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, […]
Three Beans, Broadway
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 […]
Little Legends, Manly
While looks can sometimes be deceiving, in the case of Little Legends, all signs, from the street art to the mustachioed barista, point to a great coffee. With beans from intriguing boutique roastery, Lot61, my flat white delivers everything it’s supposed to and then some. Their regular size is smaller than most places, which makes for a perfect milk ratio, […]
AP Town, Newtown ⭐
I discovered this little gem by accident, while taking an alternative route to my favourite park. It was like coming up on an oasis: “Ooooh laneway coffee!” Newtown laneways have a whole vibe of their own, and AP Town looks like it’s belonged perfectly nestled right here since the very beginning. How long has it actually been here? These are […]
Klub Satellite, Newtown ⭐
I’m barely inside the front door and I’m already impressed. Satellite is decked out just like my dream house: pink and black with skulls, indoor plants and an interior decorating theme that lies somewhere between rave and kitsch. They have a watermelon umbrella out the front which is so cool I’m going online right now and buying one just like […]
Quarry St Cafe, Ultimo
Well “that place next door I should’ve gone” didn’t turn out to be as good as it looked. The stuff in the cabinet looked a bit more special than your usual cafe fare (I think I remember a katsu burger or something) but it didn’t look especially fresh or appetizing. So, just like its average neighbour, I didn’t hold especially […]
B’n’G, Ultimo
Buy ‘N’ Large 🎵 Sorry, I can’t help but think of Wall-E. And as I approached this little corner cafe, my mind must’ve been elsewhere or I would’ve stopped into the place next door instead. The stuff in the glass cabinet did not look fantastic, and despite its sunny location and nice urban wall art, the cafe itself didn’t look […]