Well this place has really upscaled! Eighty Ate was my go-to back in high school, and it was always very good, but in homestyle kind of way, with big, tin-cupped thickshakes and plenty of good takeaway options. But over the years, Eighty Ate has really developed into a high-quality establishment and is an all-round performer in the Sydney cafe scene. […]
Eighty Ate, North Sydney
Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Cafe, Camperdown
So, one doesn’t normally come to a cancer treatment centre for a takeaway coffee and banana bread. And no, I don’t have cancer, nor am I visiting anyone who does, but I do live pretty close to the RPAH and don’t always have time to take a long detour via Store (although I’ve gone out of my way plenty of […]
The Source, Mosman ⭐
The Source is real OG. There’s a super cool vintage-looking roaster sitting in the front window that’s actually covered in bean husks and somehow looks like it gets regular use. There were two perfect books sitting on the table where I was waiting: a colourful kids’ book, “Trucks and Diggers”, and “Speciality Coffee in Sydney”, which was almost like a […]
Garden Lounge, Newtown
This place reminds me so much of Black Books. Part bookstore, part art gallery and part Vinnies, I’m pretty sure the shop is the owner’s loungeroom, the cafe is his kitchenette and his stuff is for sale simply because there’s a lot of it and the front door happens to open onto the eclectic vintage retail stretch of south King […]
Muffin Break, DFO Homebush
I’ve reviewed a couple of chain stores, and I don’t like going to them unless there’s no other option. At DFO Homebush, there is no other option, and I should’ve just had nothing because this was beyond a doubt one of the worst BBs I’ve ever had. They took forever to bring it out and forgot to toast it. You […]
Matty & John’s, Camperdown
A literal hole in the wall adjoining an office foyer, Matty & John’s is a good quality solution for busy people is always bustling with a line of customers. Fantastic unprocessed cable reel tables lined up on the sidewalk with some funky black modular seating made the toddler want to stay and explore the tables and chairs with his toy […]
Cocoa & Coffee, Annandale
I’ve been to many cafes that have resembled loungerooms in some way: Dirty Red’s bustling urban-chic terrace, Shots’ strangely over-personal little quirks, the Garden Lounge’s “hoarder” vibe, but Cocoa & Coffee is the most like home I’ve ever felt in a cafe. Apart from the counter in the front room, it’s a very normal-looking, rambling inner west terrace, cluttered with […]
Pizza Piatsa, Erskineville
Pizza Piatsa is the oddly conjoined twin of the Sip Inn on Erskineville Rd. It’s essentially a takeaway pizza place with a coffee machine right next to Sip Inn’s front door, so I wasn’t exactly expecting a top-notch cafe experience. Accordingly, the coffee was a little bit worse than “meh”, so the banana bread really caught me off guard. What […]
Son of a Baker, Bondi Westfield
Son of a Baker isn’t really a cafe, but a cute little floating kiosk just outside the Woolworths. It’s a very convenient place to stop if you’ve just done your grocery shop and want to grab some real bakery items to take home. The coffee wasn’t bad, with a decent enough flavour, and the banana bread also tasted good but […]
Grumpy Donuts, Camperdown
If you’re looking for some seriously sweet comfort food, look no further than Grumpy Donuts, a hole-in-the-wall that’s oozing with custard and cool. Their donuts are both thicc and phat, with an incredible range of special flavours on cycle and there’s always something new and experimental to keep things interesting. The Grumpy crew take their coffee seriously too, thanks to […]