The Origin
Love is the secret ingredient of the tastiest Cinnamon Roll in Florence. At first reading it could perhaps seem trivial, almost obvious, but that of Melaleuca is a (beautiful) story that makes love its cornerstone. That of a couple, Marco Cappellari and Chloé Guest, first of all: two entrepreneurs, Italian-American he and Australian her, who have chosen to become partners in life and also in work after a long series of work experiences in the catering sector/ Cafeteria between Australia and London.
But also the love of the two owners of the graceful local on the Lungarno delle Grazie for travel, for coffee, for good food and, of course, for Florence. It is precisely here that the couple has in fact decided to open the first activity: an Australian specialty bar that offers brunch and international bakery from morning to late afternoon. The autarchic dream of Melaleuca in Florence.
Illuminated by the lights of a sun that already makes you think of spring, Melaleuca has the row outside practically every day. The covers are not many but the proposal, studied by the two owners, is treated in detail: by strategic location close to many American universities and in the historic center, albeit in a little crowded position, passing through the minimal and welcoming interiors, up to the dishes and drinks of the tradition almost all prepared at home.
The Journey
The journey into the only Australian reality that to date can be found in Florence starts from the coffee, focusing mainly on Flat White and Cold Brew. At their side, a long series of juices, centrifuges, firm, kombucha and fermented various, all self -produced (even almond milk) with the consequent conscious exclusion from the bottle of commercial and mainstream drinks. Same speech at the level of sausages, as well as for bakery and pastry (bagel, croissants of all kinds, muffins, cookies, pancakes, vegan sweets …) thanks also to the collaboration with a French Pastry Chef who immediately believed in the project . “The first difficulty, when we opened, was to find suppliers at the height: for this reason we also started to make ourselves many ingredients, including bacon, sausages and corners”
You don’t joke about the cinnamon roll
It is Marco’s biggest pride together with his family. He himself stops when we are talking about it, just to devote the right attention to the gastronomic manifesto of Melaleuca. “During the pandemia I will have tried 40-50 different recipes before finding the right one. That it was worth it, the numbers say it: think that many of our customers are now specifically for the Cinnamon Roll”. The secret, in addition to the softness of the dough, is also a rain of enveloping cheese cream that merges with the still hot cinnamon roll. Someone had to reveal it.
The best brunch in Florence?
“Ours are all authentic creations”, continue in chorus Chloé and Marco when we ask them why many call them the best brunch in Florence. “Because we offer different dishes, all made with our hands. We propose the concept of brunch born in Australia in the early 2000s, exploiting our previous experiences between Australia and London to make authenticity the strength of each of our recipes . It is so much for the certainties as for the latest novelties of our menu in constant evolution, such as the Tacos “. Try, in this sense, the taco veg with fried avocado: creamy inside and crunchy outside. At the same time, Avocado Toast is another must, perhaps alternating it with one of the many eggs basic preparations.
Our Free Tours
This is one of the many unknown corners of a Florence that is renewed with the passage of time. Many people come to Florence thinking they can find a city museum. A city stopped at the era of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Brunelleschi, but so it is not Florence is renewed and innovative places like this are born in the city. If you want to discover the Renaissance Florence you can come with us, we organize a free walking tour, the original Florence Free Tour that starts from Santa Maria Novella square. The meeting point is in front of the Minerva hotel, please book your tour.
