Di Lorenzo coffee. 64 Mountain St, Ultimo (in quadrant). A small amount of seating outside, and then inside there’s some space to choose pastries, and watch them creating in the back of the store. There’s a great range of pastries. The decaf is pre-ground but very pleasant, and the barista is chatty: he seems to …
Category Archives: cafes
Cafe Q, Ultimo
Espresso Di manfredi coffee. 68 Mountain St (in the quadrant), Ultimo. Sit outside in the sun, or inside, listening to some old French music being piped in and enjoying the sport on TV. With its prices, mains mostly above $12, it is trying to attract the more – well-to-do from the surrounding units and offices. …
Pablo and Rusty’s, Gordon
Pablo and Rusty’s coffee. 1/1 St John’s Ave, Gordon. Just a hop, skip and a jump away from Gordon train station. A miniature art gallery of a space: it’s a relaxed, creative space – interesting people gather around – one patron seems to be carrying a whole Apple store with him – iPhone, iPad, MacBook. …
Vanilla Bean and Lime Cafe, Padstow
Karmee coffee. 61 Howard Rd, Padstow. A small number of people can sit outside, but the majority of seating is inside, where the green and black theme is continued to good effect. There’s an elaborate breakfast menu, including a breakfast parfait (muesli, fruit salad, yoghurt) served in a milkshake glass. They are also working hard …
Cafe 10, Ultimo
Fix coffee. 235 jones St, Ultimo. The 10 here is a reference to UTS building 10: this on-campus outlet has recently had a change of management and a refit, creating a pleasant, well-lit space with a consistent hum of conversations and rattling plates. There’s a selection of pre-made sandwiches, fruit and snacks on sale, and …
Coffee Box, Jannali
Campos coffee. 72 Railway Cres, Jannali. On one wall, there’s a cushioned sofa and a low coffee tables for those who don’t need a traditional height table to work at (or eat at). There was a fire across the road a few months back, so they’re currently hosting the neighbouring chicken shop’s sandwich bar. At …
Bar Tosca, Surry Hills
Vittoria coffee. 300 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills. In the plaza next to the old RTA building. It has a mix of indoor and outdoor seating for about 50 people. Inside, there’s a sandwich bar and a range of pastries sweet and savoury. On duty is a chatty, engaging barista who knows his customers by name …
True Religion espresso bar, Balmain
Own blend of coffee, Tease teas. 2/415 Darling St, Balmain. It’s a friendly, cosy space: in one corner there’s a chess and backgammon board – the very definition of asking your customers to stay for a long while. The decor is cheery – there are coffee sacks on the walls. It was here that Puff …
Presse Cafe, Sydney
Presse coffee, teadrop tea. 50 Pitt St, Sydney CBD. There’s a flurry of activity at the $2 toast station – two staff are flat out filling the pre-work orders. The cafe has an arcade style layout – you can walk through the building lobby from Pitt St to Elizabeth St. As I walk in, what …
20 Subway Snacks, Sydney Central station
Lavazza coffee. Devonshire St tunnel exit of Sydney Central station. This is the kind of place that I normal move straight past on my way to wherever else I have to be. Likewise, I’ve had so few positive experiences with Lavazza coffee that I haven’t reviewed a place that sells it for quite a while. …