“Melbourne is renowned as an Aussie city where coffee lovers can rely on grabbing a first-class brew just about anywhere.”, — write: www.dailymail.co.uk
- READ MORE: Wrestler turned actor John Cena mobbed by fans in Melbourne
By ANTHONY JAMES
Published: 04:40 BST, 25 August 2025 | Updated: 04:42 BST, 25 August 2025
And now Hollywood star John Cena has declared that Victoria’s capital is the ‘best place in the world’ for a flat white.
The 48-year-old wrestler turned actor, who spent time frequenting Melbourne’s cafes while filming Ricky Stanicky in 2023, is a well-known coffee connoisseur.
Melbourne is a ‘coffee-first’ city, the suave performer declared in a video that’s since gone viral on Reddit.
The TikTok clip, originally produced by Bon Appétit magazine, features Cena sampling coffee from the Condé Nast office café in New York City.
‘When it comes to coffee, John Cena is a purist. The actor explains why he judges a coffee shop based on how they make their flat whites,’ the caption read.
An unimpressed Cena says that the coffee presented to him for the test was an ‘American version’ of a flat white.
‘I can tell cause it’s too big and there’s too much milk and the milk’s not steamed,’ he explains.
He continues, ‘The reason I love a flat white is because coffee is a universal language throughout the world. So I will judge a place based on its flat white.’
Cena said he divides cafes into two categories.
‘A lot of places are food first and coffee is an accoutrement,’ he said.
After judging that the Condé Nast cafe is not a ‘coffee-first’ establishment, Cena declared, ‘The best flat whites I’ve had are in Melbourne, Australia; they are coffee-first people.’
Elsewhere in the clip, Cena gave a rundown of the best way to prepare a flat white, explaining that the ideal size would be 170 grams (six ounces), which gives the double-shot of coffee a stronger taste.
The Reddit post, captioned ‘Melbourne coffee getting some kudos’, has racked up more than 4,400 views and 300 comments.
‘This man knows his coffee,’ one user wrote on the thread.
‘All I really know is that my flat whites in America were milky AF even in a small cup,’ added another.
A third user commented, ‘That is top-tier coffee wan**ry. Well done John Cena.’
Cena was often spotted around Melbourne during his downtime while filming Ricky Stanicky with co-stars Zac Efron and Jim Carrey back in February 2023.
The WWE great was seen at local restaurants and cafés, according to the Herald Sun.
‘He came in every single day aside from Thursday. I was one of the main people waitressing him,’ a waiter from Degraves Espresso said.
‘I’ve respected his space and he’s been a very good customer… He’s welcome back anytime.’
She went on to say Cena ‘just walked in’ one day and sat down, revealing that more customers have been showing up to get a glimpse of him.