes to the service we are talking about some really high levels of being professional right here. All you have to do to get approached is simply be scouring the food items in the cabinet, and a young lady will already be talking to you from behind the counter. There are switched on like clockwork, and the orders take very quickly to be done. Regarding the coffee, orders are done as such: state the order, give them your name, and wait until it is called out. This has got to be some of the most streamlined and efficient service that I have ever seen anywhere. When it comes to food and stuff, what Espresso Emporium touts itself most as is being good for catering. From the catering, there are heaps of pastries, sandwiches, hot and cold canapes, sandwiches of various styles, antipasto platters and whatnot. Looking in the cabinet during this visit, it was a range of cakes, pastries, focaccia sandwiches and flans. For drinks, it is the usual tea and coffee. They keep it pretty simple here, and the catering menu is an astute addition with it being in the middle of several businesses. That is a good back-up plan, and the range of items is simple and perfect for breaks between meetings; the point is, they know their future clientele. So going into here, as with most places as such, the idea was the usual coffee and cake scenario. I knew what the coffee order was - it rarely ever changes from doppio - and the cake was chosen by what looked the most appealing. The blend of coffee that is used here is Vittorio. Now with that one, I am never really consistent about what I think of it. The real reasons is I have never been here or there with it, it sort of exists as a mid-carder coffee, and it can be good with the right pair of hands on deck. This time around, they had a pretty talented barista at hand, which figures given the perfectionist look to this place. To really give this place a go, something had to be gotten on the side. That is ultimately how I roll. Looking into the cabinet, the sweet that took my fancy was a simple coffee cake. Both the cake and the coffee were pretty good. As it was already stated, there is good hands using the coffee machine here, and as a result the coffee was a good one. It was slightly sweet, had a bit of a fruity note to it, plus was more of medium strength heading towards being strong. From memory, I don't reckon I was tried or anything but regardless it will be one that will perk you up slightly. The temperature was between warm and hot, and could easily be drunk quickly. Also, the texture was smooth which almost made it seem sweet, along with a good crema on it all possible from such a good extraction. Any coffee fans and aficionados ought to try and find this place, as - even in it being early days - I reckon it will find its fan base, and should gain traction enough to be a hot spot. You heard it here first, people. Now onto the cake. This was a simple coffee cake. It was not quite sponge with the texture, but something really simple such as that, and there was a hint of espresso flavour in the dough part of the cake as well as a hint of vanilla. On top of that was a bit of icing, and a small coffee bean as a final touch. It was light, sweet, and soft - perfect as an afternoon eat, and would still go with a coffee regardless. For this time around, and at least with this venture, there is not too much more to say about it. You have a small place where all the aspects are made to look really professional, and have that air about them, but at the same time the whole aesthetic is one that is relaxing and inviting. What this equals is a venture that has the feeling of a coffee shop in many ways, and just wait to see a sea of suits-and-ties around the area. With dining in Brisbane on the rise, in breadth of options and range of choices, something like this that fits into a small niche is always welcome, and I am happy to see the Bellezza Group's extension go ever further. It showcases just how talented and diverse their range can be. Espresso Emporium is just another example of it. TL;DR: Coffee places are definitely not anything new in any section of the city, but with this central area there seems to be a new paradigm forming involving the coffee shops. While it definitely has a more simplified look to it, the simplified look has transformed into one that is sleek looking and has something professional about it from a simple glance alone. This is what Espresso Emporium has going for it. It is nothing too much that is out of the ordinary, serving more of the same kind of fare as other professional coffee places, and it is all done with a notable level of professional customer service. It is a tad more than normal, and that is probably okay due to the aforementioned point of being professional. Chalk up another good location, and one that is a real up and comer.

Opening up a trio of three more places to grab a bite to eat, mainly seeming to aim at businessmen, the Bellezza Group continues to showcase why - whether for a sit down meal, or a cup of coffee - they still continue to have such a presence within and around the Central Business District of Brisbane. Right next to the heritage-listed house, a skyscraper called the 180 has been built. These three places are all within a short reach of each other, with Espresso Emporium needing a tiny maneuver of exploration to find. It is then like finding a diamond in the rough. I was at work one day, and it was a bit of a slow one at that point. There was a couple of items that I had to get from the supermarket before heading off home, and while I was at that I decided in advance that a coffee or something could be really good. During that time, I was searching around to see if there were any places nearby or around the city to get a coffee within the meantime after work.... read more

Reviews: This hotel is lovelyIt has a boutique nature while simultaneously being clean and efficient.

Went here again and tried an Emporium Suite (the second most expensive suit) instead of a Queen Suite like last time and might I say it's quite the upgrade!

This is a nice, clean, well located hotelHowever it is not as luxurious as either it, or some reviewers, make out.