“Located easily off one of the main streets in Ballarat, FIKA focuses on quality dishes and coffee in a pretty snazzy environment. And given they use Sensory Lab beans, it’s pretty much a no-brainer you know each cup will be delicious. The cafe also sells beans and various other coffee related bits and bobs. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram.”

“FIKA Coffee Brewers: If you’re a coffee fanatic, you really can’t go past FIKA on Doveton St. Run by local baristas and open every day of the week to service Ballarat’s caffeine addicted, they brew some of the best lattes in Victoria.”

“Swedish for ‘coffee break’ and English for top brew, Fika is definitely up there on the list of the best coffee in Ballarat for caffeine fiends like us. Matt and his team work with Sensory Lab coffee and serve it up in an oh-very-cool setting. A keen cyclist, Matt’s totally welcoming of other outdoor enthusiasts. Not only is this place a great find for a good brew, it’s also where you go if you’re after really fresh, simple but innovative meals. Tickety, tick.”

“A little corner of Scandinavian cool in the heart of Ballarat, even though the young owner confirms he has never set foot in a Nordic country, FIKA persuasively channels Sweden inside an appropriately minimalist blonde timber-clad cafe near Mitchell Harris Wine Bar on Doveton Street. It’s a stylish place for breakfast or lunch though it’s closed on Sundays. ”

“A little corner of Scandinavian cool in the heart of Ballarat, even though the young owner confirms he has never set foot in a Nordic country, FIKA persuasively channels Sweden inside an appropriately minimalist blonde timber-clad cafe near Mitchell Harris Wine Bar on Doveton Street. It’s a stylish place for breakfast or lunch though it’s closed on Sundays. ”

“This coffee spot is brand new to Ballarat having opened its doors only a matter of weeks ago. Now if it’s trendy that you’re after then this is the spot for you! From a variety of savoury bagels, the odd Doughboys Doughnut drop and all your quinoa salad needs FIKA is right up with the times.”

“Ballarat’s coffee scene has been given an extra shot of talent. F.I.K.A Coffee Brewers is one of many new cafes to open in the CBD in the last 12 months. The Doveton Street cafe, which opened its doors two weeks ago, uses beans produced by Melbourne specialty coffee house Sensory Lab.

The emergence of F.I.K.A follows the opening of Yellow Espresso on Sturt Street and the continued success of Ballarat stalwart, The Bean Barn. F.I.K.A owner Matthew Freeman said he became interested in coffee after working as a milk salesman. “I soon became employed by St Ali and worked in...South Melbourne and Carlton North,” he said. “I had a few mentors. You need to learn the craft before you jump in the deep end.”

F.I.K.A prides itself on using specialty coffee, which is increasingly popular among Melbourne coffee lovers. “Specialty coffee gets graded... it gets graded on taste, aroma and consistency,” he said. “The beans have to score over a certain level to be considered specialty coffee.”

The Buninyong resident said coffee appreciation had grown in Ballarat in the last year. “(Baristas) are really educating the market,” he said. “In places like Yellow Espresso and Vegas and Rose, there seems to be educating of the customer base on what makes a great coffee.”

Mr Freeman considers coffee a science and an art. “You could make 400 coffees a day, but to make 400 coffees a day that taste so similar and at the high level you are trying to achieve, is another thing,” he said. ”