Regulars

“Dirty” beverages are a familiar concept in Australia. Chai muddied by espresso, martinis swimming in olive brine, and now, the dirty coffee – a specialty iced drink that first took off in countries like Japan, China and Thailand. Championed in Melbourne at Little La Trobe Street cafe Regulars, the dirty coffee flips the regular latte on its head; milk first, espresso second.

It’s all about a contrast in temperature – at Regulars, a tempered glass is chilled to a finger-numbing minus 85 degrees before being half-filled with full-cream St David Dairy milk. It’s finished with a ristretto shot using beans from Eddie’s Balwyn-based roastery, Roller, creating a visually pleasing, layered appearance and a creamy, affogato-like sip.

Led by husband-and-wife duo Prem (Tori’s) and Eddie Pan (ex-St Ali), the menu is stacked with other specialty beverages like Kenyan cold brew with grape, berry and dark chocolate syrups and topped with berry cream. To eat, shiopan – soft, buttery Japanese salt bread – is the main drawcard, but there are also caneles, fluffy garlic bread and peanut butter cookies.

Must-order: The dirty minus 85-degree coffee.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

Last visited: January 2026