If you haven’t tried this hidden CBD café, get off your swivel chair and walk the extra mile. This is one place we can guarantee never has an off day. At 8.15 every morning I swing by for a morning fix of caffeine, a quick laugh with the Marvie & Wolfe team and have a similar encounter around 3pm for an afternoon snack. For most, it’s just a daily routine, for Marvie customers though, they are spoilt to have a local café with this many good traits.
The people
A small team with big personalities. Owner Grant named the café after his kids Marvie and Wolfe and the tip jar goes towards their University education. Grant has designed a simple yet sensational menu with a promise of good service. The menu has a strong focus on smoked meats and house pickles – need I say more? Simon has a talent for putting names to faces and is often relied on to remember the entire teams orders while we are on morning auto pilot. And there’s Eliza, you can’t miss her in her funky attire, she is the talented barista who brings us to point number two.
The coffee
The coffee is what keeps us going back each day. Partly because we are addicted to caffeine, but also because we wouldn’t want to hang around anyone other than the Marvie team so early in the morning. Eliza doesn’t slip up, god forbid she has a sick day. You’ll get 50 cents off if you bring your own keep cup. And, if you take your coffee on soy, they use a brand made for espresso and you can’t even taste the difference! Their Coffee is sourced from boutique Sydney coffee roaster ‘Little Marionette’. Marvie & Wolfe are the first cafe in Canberra to offer this specialty coffee.
The blondies
I’m not singling out the blondies because the other snacks aren’t up to scratch – trust me they are, but we marvel over the blondie because they are a rare find! Not to subtract from regular brownie, though the blondie is a truly an underrated dessert. These treats have white choc chip, chewy caramel and promise a golden base. Best of all, the team have them fresh and ready-to-go on a Friday when we start eating like it’s the weekend.
The pickles
Chef Grant was a part of the duo who launched Chur Burger in Sydney which quickly gained cult status. It’s no wonder he knows a good pickle is the key to success. At Marvie & Wolfe you’ll get pickles and hand cut chips on the side, with basically anything you order. The famous pickles also feature in some of the salads or their epic rolls. The Pork Katsu has pickled carrots, the Smoked BBQ Brisket is blessed with the house pickles, while the Spiced Cauli has pickled chermoula onions (my personal favourite).
The Games
There is a never a dull moment at Marvie & Wolfe. They have a ‘guess the celeb face’ comp, which can score you a free coffee (if you’re good at pop culture). They have been known to aid us in April fool’s coffee jokes. And on some occasions, you can win free lunch rolls simply by following them on Instagram.
12 Moore St, City