LITTLE PAUSE @ LITTLE KING

I march almost daily these days up Flinders Lane, on my way to work, and Little King has become a welcome, regular stop on what has in turn, become a pretty shitty jaunt.

If you haven’t visited, Little King is a pretty little cafe tucked away in a small alcove, sheltered on one side by one of Melbourne's oldest buildings, St Paul's Cathedral. Little King's outside seating area sits privy to to a view of Melbourne that you don't expect to see on the sheltered route that is Flinders Lane, until, on turning the corner towards the cafe, you are hit with a force of light that looks towards Federation Square.

Broadsheet recently featured the owners in a piece about female cafe owners, and it is very clear on entering the cafe, that this is a grrrl-run operation. The ladies who run Little King are refreshingly informal, and I don't know, maybe it's the size of the little cafe, or maybe it's their chatty natures, but you kind of feel like you're sitting in the kitchen of a Carlton sharehouse. The cafe is personable, sweetly decorated and the girls behind the counter are doing a great job at establishing a coffee spot with some heart in the CBD.

Which is great by the way. There are too many places in the city where you're just shoved along and  treated as the little more then the next customer. But here, as corny as it sounds, you feel like a friend. Isn't that just lovely? No, SRSLY, it’s really nice. Before Little King, small yet quality cafes so close to the tourist hubs of Flinders Street and City Square were annoyingly absent. Even somewhere like Sensory Lab lacks a 'cafe vibe' that most Melbournians look for in a coffee spot. So good job, Little King.

The first time I visited was with Antonia, and it was the first ‘hot’ day of the year. Little King was perfect, providing much needed shade, coolness from the concrete of the church aswell as a wonderful view of people enjoying Melbourne on the other side of Flinders Street.

Anyway, this is really only a half-post because I've only ever stopped for a drink. But if you're looking for some place to perch for a half hour or so in the CBD, which can be a pretty lonely place sometimes, Little King should provide enough company to settle the soul for some time.

 

LITTLE KING CAFE

4/209 FLINDERS LANE

Mon - Fri 7.30 - 3.30 

Good for: Good and prompt take-away coffee. A break from the chaos of the CBD.
Vegetarians: I just had coffee.

Seats: The cafe is only small, which suits as it's a coffee and quick lunch sort of place. I like sitting outside in the fresh air, but there are a few small tables inside too.
Wait time: There was not seating wait.
Cost: Standard Coffee Price. $3.50