Mt Buller Coffee Review

[photo by Wok]

Over the past few months Nutcracker ran a poll for who makes the best coffee on the mountain. 12 people gave their opinion and below are the results:

Kofflers – 6 Votes

Cattlemans – 3 Votes

Tirol – 2 Votes

Arlberg – 1 Vote.

Of course there are many other coffee spots on the mountain including a couple of new ones in recent years. So, it was decided to start heading around the mountain in search of the best coffee spot at Mt Buller. One of our Members, Gabby, and her partner, Graham, gladly did the rounds between skiing and gave a brief review of the overall experience.

I don’t feel qualified to give an analytical description of the coffee itself, but instead have tried to give an overview of the experience. An issue to consider is time of day of the visit. We almost always steer clear of peak period whenever possible (except for Kofflers) so our visits are always during quieter times when the atmosphere is a bit more layback. – Gabby

Thanks to Gabby for the reviews, I’m sure it was tough work!

ARLBERG

Time of visit – Friday, mid afternoon.

Arlberg is a very convenient location as it is easily accessible for both lunch and warm up drinks during the day. Ambience was surprisingly pleasant. We had the option of watching sporting events on the big screen, but we opted to sit at the window and be entertained by all the action coming down Bourke Street. Latte was hot, not too strong and best of all, served in a mug, and at $4.80 represented very good value.

BURGER HAUS

Time of visit – mid morning, mid week

In its first season at Mt Buller, Burger Haus at George’s Ski Hire is the new kid on the block. Located directly opposite the clock tower right in the middle of the village, and opening at 7.30 in the morning, this coffee shop is the perfect place to start your day. Lattes are exceptionally good value at $3.90 and, true to their name, Burger Haus hamburgers are second to none on the mountain.

KOFFLERS

Time of visit – Thursday, 11am

On a typical white out Buller day, elevenses at Kofflers is without doubt the busiest hot spot on the mountain. Nevertheless, somehow it is always possible to get a seat (thanks to some brave souls who opt to sit outside) and service is surprisingly prompt and pleasant despite the rush. Their latte offer was totally overshadowed by Kofflers legendary mug of hot chocolate ($4.00), and their macadamia choc chip cookies are to die for. With its simple décor and wall to wall people, ambience isn’t exactly Kofflers’ strongest point, however, for convenience, happy, obliging staff and speed of service at the busiest time, you can’t go wrong.

CATTLEMAN’S

Time of visit – mid afternoon, mid week.

Cattleman’s, situated right at the bottom of Blue Bullet chair is a very popular coffee spot. Décor is smart and the atmosphere pleasant however, service, both when ordering and being served, is a little slower than some. The latte ($4.50) however was worth waiting for, being obviously of a good quality coffee blend with a rich and creamy finish and rating 8 out of 10.

SNOW PONY

Time of visit – après skiing

Now in its second year of operation, this cosy and chic hideaway is certainly the latest spot to be seen on the mountain. Located on Summit Road, directly below Twin Towers, this galley style bar/café has an open fire place and ski to the door access for that mid morning or après coffee hit. Our latte at $5.00 and iced coffee ($7.00) were a little more expensive than some, but were well worth the extra.

As you can see there is a good selection of coffee spots to rest the weary legs and warm the hands and belly!

For me personally, Kofflers has always been a great spot to have a break between runs, and Nutcracker Members have made a tradition of meeting up in Kofflers at 11:00 for a break between ski runs. If you are going to Mt Buller for the first time, and head up the top of the mountain to Kofflers, make sure you try the Apple Mogul with whipped cream.

Have we missed a coffee place on the mountain? Let us know and Gabby will get onto it!

If you have a favourite coffee spot at Mt Buller, leave a comment below with your review.

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