Single origin coffee. 13/330 King St, Newtown (near the train station). A range of different furniture options: gives a comfortable feel, like a lounge room away from home.

Very pleasant, well made decaf latte: the milk looks thin coming out of the jug, but the texture is fine. And they have a decaf grinder!

Well worth revisiting; perhaps to try the ample food menu.

Single Origin coffee. 191 Missenden Rd, Newtown. Some skylights have been cut in the non-street-facing roof of this place. With the high ceilings, there’s a great sense of space. A big chalkboard in one corner tells the story of the high-ish prices – they’re clearly not after the student market.

If anything, there’s a sense that they are looking for is to capture the essence of an eastern suburbs bakery, and locate it just of the main street of Newtown. And they have succeeded: the decor and the food presentation are really top notch.

The staff are really friendly, confirming the details of the coffee orders before making them. On the downside, the coffee does take a long time to come together.

There’s a separate decaf grinder, which is great to see. As you would expect for a place next door to Campos, the coffee is really good. A little sweet, some notes of cocoa. It’s a pleasure to drink.

I haven’t tried the bread, or the other baked goods, but this place appears well worth a revisit.

Little marionette coffee. 277 Australia St, Newtown. I was first told about this place on twitter: they were recommended as “even better than Adriano Zumbo, but without the post-Masterchef queues”. Naturally, I added it to my to-visit list. Both times I’ve been here it’s been close to closing time, though during its main opening hours the place is generally quite crowded, with some stools out the front for the overflow.

The coffee is variable between good and excellent, depending on who is making it. They even have a decaf grinder, which is great news for me at least. There’s a complexity to the flavour that is too often lacking in decaf, and the milkwork is good too.

Where this place really shines, though, is in its pastries / desserts: they have really creative, gorgeous looking items that taste amazing. If you’re a dessert buff, you owe it to yourself to check this place out.

Caffe Migliore coffee. 233 King St, Newtown. It’s perhaps unfair to call this place a cafe: first and foremost their specialty is Lebanese cuisine, and at the time of review I was only there to grab a late-evening decaf.

The decaf coffee here (there’s no decaf grinder) was a little weak: more like a glass of milk than a cup of coffee, but certainly pleasant enough as the coda to a meal.

Jack and the Bean coffee. 187 Wilson St, Newtown NSW 2042. I’ve driven past this cafe any number of times over the years – Wilson St is a little-known shortcut to bypass much of Newtown’s slow arterial rd – King St. Finally I manage to call in: there’s the usual Saturday morning crowd out for a coffee, or to catch up on some uni work: the tables are close together, and to get a takeaway coffee, it’s necessary to zig-zag up to the counter.

The decaf is pre-ground, sadly, but still has a pleasant flavour: it looks like a place worth multiple visits to sample the menu. I’ll be back!

Update (thanks /karen/): Hours: Mon: 7am-3pm, Tues-Fri 6:30am-4pm; Sat & Sun: 8:30am-4pm. Kitchen closes at 3pm every day.

Coffee roaster coffee. Corner of brown and Wilson streets, Newtown. Muted red walls and the feel of a converted laundromat, this place is a great spot to while away a Saturday afternoon, listening to an old Beatles LP on the old stereo in the corner.

The menu has some great ideas: the yoghurt with fresh strawberries, vanilla syrup, macadamias and mint leaves on the all-day breakfast weighs in at $9, and is a great combination of flavours.

Coffee – again, a decaf latte, is perfectly drinkable, and well enough made: there’s no latte art, but that’s he down-to-earth nature of the place.

Pastizzi café, newtown

Numero uno coffee. 523 King St, Newtown. Wooden furniture, lots of natural light, and an impressively friendly owner combine to make a place that’s a pleasure to visit. Specializing in pastizzi, this café usually has options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Coffee is good too: separate grinder for decaf, and a good temeprature, well made latte with a well rounded palate.

Update (20-07-2009): Closed Mondays

Golden cobra coffee. Shop 8, 130 Carillion Ave, Newtown. A range of seating options, from “top gear” inspired bench seats, to a mid-size commual table, and a range of outdoor tables. A range of polite, well-groomed locals spend time here savouring a coffee and a read of the communal newspapers, while uni students gather together at other tables for a gossip session.

Food here is excellent, and generous serving sizes abound. The poached eggs are reputed as the best in newtown, and I look forward to a return visit to test that theory.

Coffee – roasted in Mascot – is really good. A very large flat white showcases the excellent milk work and free-pour latte art, while a double-ristretto-picollo gives the bean itself a welcome showing. Its campos heritage is apparent, but it’s a smooth, never bitter drop with a long-lingering aftertaste.

As a destination for writers, it’s easy to imagine yourself in a corner here, working away furiously for a while: the place seems big enough to allow someone some space for a while without feeling forced to leave.

Cordial Cafe

Schibello coffee. 475 king st. With no discernable signage, this caught my eye – a place I’d never seen before. This place seems to be the master of the fry up; i’ve never seen lambs fry on offer as part of a breakfast special! For the less adventurous, all the usual bacon, sausages and eggs are also on offer.

Coffee takes a while, then arrives in a schibello glass, with a foamy head. As decafs go, it’s okay, but not spectacular.

The strength of this place appears to be its freshly made food, and a breezy place to sit and watch the world go by.

Succulent café, newtown

Barista coffee. 534 King St, Newtown. Massive portions, a wide range of menu items. Staff are friendly – all goths, this visit. Water is brought out without having to request it. A good place for a quiet breakfast.

Coffee: unreviewed. The decaf was good, though: they know how to make a good latte. Free macaroon with coffee.


Update: they’ve closed, and rebranded.