Newsletter #31 – Australia’s coffee culture – Repin’s Coffee Inns

by Ken · November 14, 2025

Australia has had a long association with coffee dating back to the arrival of The First Fleet in 1778. Australians had embraced this addictive beverage long before the arrival of international and domestic coffee chains. Indeed, individual cafes offering a quality cup have thrived in the face of strong competition from multiple franchises.

In short, Australians have raised the bar to new heights with a focus on brewing the perfect cup. Sourcing fresh beans, small batch roasting and specialised blends, not to mention our talented barista’s have made Australia world leaders when it comes to making coffee. Australia even has what many consider as Australia’s greatest culinary export – the flat white (which is what I always order).

But how did Australia’s love affair with coffee start and perhaps, more importantly why did it continue to grow? To answer to the first part of that question comes from an unusual source nearly 200 years ago.

The Temperance Movement that had begun in the United States in the early 1800’s had spread to the United Kingdom by the 1830’s. The Temperance Movement’s mission was to provide food, beverage and lodgings in an alcohol-free environment. Their drink of choice was coffee, and they named their establishments Coffee Palaces.

These buildings were originally about the size of “the corner pub” but over time became larger and grander. In 1837 the Movement established itself in Australia.

On the back of the 1850’s gold rushes, Coffee Palaces expanded rapidly throughout Australia and became even larger and more elaborate. Three of Melbourne’s largest were the Melbourne Coffee Palace (1881), the Federal Coffee Palace (1888) and the Grand Coffee Palace (1884) which still exists today and is called the Windsor Hotel.

Not to be outdone, Sydney had the Grand Central Coffee Palace (1889) and the Sydney Coffee Palace (1880) next to the aptly named Temperance Lane. By the turn of the century Coffee Palaces were in decline and while some hung on with dwindling patronage others were re-purposed or just applied for a liquor license; most sites were eventually redeveloped.

But while Australians were the biggest tea drinkers in the world (per capita) well into the 20^th century, local and world events including domestic policy, the Russian Revolution and World War 2 saw an influx of migrants who brought with them a love of coffee.

Italians had featured prominently as economic migrants from the late 1800’s and migration spiked after World War 2 when the dispossessed of Europe were welcomed to Australia. Europeans were coffee drinkers, unlike the people of British background who were tea drinkers.

In 1954 the Pellegrini brothers, who had migrated from Italy, opened a cafe in Bourke Street, Melbourne and lay claim to Australia’s first real espresso coffee machine. In Sydney, in the fifties, the Italian population centred around Leichhardt, and this was the place to go for good coffee. Also in that decade the Vittoria Coffee company was established in Sydney.

Some years ago, coffee surpassed tea and became Australia’s most popular beverage and the domestic coffee industry is now valued at $6 billion per year.

The coffee industry continues to evolve by embracing new trends and offering unique blends and even encouraging consumers to prepare the perfect cup at home.

Repin’s Coffee Inns

Source: Powerhouse Collection

Source: Pittwater online News

Ivan Repin was an educated man from the Novgorod region of Russia and was a qualified engineer. Following the 1917 revolution and a few years of working with the new regime, Ivan and his family fled the country. In 1925 they arrived in Sydney and Russia’s loss was Australia’s gain. For a few years Ivan tried a number of different types of employment.

Ivan had trained in Saint Petersburg, a city known for its sophistication and good coffee and he was disappointed that the local brew was not only of poor quality, but it was often included free of charge with a meal.

Ivan found his niche when he opened the families’ first Coffee Inn in King Street, Sydney in 1930. Not only did Repin’s survive The Great Depression, but he apparently thrived with multiple Coffee Inns in the city within a few years.

His formula sounds familiar with distinctive and unique coffee blends, on the premises roasting and take-home coffee beans so you could make your own. Yes, this was 1930.

The good coffee was served by smartly uniformed staff, who were often European and naturally good fresh food was on offer as well. The CBD Inns were famous for their sandwiches and daily specials. Note the triple-decker toasted sandwich featured on the menu.

