Bellissimo Coffee Fortitude Valley

Bellissimo is a Brisbane coffee roaster that started with three friends and a small roaster and now supplies cafes as a wholesale bean roaster as well as running its own venues. The business was established in 2009, and the founders admit they knew little about specialty coffee when they bought their first small roaster. The first time they entered their original blend, Emporio, it won the Espresso Champion trophy at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Awards, and the company now aims to be Australia's highest-awarded coffee roaster. All its coffee is roasted and packed in Brisbane, and cupping is used to assess green beans, develop roast profiles and keep the blends consistent. The house blends include Ultimo, Emporio, Kinship and Natura, alongside single origins.

The Fortitude Valley cafe on Wandoo Street is where the retail story began: it was the company's first cafe and roastery, opened in 2009. Today Bellissimo also runs a headquarters cafe and roasting operation in Coorparoo, a cafe in Bulimba and an outlet at Brisbane Airport's domestic terminal, but the Valley shop remains the one closest to the inner-city sights.

The cafe opens every day from 6am to 6pm, so it is useful both for an early start and for a coffee late in the afternoon. Brunch is served from 6am until 1pm, after which the menu moves to toasties, snacks and sweets until closing. The focus is on the coffee itself, so it is a good place to try the house espresso before deciding which beans to take home. Bags of coffee, brewing equipment and gift cards can also be bought through Bellissimo's online shop, with free shipping within Australia on orders over a kilogram.

The cafe suits early risers, coffee enthusiasts and anyone staying in Fortitude Valley who wants a straightforward breakfast before setting off. Bellissimo takes cafe bookings through its website and runs catering, barista training and private events from its Coorparoo headquarters.

Wandoo Street is in Fortitude Valley. Ada Lane, the laneway home of Jocelyn's Provisions, links James Street to Wandoo Street, so the cafe is easy to combine with a walk around James Street's shops and restaurants. For enquiries, Bellissimo publishes a general email address on its website.