Enjoy a coffee and get creative in Be-Ras Creatives Arts Café
“Our little cafe is our way of adding to the Docklands community,” Be-Ras Creatives Arts Café owners Rashmi and Brajesh told Docklands News. But this is not only a matter of fresh coffee and bagels …
Nestled in the heart of Docklands next to Victoria Green and the Docklands Community Garden, light shines everywhere through the large windows of this cosy little creative café.
Upon walking in, one thing is immediately recognisable – something that is unlikely to be found in other cafés …
In addition to tables, chairs, plenty of plants and its front counter, the space comprises shelves filled with handmade candles, earrings and other creations like kokedamas – a Japanese form of wrapping a plant in soil, moss and twine to style plants indoors. Everything is handmade by the café’s owners or local artists.
At Be-Ras café, customers can not only grab a coffee and a fresh bagel during their lunch break, but they can also purchase a little handmade present or take a seat and get creative themselves.
“If you just want to come here, sit down and create something, we are more than happy,” Rashmi told Docklands News.
If you, for example, just want to come in with a ball of yarn, sit and make a sweater over here, go for it.
Be-Ras also hosts regular creative workshops open to individuals or for groups of up to seven people. These include classes focused polymer clay necklaces, beads craft and serene terrarium workshops where one can create their own mini plant world.
According to Rashmi and Brajesh, the idea for this unique Docklands cafe occurred when they started dating during the COVID pandemic.
Rashmi came to Australia as a student in 2017 to study a master's degree in architecture and worked as an architect in Melbourne until April 2024.
Brajesh first came to Australia in 2018 and after falling in love with Melbourne and its culture he decided to return in January 2020 and took up a job working in IT.
During COVID, the two got to know each other and fell in love. They soon moved to Docklands in January 2021 and fell in love again. This time, with the suburb.
“We loved Docklands so much, but one thing that you do not have are those tiny little cafes where you can go and just hang out. So, we wanted that kind of vibe in Docklands,” Brajesh said.
“So, we decided to start something of our own. And we were thinking that if you want to create something new, do it here; be part of the community and place, you love,” Rashmi added.
“It [Docklands] shouldn’t be too commercial; instead, it should rather be a more community-oriented place.”
At the time, they said that they were making handmade polymer clay earrings and selling them at different art markets, which was when they first began talking about combining their creative passion with a café.
And after deciding to take the leap and pursue their idea, Rashmi quit her job in May last year and the pair opened their unique café two months later, curating everything from the food to the products themselves.
“We stuck all the stickers, painted the whole place ourselves and we still pick up our bagels fresh from a Jewish bakery everyday – we pour our heart and soul into this place,” Rashmi said.
“It doesn’t matter how expensive your coffee or how good your food is. You need to interact. If you want to run a cafe nicely, talk to people, smile at them, make that connection.”
Be-Ras Creative Arts café is located at shop 6/838, Collins St in Docklands and is open Monday to Friday (7.30am to 4.30pm) and weekends (8am to 2.30pm).

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