Stars Are Out for Common Galaxia
Nothing is supposed to travel faster than the speed of light except for perhaps cafe gossip in the close-knit community of Seddon. The word on the street is that the rise of “Common Galaxia” is a shooting star that takes you away into a futuristic world. With a prominent coffee fix and menu reflecting the changing seasons, this is a cool Western Suburbs cafe. Sited at 4/130 Victoria Street, this carefully considered space harks back to the Bauhaus era with the minimalistic interior drawing on Swedish and Japanese architectural influences. In 2013, this popular spot won an award in The Hospitality Design Awards, which noted, “The aesthetics genesis can be found in the name, Common, a love of good food and coffee, Galaxia a nod to the future.”
Music hums in the background but due to the careful construction of the building, it echoes softly without interrupting peace when speaking with the owners, Paul Fox and wife, Julie Stephens. Paul and his daughter, Samantha run the cafe. “I absolutely love the relaxed ambience but it’s the discerning features that cafe-goers seek which are the assets. We are noted for our coffee, which is the award-winning Seven Seeds house blend originating from Guatamala, Colombia and Ethiopia, which changes regularly as well as single origin beans. It’s what we’re noted for,” said Julie.
As Seddon grows trendier, the menu is regularly enhanced as Paul together with Sam work with the Head Chef in a hands-on manner. “The most popular dish is our mushroom and asparagus dish, which received a write up by The Age. The eggs benedict is also a winner. Paul also has an extensive background in hospitality, previously owning Cafe Soho in Malvern and also the Bluestone Hotel in Yarraville as well as several other hotels,” explained Julie.
An important flavour of the cafe is the catchy name “Common Galaxia” which was created by the previous owners. It derives from a hardy little fish that lives in the nearby Maribyrnong River. A silvery and fantailed fish found in half the rivers of the world, the Common Galaxia as a singular fish that lives for a year but as a species outlasts everything built around them. In a comparative sense to the everlasting species, we are expecting this place to stick around for a while. Those who want to disappear into a sleek cosmic arena, gaze up to “Common Galaxia.”
