Food- Collective

3 Cookson Street, Camberwell

This will be brief, and quite fitting for the boys at The Collective.

A simple and laid back approach to the often hectic portrayal of starting a cafe', these guys have taken baby steps to create an impressive addition to the streets of Camberwell.

Since their humble beginnings at the ever amazing, cafe veteran and in my mind 'Yoda' that is Las Chicas, the boys have created a space that is very inviting and fun to hang out it in. There's not much to distract you, which means your time is dedicated solely to your coffee companion, be it person, newspaper or the like.

The menu at Collective is very simple, but with some pretty sweet offerings like bircher and 'pee-days' as the boys like to call them. There are also muffins and pastries for you to pick apart during your weekend rants with friends.

The guys are rocking a Syneso machine, adding cred to their already warm and likeable personalities. I'd heard that they were pretty serious about their coffee, so went straight for a 'magic'; the alleged speciality of our barista.

Forget HP, I've found a new awkward magician to fuss over.

I don't get out to this area often, out of sheer laziness and for the fear of what specimens I might run into whilst stumbling around the streets. Camberwellians are in a class of their own, but I have to admit, I have several friends who grew up here, to whom I can't live without, and seem to have escaped the contagious and infamous personality of others in the area.

Rest assured, when I do make it out, I'll be heading straight to the Collective.

Date rate: For dudes- if you're happy for your girl to be chatting up the boys behind the counter, why not?
Coffee cure: Magic happens.
Hangover Happy: It's not the first place I'd head to relive my hung over soul.
Price: No complaints from me

Oh and unfortunately, loss of phone due to loss of rational thinking in past drunken times, has resulted in loss of collective photo. Hence this pic has been *stolen* from a fellow caffeine addicts.