Kosmopolitan cafe, Hurstville

Toby’s Estate Coffee. 65A Gloucester Rd, Hurstville. This place – well outside the main shops of Hurstville – has that relaxing lounge room feeling that tends to be absent in the heart of a Westfield. The walls are lined with pictures of various famous places and buildings, enough to provide a talking point for a …

Oregano Bakery, South Hurstville

Caffe di Gabriel. 56 Connells Point Rd, South Hurstville. Doing an excellent job on an upmarket version of Lebanese pizza (the meat pizza is crispy, the Zatar is generously flavoured), their real strength is in the scrolls, where a range of flavours are on display. I try the Tahini scroll, which is a delightful mix …

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 …

aslan coffee, st peters

Aslan Coffee. 1 Council St, St Peters. In a little corner shop next to Camdenville Park in St Peters you’ll see this unassuming space. A little bit of outdoor seating, and some well-branded signage lets pedestrians know they’re in the right spot, but I’ve managed to drive past a couple of times without realising, so …

at all and sundry, Woonona

Golden Cobra Coffee (including the Timothy Dalton decaf). 7/383-387 Princes Hwy, Woonona (down an alley, look for the yellow ramp). I had a conversation with someone I met at a party and found they were opening a cafe south of Sydney, north of Wollongong. A week after their grand opening, and I’m impressed enough to trek …

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 …

Chinchilla Coffee House, Bankstown

Campos Coffee. 392 Chapel Rd, Bankstown. Spotted this place at random out the car window one day, and thought that a place selling Campos coffee in Bankstown had to be worth a look. As you can see from the photo, there’s lots of outdoor seating, but the inside is a comfortable place to sit too. …

Blackflower Patisserie, Haymarket

Pablo and Rusty’s Coffee. Shop 5, 37 Ultimo Rd, Haymarket. From the creators of Passionflower ice cream and dessert bar comes this new cafe on the edge of Chinatown. It’s these macaroni pyramids that draw me in to have a look at the place – the desserts seem inspired by Adriano Zumbo but with their own …

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 …