Alicia Feng is a World Coffee Championships judge, a certified Q grader and one of Melbourne’s most respected specialty coffee figures. Atelier Enso is her Carlton cafe where she reimagines the role of the barista entirely.

Feng’s desire to slow down and connect informs everything at Atelier Enso, starting with the location. To get there, you have to take a very not-calming walk past a petrol station. But when you arrive at the coffee shop, you’re transported to a coffee sanctuary that feels like it’s been stripped from a cosy anime, thanks to washi paper lights, white-painted brick walls, soft wood and stainless-steel finishes and a glass cabinet filled with Swiss rolls and cookies.

Feng also wants her team to slow down and connect with customers, which is why she’s opted for automated coffee machines – something controversial in the specialty coffee scene. But for Feng, using this technology – including Link Bar milk frothers, X Bloom filter coffee machines and Eversys automatic espresso machines – is a way to ensure quality while allowing her team time to connect with customers and mitigate staff burnout. The method looks to be the tip of the spear – one we’ll look back on as a blueprint for future Melbourne cafes.