The Thousands

Contemporary Australian design, specialty coffee and the highest quality produce are brought together by Brisbane transplants Oliver Mackay and Chrissie Trabucco in their latest venture, Lowlands Espresso. Built by local hands (mostly their own) their fit out is so well considered that even the pastel tones of the salvaged weatherboards that adorn their walls match the floral arrangements from Fowlers Flowers that adorn their tables. When Gillian Welch sang, “Oh I’ve been in the lowlands too long,” I’ll bet she’d been sitting here for hours.

With a focus on specialty coffee, Lowlands have understood that alternative brewing methods are less of a gimmick in 2011 than they are a genuine preference and have embraced the fact, offering six unique brewing methods (espresso, French press, syphon, pour over, aeropress and cold drip) to correspond with the single origin coffees that come across from Small Batch Roasters each week.

And while Mackay and Trabucco may have coffee (and tea – they offer an extensive range of single estates) on the brain they are foodies at heart. The triple layered biscuit sandwich (stuffed with baked banana, pistachio custard and house jam) will call your name from the top of High Street. Lowlands opens it’s doors for the first time this Friday (December 2) at 8am.