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If there’s one city that’s capable of making a library kiosk cool, we’re willing to bet it’s Melbourne. And based on what we know so far about Biblio – the new indoor-outdoor café opening at State Library Victoria this month – our suspicions are about to be confirmed. Brought to life in collaboration with Single O, the new all-day café is hitting all the right notes – stacked sambos, hyper-Instagrammable cold brews, a good line-up of aperitivo snacks and a minimalistic light-flooded setting. Here’s what we know so far about the soon-to-open café.
The idea behind Biblio is pretty straightforward: familiar food done well, excellent coffee and a welcoming place to set up, whether you're popping by for a quick coffee or stretching out lunch with friends.
Mornings will revolve around Single O coffee, with a menu featuring folded eggs with seasonal asparagus and breakfast brioche. There's also a v special addition for sandwich lovers: The Big Group's famous chicken sandwich, a cult favourite usually reserved for guests in Flemington's Birdcage during Melbourne Cup Carnival. Another creative addition to the menu is Biblio’s take on the sausage roll, which takes inspiration from a recipe found in one of the oldest cookbooks in State Library Victoria's collection, dating back to 1864. That's more than 160 years of culinary history wrapped up in a very Melbourne-friendly snack.
As the day rolls on, the café will shift gears into a relaxed lunch and afternoon drinks spot. The menu includes a selection of Biblio Bites, including Aleppo spice gaufrettes, romesco, guindilla, green olive, cornichon and onion gilda, San Daniele and manchego. There's also French toast brioche with labne, miso caramel and seasonal fruit if you’re in the mood for a sweet-treat.
And while the menu sounds like a pretty solid reason to visit, the setting might be just as compelling. Biblio opens onto an expansive, sun-filled outdoor deck overlooking the city – a new spot to soak up some sunshine in the heart of Melbs just as summer sets in.
Coffee is another big part of the offering, with Sydney roaster Single O partnering with The Big Group to bring its brews to the Library. The collaboration brings together two things Melburnians take particularly seriously: coffee and culture.
Inside, the design is deliberately understated, allowing the historic architecture of State Library Victoria to take centre stage.
To celebrate opening day, the first 100 customers through the doors from 9am on Saturday November 14 will receive a complimentary Single O cold brew called The Librarian, finished with orange syrup cold cream foam and orange zest.
Biblio opens at State Library Victoria on Saturday November 14, 2026. Keen? Find out more over here.
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