The family continued operating the Coffee Inns after Ivan’s death in 1949 and moved from strength to strength, embracing espresso machines in the 1950’s and opening the pioneering Moka Coffee Lounge at 68 Darlinghurst road in King’s Cross, which was only 100 metres away from where I would work 20 years later.

By the time Harris Coffee acquired Repin’s in the mid 1970’s the Repin family had moved on, but Repin’s Coffee Inns still maintains a special place in the hearts of many older Australians.

I have a vague memory of visiting Repin’s George Street cafe in the early 1960’s; I think I was with my Mum and I probably had a milkshake, but definitely not coffee.

Today I have two recipes. Firstly the Italian classic, Tiramisu, a creamy dessert flavoured with espresso. This is followed by a Club Sandwich, in honour of Ivan’s toasted triple-decker.

Tiramisu

This popular dessert is relatively new on the culinary scene and is credited by the European Union as originating in a restaurant a little north of Venice in Italy – “Alle Beccherie”. Many variations have since appeared, using various flavourings and use the name “Tiramisu” but since protective status was achieved, true Tiramisu can only be prepared with certain ingredients – sponge finger biscuits, espresso coffee, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, mascarpone, and cocoa powder. Marsala or a coffee liqueur is optional while whipped egg whites can be added for a lighter mixture. Whipped cream is a definite no-no.

Tiramisu

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Servings: 10

Course: Dessert

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

4 eggs separated
110 g sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
250 g mascarpone
320 ml black coffee cold (espresso or instant)
30 ml cognac
200 g lady finger biscuits
80 g grated chocolate milk or dark, optional
1 tbsp cocoa powder

Equipment

You’ll need your electric mixer plus a serving dish to hold approximately 24 sponge finger biscuits in two or three layers.

Method

Assemble your ingredients
Whisk the egg yolks, vanilla and sugar on medium speed for 8 or more minutes until the mix is a creamy pale yellow
Add Mascarpone and mix until combined
In a new clean bowl whisk the egg whites to a little more than “soft peaks”
Gently fold the mascarpone mix into the whipped egg whites
Add the cognac to the black coffee

Assembly:

Quickly dunk the individual biscuits in the coffee mix (less than 2 seconds)
Arrange the biscuits as a first layer in the serving dish
Cover with the Mascarpone mix – ½ for two layers or ⅓ for three layers
Add another layer of dipped biscuits and Mascarpone mix
Sprinkle some grated chocolate on this layer of Mascarpone if you wish
Repeat if you are doing three layers
Finish with remaining Mascarpone mix
Smooth the top
Cover and refrigerate overnight
To serve dust the surface with cocoa powder

Notes

I chose a dish that held 3 layers.

If you are unsure of how many biscuits will fit your dish, do a trial run with just the un-soaked biscuits

Ensure the bowl you whisk the egg whites in is absolutely clean and dry

The dessert will set to a degree, but still be creamy

The Club Sandwich

Too often, it is hard to trace the definitive origin of a particular dish or recipe. At best we generally have a rough timeline and multiple claimants to some famous culinary invention.

The Club Sandwich, is basically a toasted sandwich but nevertheless has a well earned place in history with two “Clubs” laying claim to the sandwiches invention – The Union Club of New York City and the Saratoga Club in upstate New York. From its appearance in the late 1900’s it gained in popularity to become a favourite in the U.S.A, The United Kingdom and Australia

In Australia, Repin embraced this American offering after WW2 – a time when Sydney’s culinary scene was changing. While American influence to the food industry continues to this day, particularly in the fast-food industry, the local coffee scene remains uniquely Australian.

The Club Sandwich

The important thing with building a successful Club Sandwich is choosing the best ingredients The tomato should be firm and full flavoured – heirloom tomatoes are perfect An even thickness slice of chicken breast, around 7mm is best Lettuce should be crisp Rind less smoky bacon Quality mayonnaise – homemade or store purchased (I like Kewpie brand) Sliced bread about 15mm thick (traditionally white bread) Salt and pepper Assembly is also important. The tomato is best placed with the bacon and don’t forget a little sprinkle of salt and cracked pepper on the tomato. Chicken and lettuce go on the second layer. Mayonnaise is spread on both layers.

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Course: Main Course

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes