Having recently concluded my tour of North King St with Cafe Newtown, today I started the southbound journey – the side of King St with which I am far less familiar. And so, I approached the fork in the road excitedly wondering what the first cafe would be. My face fell: it was a Bourke Street Bakery on the entrance […]
Bourke Street Bakery, Newtown
Cafe Newtown
First, I’ve just gotta say that this is hands-down by-far the cheapest coffee and banana bread combo I’ve ever seen: $6. It’s 2023. I couldn’t get coffee and BB this cheap 15 years ago. I don’t know how they do it – not only must they have cheap suppliers, they must have incredibly good deals with cheap suppliers. None of […]
Hoochie Mama, Newtown
I used to come here fairly often when my kiddo was in primary school, but they’d always be closing up if we tried to grab a post-school shake. This morning, the service was the second worst I’d ever received. I was waiting at the counter trying to make eye contact for at least an awkward minute while various staff members […]
Soul Brew, Newtown
Soul Brew have carved out a pretty good thing for themselves down their end of the iconic Australia St. Literally surrounded by multiple (better) places for coffee and food (Black Star Pastry, Tokyo Lamington, 212 Blu), one is kinda left wondering what Soul Brew has to offer. For a start, on New Year’s Day, it was the only place open, […]
Blacktoast, Annandale
Mmmm, these guys sometimes do a pumpkin bread. It’s sweet, a little zesty and nicely spiced. Blacktoast has a fantastic food menu and a beautiful seating area with full-length windows and a nice view (somehow, in suburban Annandale). But Blacktoast seemed to go through some sort of shift recently. The menu changed a little (for the worse), but only slightly, […]
Three Beans, Broadway
Generally, I want to steer away from reviewing chain cafes. You don’t review McDonald’s alongside restaurants. My experience at Three Beans Broadway, however, was so uniquely terrible that I figured it warranted a mention. Usually you get the best service when you’re served by the owner/manager, but not in this case. She took my order without even a verbal acknowledgement, […]
Cuckoo Callay, Newtown (permanently closed)
I went to the Cuckoo Callay at Newtown station earlier this year and was unimpressed by their stale, crumbly “banana bread”, with a floury taste and too many uncooked oats on top, served as a muffin. I was both disappointed and very surprised by their equally terrible coffee. A stale muffin is certainly not a good sign, but it can […]
The Boathouse, Balmoral Beach
I like to come here for a casual seafood lunch. So what am I doing here for coffee and BB? When babies and beach, then Boathouse, I guess. The bloody seagulls are ruthless, literally swooping at me to try and grab the BB out of my hand, and succeeding in getting a piece away from the toddler. Boathouse’s BB is […]
Cinque, Newtown
This is the cafe at Newtown’s Dendy Cinema. It’s been here forever, and has a very iconic Newtown vibe, but it has never really been what I would consider “good”. It has a decent enough menu, but when your food arrives, it kinda feels like it’s hitting a bit of a flat note. Everything entices, but nothing pops. Their coffee […]
Mind the Cup, Newtown
The cute name makes this little train station kiosk sound like a real cafe, but I was expecting station-grade fare and that’s pretty much what I got. At only $7.50, I thought they’d undercharged me! I guess it’s hard to be disappointed when that’s all you’ve paid. The coffee certainly wasn’t good, but it also wasn’t offensive – it met […]