I used to be a regular at whatever cafe was in this spot 10 years ago, but Little Bear has only been here for 3 weeks. The place was a little sparse in terms of signage and decor, but being brand-new certainly explains that – cafes tend to develop character with age. For example, Rising Sun Workshop is absolutely oozing with its 6 years of coolness, while Shenkin Espresso‘s relatively recent renovation sadly wiped all its accumulated coolness away. Little Bear’s owner/manager was friendly, but given Little Bear’s lack of aforementioned character and its suburban shopping arcade location, I wasn’t exactly expecting his baristing to be incredibly next level… but it was! The coffee was freaking amazing, with Single O beans packing my small flat white with a big, fruity flavour hit. The banana bread was small and good quality, with a nice, smooth consistency and flavour, nicely toasted. Well, who knew? Some places are all style and no substance, while other places just pop right out of the blue. Little Bear might not have all the trimmings of a top-tier cafe just yet, but as long as it serves coffee like that, it’s definitely one to keep an eye on.
Coffee: 1
BB: 0