Plantation provides a serious coffee destination in one of Australia's iconic shopping centres. To have the St Ali connection and such great quality in Melbourne Central is huge. In fact speaking with the baristas here they are very much part of the St Ali team.

Having wanted coffee in Melbourne Central and not fancying the food court it seemed Plantation is the answer. Coffee specialists. It's a stylish cafe with attractive intimate booths and a larger seating area outside.

Enjoy the red and cream tiled floor, booths with fabulous flower arrangements, and the palms adorning the stylish display areas.

The coffee is of course excellent at Plantation. Excellent cold drips and pour overs. Recently they tweeted "we try all day to make love in a cup". And of course the St Ali blends and single origins are to be raved about.

What I love is that Plantation are making the whole St Ali phenomenon accessible in a shopping centre.

The weird thing for me is that I've been working across the road from Melbourne Central for over 14 months and only recently visited Plantation. I guess I didn't know it was linked to St Ali until now. I had stereotypes in my mind of coffee houses in shopping centres. But when I found out the coffee pedigree I was in boots and all.

Also enjoy the tarts and cakes and brownies.

You can leave with a retail selection of coffee beans, panela cane sugar, bottled cold brew, Hario coffee brewing equipment and assorted snacks.

Plantation is a coffee haven for purists in the CBD.