Chippendale – cafedave.net

Marlo Bar, Chippendale

Campos Coffee. 79 Regent St, Chippendale. This place is a re-invention of “The Angry Fix” – the wifi network still bears that name. Look inside, and a lot has changed. There’s less seating, but a larger kitchen area, and the menu has expanded accordingly.

A welcome addition is a decaf grinder, and their decaf is quite good. The highlight beverage for me, though, is the Nutella hot chocolate (you can see the giant jar of Nutella above the coffee machine) – it’s an excellent blend of flavours, and bodes well for future visits.

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something for jess, chippendale

Five Senses coffee. 27 Abercrombie St, Chippendale. A coworker put me onto this place – I think I’d walked past and not noticed it at all (there’s not much of a street presence), but it’s worth seeking out.

The cafe is filled with furniture sourced from the surrounding area – there’s lots of furniture to be reclaimed, and just need a bit of work to bring them up to a usable standard.

The menus are on chalkboards around the place – lots of colour, and an elegant handwriting style. The menu varies based on what kind of produce is available – there’s an emphasis on sustainability.

There’s plenty of natural light coming in through the windows: a selection of music washes across the space, drowning out the noise of the traffic, but not overwhelming: it’s easy to have a conversation here if you need to. For me, it’s a place to get some work done, away from distractions, but there’s wifi available if you want it.

Their decaf is really good. Made with a lot of care in the relatively small kitchen. Also worth a try is their chai – it’s one made in the Blue Mountains called Sticky Chai.

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silver spoon, chippendale

Toby’s Estate Coffee. 15 Meagher St, Chippendale. I’ve walked past this place any number of times and in the past I think it’s been a catering-only business. More recently I’d noticed the Toby’s sign, and a small number of seats, and thought I’d have a closer look.

Inside, it’s a great use of space, small footprint tables and chairs to allow for quite a few people to sit inside without disturbing one another.

Coffee – a decaf latte – was really pleasant: unusually, the flavour of the coffee cut through the milk. I’d revisit them.

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Website: silverspoon.net.au

the house specialty coffee, chippendale

House coffee. 9 Knox St, Chippendale. A friend at work mentioned this blink-and-you’ll-miss it corner cafe, in the streets of Chippendale. Step inside and you’ll find yourself remarkably tall compared to the two staff!

This is because of the odd layout of the space: there are a number of steps down from street level to where the coffee machine and tiny kitchen are sitting. The guys working the machine used to roast over at little marionette, but are now running this space, and using their own blend, still roasted over at annandale.

The coffee is really good: I can’t help but have a second freshly ground decaf on my way out the door. Worth a look.

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Benitos’ Cafe, Chippendale

cafe benito, chippendale

Campos Coffee. 112-116 Broadway, Chippendale. In what was a car detailing place there’s now a cafe, and a new co-op bookshop. There’s a wide choice of sweets and pastries, and a choice of indoor or outdoor seating.

Coffee is well-made – yet another Campos venue that’s churning out good work.

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The Little Queen cafe, Chippendale

Allpress coffee. 28-30 Queen St, Chippendale. With windows at street level, it’s down a few stairs to the main space, which seats about 20.

Fresh flowers on the communal table separate out the space a little, and underneath there are a wide range of magazines and newspapers to wade through.

Most of the space has dark walls, with an almost Campos-green feature colour throughout, and then there’s this corner:

Spectacular colours, and Union Jack cushion covers bring home the “Queen” theme (if you look closely near the cash register, you can see a little statue of the Queen).

They manage to do a lot in the small space – there’s a freshly made salad of the day on offer, and some of the biggest sandwiches I’ve ever seen in a cafe ($9, unreviewed).

I heard about this place via the brasserie bread blog, and thought I should check it out.

Coffee is pleasant; pre-ground, but still a hint of sweetness.

Water is self-serve.

Update 24-11-10: They also have a little queen cafe facebook page with a daily update of their salad, and muffin of the day (thanks mei.

Loading Dock Cafe, Chippendale

Hernandez coffee. O’connor st, near abercrombie st. Literally situated in the loading dock of a furniture place, this is the most creative
use of space I’ve seen in a long while.

Clear spoken staff, up for a chat. Early days, so the decaf is admittedly lacklustre, but the caffeinated coffee is ground to order, is rich and nutty with great milkwork.

The kitchen is up above the coffee machine, and a range of colourful locals ebb and flow past, giving a people watcher plenty to do.

Food serving portions are incredibly large, as you can see from this hamburger!

Update (July 30) – I had this in the wrong suburb! Sorry for any confusion.

The Leafy cafe, Chippendale

Vittoria coffee. Shop 2, 12-26 Regent St, Chippendale. Despite an unimpressive exterior, the inside of this place is really pleasant. Complimentary newspaper to read while you’re there, cheery furniture and smiling staff.

The coffee is served a little too hot for my liking, but when it cools, it’s a reasonable decaf latte.

I’d say the main strength of this cafe is as an eat-in space.

Cafe Giulia, Chippendale

Coffee Roaster Coffee. 92 Abercrombie St, Chippendale. Don’t be fooled by the relatively small street frontage – this cafe is one of the larger ones in the area. One of the largest blackboard menus I’ve seen in a cafe, filled with details and enthusiasm for the variety of dishes on offer. It’s a little pricey, but consistently crowded, so they must have found the right price point for their area.

Coffee is quite good: I took the increasingly rare opportunity to sit in and drink the coffee: their decaf is straightforward and easy drinking.

Worth a look for the menu, the art adorning the walls, and to be a part of something of its sheer size.

Website: cafegiulia.com

Bar Mattino, Chippendale

Vittoria coffee. 96 Abercrombie St, Chippendale. Busy at lunchtime with a mix of suits and designers, this place has a bustling kitchen, and borderline restaurant menu, with prices to match. Even the takeaway menu is on the expensive side.

I’m here toward the end of the lunchtime rush, and the coffee seems slow on its way out; in face, it was being held back to go with my toasted sandwich (a Reuben – delicious!) and was the usual sweet, smooth latte I’ve lately come to expect from Vittoria decaf.