The Sound of Vinyl is Back
Amritha Raviprasad reports on a new cafe offering vinyl listening access to customers
Sabi Sounds - Melbourne’s first listening cafe and record lounge - is reshaping cafe culture with unique vinyl and community events at its Hawthorn location, attracting music enthusiasts, fitness lovers and Swinburne university students alike.
Opened in December 2025, the cafe has already cemented itself as a Glenferrie Road hotspot. Customers can enjoy a variety of drinks and pastries, as well as flick through the collection of purchasable records that range from Japanese jazz to The Beatles.
Co-founders Eleena and Michael Tan collect the records and also source more from several nearby record stores, such as Rathdowne Records, to remain in the listening collection.
Their love for vinyl, coffee and community inspired them to open the cafe. “It was our idea for people to have that analogue experience,” Eleena Tan said.
The listening booths inside can be reserved beforehand and allow visitors to collectively enjoy vinyl from the record library, which holds an assortment of genres and artists covering everyone from rising star Olivia Dean to old school rocker Billy Joel. Since its opening, Sabi Sounds has received approximately 2000 booth bookings. “That is a testament to show people are really interested,” said Tan.
A 2025 study conducted by The Victorian Music Development Office (VMDO), crowned Melbourne as the world’s capital of vinyl, with 5.9 record stores per 100,000 residents. However, the VMDO also highlights the issues facing music stores, including reduced customer spending.
Sabi Sounds is able to share the experience of vinyl with wider age demographics and those unable to collect records themselves, while supporting local record stores. Tan added, “It is quite expensive...there are some kids who are super young and don’t actually know how music was made prior to the phone and Spotify.”
The cafe does not only target its services towards vinyl lovers, but also to the community at large. Their ‘Sunday Run Club,’ enables locals to stay active and reward themselves with early morning coffees, all while listening to music. It’s been a success, with 20-30 runners participating regularly.
Sabi Sounds has also collaborated with Swinburne University for the institution’s orientation week and Mental Health Day, where the café’s matcha was served free to students. “It’s just another extension of our community footprint,” Tan said. “A lot of the [Swinburne] staff come here for coffee and they were asking.”
According to Tan, working with Swinburne University and its students has allowed more community members to discover and enjoy their other services. “We love doing that because we get to see more people in the community,” she said.
Their community-first approach has created close relationships with customers, including run club members who have also hosted other events to draw new people to the cafe. “The Sabi concept is a lot about connection; a connection to ourselves and connection to each other. A lot of people talk about community, but we really want to build that community,” Tan said.
Other events include ‘Sketch & Sip’, ‘Sabi Sounds x 911 Porsche Classics’ and ‘Music Trivia Nite’. These provide community members with more opportunities to socialise, develop new skills and have fun. Future plans include expanding the record library and menu, as well as opening another Sabi Sounds in Manila.
Sabi Sounds
Address: 717 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn
Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Sunday (7:30am-5:30pm), Wednesday and Thursday (7:30am-10pm), Friday and Saturday (7:30am-10:30pm).
Booths can be reserved on Sabi Sounds’ official website.
Sabi Sounds official website: https://www.sabisounds.co/
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