Airports are rarely known for their culinary prowess, particularly when it comes to the coffee arena. But prepare to bid goodbye to a below-average brew pre-flight courtesy of Melbourne International Airport’s latest addition.

ST. ALi, the much adored South Melbourne coffee haunt is setting up shop in the international terminal. From April 18, from 5.00am to 1.00am each day, the coffee and bites specialists will be doling out delicious brews and bites to the departures lounge.

ST. ALi’s Salvatore Malatesta promises that the experience will be on par with any of the other venues from the coffee house. He’ll be the one guiding the new team of coffee-makers, designers, and creatives through the launch to ensure that the offering is up to scratch. “I believe there is a certain stigma attached to airport dining as sometimes quick, packaged, and simple,” he explains. “Anyone who has experienced one of ST. ALi’s cafes knows our food and coffee is oozing with passion and flavour – and is anything but simple. We have an entire creative team centred solely around the creation of our menu, and it’s not your regular, old recipe-testing process. Our chefs are artists and the food they create is sculpted with incredible passion and skill.”

With that in mind, you can expect an offering that far surpasses the typical airport fare. The menu has been described as ‘uniquely Melbourne’, scrapping the standard pre-packaged sandwich for cheeseburger salads, a cinnamon, sugar-soaked French toast, and old-favourite poached eggs with smashed avo.

“This menu is a snapshot of Melbourne’s epic coffee culture,” says ST. ALi’s culinary director of food, Daniel ‘Dobbers’ Dobra. “And I put all of myself into the food I create. It’s a reflection of Melbourne but also a reflection of me. I’d like to think if this menu was a person, they would be a funny, light-hearted, and jovial character.” The coffee offering will be just as elaborate – ST. ALi’s signature blends available in both latte form and take-away retail bags, the new 7-day and 30-day calendar-style travel packs included.

The design of the store is also a firm departure from traditional airport kiosks, and utilises the talents of JCB architects and designers. It’s a more refined version of the original warehouse outlet, incorporating brass and Pilbara-style marble detailing throughout. “The design of the store is really trying to capture the organic ‘found’ and bespoke aesthetic of ST. ALi South Melbourne, to leave travellers with a real taste of the rich Melbourne coffee scene,” explains designer and senior partner at JCB, Alison Palmer.

Want to try it for yourself? ST. ALi at the Melbourne International Airport is now open for business.