Cafe Esc

When you work in Docklands you tend to have coffee or lunch as close to your desk as possible, let’s be honest, who on earth wants to brave the icy Antarctic winds to get a coffee that will end up only serving the purpose of warming your frost bitten hands once purchased. However, you can forget how nice it is to visit a café that is within quick sprinting distance of your office doors and yet allows you to feel miles away.
Café Esc manages to do this very well, located at the base of a building of wokaholics it somehow manages to allow you to escape for a moment of blissful freedom in the middle of a hectic working day. You can be sure that the staff will all have a beaming smile and that your every coffee need will be catered to as you sink into the lounge bench and let out a stifled sigh of relaxation and overlook a park while you have your lunch, sheltered from the bitter winds and rain outside.

Great coffee, good steak sanger for lunch — but dodgy connectivity to phone networks — or maybe that was just me. They have wi-​fi but not sure if you can get access.
Like it, will be back, lasagne was the objet of my envy.

Brought to you by the same folks that delivered Melbourne Mr Tulk and Stokehouse, is Esc. Named after the key on a computer keyboard, Esc is a great escape for those who work in the Docklands precinct.
Serving a mean cup of coffee, delicious chai and tea (if you’re so inclined) in some photo-​worthy crockery, it’s a rare find in this part of town. Completing the picture is friendly and reliable service with restaurant-​quality food.
The only bummer? If you work in one of the buildings nearby, there’s a distance of outdoor space you’re going to have to cover. Less than ideal on cold, wintery days.