A new pour – Allpress Espresso opens a brand-new coffee bar in The Valley
A familiar corner of Fortitude Valley has a new coffee rhythm. Allpress Espresso has opened a new espresso bar on Robertson Street, expanding its footprint in Brisbane. The move reflects a quiet confidence in a city where everyday coffee culture continues to thrive. Take a peek inside …
How does one truly gauge the strength of Brisbane’s coffee scene? On the street, it feels as healthy as ever, with local appetites for flat whites remaining insatiable.
Then you see the headlines – cafe closures, rising coffee prices, matcha crowned the new beverage du jour. While the numbers tell one story, how does a roaster – particularly one with expansion plans – navigate an industry facing its fair share of challenges?
Ask Nick Passi, national sales manager of caffeine-slinging juggernaut Allpress Espresso, and he’ll tell you it’s as much about gut instinct as it is raw data.
“It’s less metrics and lots of feel,” says Nick. “Yes, the metrics are important, but Brisbane feels good – there’s a real optimism here. You see a lot of closures in New South Wales and in Melbourne, but you don’t get that vibe in Brisbane. That’s the sentiment, but it’s also shown in the numbers.”
Today, Thursday January 29, Allpress is lifting the cloche on a brand-new espresso bar, which has taken over the site previously home to pioneering shot puller Jamie’s Espresso on Robertson Street in The Valley.
Nick credits Brisbane’s emergence as one of the country’s most exciting coffee markets as a key motivator behind the move, which sees Allpress double its presence to two roaster-managed venues, including its East Brisbane espresso bar and distribution hub.
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“It’s a great time to be opening something in Brisbane,” Nick tells us. “We’ve built a really great customer base in Queensland and we’ve partnered with some amazing people, so it made sense for us to sort of elevate our brand a little bit more.”
Working with Melbourne-based interior architecture and design practice Foolscap, alongside Brisbane fit-out specialist Lowry Group, Allpress has reworked the interior to more closely align with the roaster’s wider network of sites, balancing technical precision with textural brand expression.
The result is a space that feels contemporary yet relaxed. Large bifold windows add a casual breeziness, while inside, guests can grab a takeaway from the stainless-steel counter or perch at the pour-over bar, the L-shaped banquette, or the low-set timber bench near the entry.
“With Allpress Brisbane, we wanted to create a space that feels both inviting and refined – a quiet retreat amid the energy of Fortitude Valley, where natural textures, light, and honest materials set the tone,” says Adele Winteridge, founder and principal of Foolscap.
“Collaboration with local makers and circular design studios was central to the project. We worked with Mineral Fox on a new-to-market coffee chaff render, Five Mile Radius on a custom concrete pour-over bench, and Australian furniture designers Remington Matters and Dowel Jones to create pieces that reflect craft, sustainability, and a strong sense of place.”
While the design signals a considered elevation of the brand, Nick is quick to stress that Allpress Robertson Street is intended as an approachable, everyday destination.
“We’re just trying to elevate the coffee to where it’s consistent and familiar,” says Nick. “Yes, we have some single options and we have signature drinks with the filter taps, but we want to champion that everyday coffee – the regular ones.”
The cafe sells the roaster’s full range of coffee blends, led by the original Allpress Espresso, alongside a rotating program of single origins available on espresso and filter. It’s also equipped with a Freepour Batch tap system from Six Simple, dispensing cold-brewed coffee.
On the food front, pastries from Sprout Artisan Bakery sit alongside sandwiches and afternoon affogatos, featuring gelato from Rosé Gelateria. A compact retail space rounds things out, stocked with take-home coffee bags and ceramic cups made by local artisans.
Beyond serving locals, Allpress Robertson Street also acts as a key touchpoint for existing and prospective wholesale partners looking to engage more closely with the brand.
“Obviously we want it to be a cafe where people can learn about and appreciate the brand, and get the feeling of Allpress,” says Nick. “But then also this can be a meeting place for our partners, or potential partners. Looking back to Mike and Tony, that’s how they grew the business in the early days – it was through retail that they acquired wholesale customers.”
In the end, Allpress’s new espresso bar reflects the confidence of Brisbane’s coffee landscape, with the acclaimed roaster choosing to deepen its ties to the city in order to deliver a higher level of service. Still, for all the talk of growth and momentum, Nick is careful not to overstate the move.
“We’re not here to save the hospitality scene or anything like that – it’s just being part of it and engaging with it.”
Allpress Espresso is now open – head to The Directory for operating hours. Want more? Join thousands of Brisbane locals that plan their weekends with us regularly – click here to subscribe to our newsletter, filled with Brisbane’s best food openings, culture news and weekend escapes.