Dolce espresso, oatley
Schibello coffee. 18 letitia st, oatley. The first thing that strikes you as you enter this indoor/outdoor café is how narrow the building is: so much seating, and a sense of luxury and space is created in a building that is an odd shape. Staff are unintrusive, [...]
Tidz across the park, oatley
Tidz coffee blend. 2/12 oatley pde, oatley. Wooden floor and furnture, seating about 30 between indoors and out. A range of soft drinks, including some organics, are in the fridge, and though I coukdn’t see a menu, there are certainly cakes and gelato.
Coffee is quite [...]
brasserie bread, banksmeadow
Allpress coffee. 1737 botany rd banksmeadow. It’s a long walk past the bread counter, all the way to the espresso bench in this bakery / café. Seating almost 50 in a modern, refurbished warehouse space, there’s a window into the bakery proper where a superb array [...]
Espresso bar, scg
Lavazza coffee. Near the members, pavilion at the scg. This is an espresso cart in an area where there’s no choice where you buy. Condiments - sugar, artificial sweetener, even the chocolate powder for the cappucini - are self-serve.
Coffees are made pretty quickly. There’s only one size [...]
Local café, north sydney
Giancarlo coffee. Cnr walker and mount st, north sydney. Recently refurbished, this place is going after the suits: wineglasses on the table, and a lot of specials on the menu.
Coffee - the decaf is ground to order - is hot, and there’s a lot of air [...]
Giotto art caffe, east sydney
Café de colombia. 78 stanley st, east sydney. Art for sale lines the walls; high-backed couches sit below the picture line, providing a worthy backdrop to the well-dressed eat-in clientele.
The silence is broken only by the sound of orders being placed, and the occasional sound [...]
Mountain harvest café, katoomba
Nirvana coffee. Katoomba st, katoomba. Wooden floors, dark-painted wooden furniture; a sleepy vibe, friendly service, but not rushed. Paintings for sale line the walls, soft music is playing. High ceilings, with standard-issue office panels and air-conditioning vents, yet there’s a sense of space. The scent of [...]
Stir café, balmain
Allpress espresso coffee. 354 darling st, balmain. A green colourbond fence surrounds a paved courtyard with its funky wooden chairs, and black-painted wooden tables.
Staf are friendly, they even come to the table and pour your water for you, with a slice of lemon in the glass: above [...]
Quikfix coffee, sydney domestic terminal 2
Allpress coffee. Fast moving order process here: grind to order, helpful staff. Overlooks the tarmac. Sells food, coffee beans, and snacks.
Coffee is quite good. Hot, but not too hot, just the right texture. A good find as you race to your flight.
Diva coffee and tea house, mirage / gold coast
Merlo coffee. Quite a formal looking place inside, with some undercover outdoor seating that’s a bit more relaxed. Freshly made juice here that’s excellent, an amazing range of chocolates, cakes and pastries.
The decaf espresso was a bit of a disaster: flat, [...]
Artemis coffee, marina mirage growers’ markets, gold coast
Artemis coffee. Just a stall at the markets, but they’re selling beans that were roasted in brisbane the day before, and they’re serious enough to have a separate grinder for decaf.
Coffee - a decaf latte and a decaf short black - good, [...]
Trio’s harbourside café, kirribilli
Belaroma coffee. Shop 4, 12 fitzroy st, kirribilli. On the east side of the harbour bridge, and indeed with water views from some tables, this indoor : outdoor café is fairly quiet on this friday afternoon. A solid range of menu offerings: breakfast, lunch, even some [...]
Santos coffee, wholefooods, sydney domestic terminal (T2)
Santos coffee. Part of the hyper-retail-ising of sydney airport is this little healthfood outlet near baggage collection. Lots of healthy options, and even a range of sandwiches that they’ll toast as you wait for your bags.
Coffee is quite good. Ready in a hurry,and [...]
Biggles airport lounge, coffs harbour
Vittoria coffee. Typical of the use of space in a regional terminal, this place sells wine and spirits, newspapers, magazines, cards and souvenirs. There’s a food court area where customers and travellers alike can eat, and there’s even limited table service.
Coffee is delivered promptly: it [...]
Urban espresso lounge, coffs harbour
Rio coffee. The red furniture calls out from the street, hinting that the place shows promise. A narrow range of well-executed menu options. Breakfast is served until 11:30. Seating outside is shielded from the sun by umbrellas.
The coffee is fresh, with a thick milk, and [...]
Two good eggs, surry hills
Campos coffee. 2/148 goulburn st, Surry Hills (enter via Brisbane St). I read about this place in delicious magazine, and had to check it out. The food looks extraordinarily good, and with its open plan kitchen, you can see everything being made as you wait [...]
Toby’s estate, woolloomoolloo
Toby’s estate coffee. 129 Cathedral st, Woolloomoolloo. This was the café where toby himself sold me my current coffee machine, many years ago. It’s also the place where I took a couple of espresso courses - I’ve even used their machine when learning how to make an [...]
Le monde café, surry hills
Allpress coffee. 83 foveaux st, surry hills. Cheerful french style accordion music is regularly drowned out by the sound of beans being ground, and coffee being made.
The aesthetic is dark wood, even lining the walls up to the high ceilings, and though the lighting is [...]
Downing centre café, sydney
Caffe di stefano organic coffee. Corner elizabeth and liverpool sts, sydney. Near the courts, lots of glass bricks., soft music. Has the sense of a waiting room: people either drop in, and immediately depart, or stay, with no clear aim in mind.
Coffee is not great; there’s [...]
Grumpy baker, waverton
Allpress coffee. A combination of bakery, gourmet food shop and café, this friendly place even has a space in the back for kids to play.
The music - classic hits - is a little loud for ambience, but it distracts nicely from the sound of traffic. Wide range [...]