It’s kind of felt like being in a cafe in South Korea! New cafe called SMWRE Coffee. Location’s a bit tucked away, but genuinely worth the trip.
Little wooden round tables, a dog doodle by the window, everything from the cups to the sandwich wrapping paper is just so cute. Even the latte art is a dog’s face, almost didn’t want to drink it.
The vibe in here is genuinely lovely, everyone, customers and staff both, just seemed happy. There’s a soft little couch tucked in the corner near the entrance, good spot to sit and zone out for a bit. Coffee itself is solid rather than amazing, but there seem to be a lot of good sandwiches on the menu. Next time I’m in the area, keen to try one.
The Specialty Drinks
We tried a few if their special drinks!
Peak Nut
Peanut, hazelnut cream, espresso. Rich nutty aroma. Good pick if you like your coffee leaning more dessert than drink. Stir it properly before drinking.
Forest Fire
Matcha, vanilla cream, fresh orange zest. Tea and milk aroma with a hint of citrus. Scoop a spoonful of cream first, then stir and drink, genuinely feels like a little ritual.
Sunrise
An 8-hour clarified lemon milk infusion paired with Chinese black tea, leaning into a lemon tea direction. Comes out with a big cloud of citrus-scented bubbles on top, photographs really well.
Pine Nitro
Pineapple cold brew with nitro cream on top, finished with a caramelised cinnamon pineapple skewer. Take a big sip with the pineapple and it’s full holiday vibes.
What got me most, every single cup comes with its own little dog card explaining the ingredients and how to drink it properly! You can tell the owner put real thought into it.
The Sandwiches
They were also good!
Chicken Mayo
Japanese milk bread with chicken, mayo, avocado and vegetables, properly stuffed with filling.
Wagyu Teriyaki
Brioche with teriyaki wagyu, fried egg and caramelised onion, sweet and savoury, very satisfying.
Sandwiches are made fresh to order, so they come out a bit slower, worth leaving extra time to sit, sip and chat while you wait. Overall genuinely happy with this visit, I’d happily detour out of my way again just for how cute this place is.
Worth the Detour?
The drink names here are all so cute. I got the one called Forest Fire. The sandwiches looked great too, and the prices were reasonable. Worth trying if you’re curious.
This cafe is close to Flagstaff Gardens, so you can wander over there after your coffee.
SMWRE Coffee
380 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC
If you’re exploring Melbourne, we’ve reviewed a few other spots worth stacking onto the same trip. OMO Cafe is another hidden Japanese-style cafe tucked in a CBD laneway, Miyama Melbourne is a Japanese kissaten with a famous London Fog, and Nana’s Green Tea is good if you’re after matcha desserts over in the CBD too.
For a day out afterward, our Victoria Park Kew and Ron Barassi Snr Park Docklands reviews cover two of our favourite Melbourne playgrounds, and our VIC school holidays and term dates for 2026 page has everything you need for planning the trip around them.