Piccolo One is a hole-in-the-wall coffee spot tucked down a laneway off the main drag. A colourful landmark and hint to where the good coffee is located, is a vibrant artwork featured on the laneway’s brick wall. It’s here that customers can enjoy their morning coffee on outdoor wooden benches, watch caffeine-craving customers trickle down the unassuming walkway and enjoy some friendly barista banter.
The café uses Merlo Coffee’s Espresso Blend as its house blend, which Piccolo One Owner Natko Kuvacic describes as a full-bodied, medium-dark roast coffee with a rich chocolate flavour. There is also a rotating roster of single origins for adventurous consumers.
“It’s the ideal coffee to start your morning, and it’s our pick when we’re looking to build the perfect espresso martini later in the day. However you are using it, Espresso Blend is easy to work with and even easier to drink,” says Natko.
Natko first started a relationship with Merlo Coffee in 2005 at his Croatian restaurant called Dalmatino in Port Melbourne, offering Croatian food and wine by night and breakfast and coffee by day.
Piccolo One’s menu is concise and focuses on quality ingredients to accompany the coffee. The café offers bagels from Balaclava filled with ham, cheese, and pickles with European mayo, a locally handmade vegetarian gozleme and a selection of fresh crisp pastries.
“We keep it simple to ensure quick service, so customers can start their busy day with a smile,” Natko says.
“My loyalty will always be to my customers, who are so supportive and trust me to make their morning coffee each day. I love being a part of the community.”
Piccolo One
2/12 Douglas Parade, Williamstown, Victoria, 3016
Open Monday to Friday 7am — 2pm, Saturday 7:30am —1pm, and Sunday 8am — 1pm
This article appears in the August 2023 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
