Le Parisien is not the picturesque image of quaint, countryside France they think it is. The decor is old and tired. There’s lace where it doesn’t belong. The baked goods in the glass counter look like sad little French cliches. The serviette dispensers all have a strip of bright contact covering them in pink-trimmed pictures of cakes. They do bake […]
Le Parisien, Killarney Heights
The Coop, Bronte
From the moment you walk through the door, Coop is a delight to behold. It starts with a huge, open beachfront view, then there’s art on the walls, dried bunches of “wild botanicals”, a book entitled “Rock Pools of Sydney”, dogs, bikinis, vibrant juices and a bookshelf lined with colourful natural wines and an assortment of craft beers. Even the […]
Simple Simon’s, Balmoral Beach
This is the best average gets. The coffee was pretty average tasting, but the milk was done well, and it was served nice and hot in a beautiful Gillie & Marc takeaway cup. The banana bread was your usual Mama Kaz (a little generic and plain, flavour wise) but it was nice and fresh, stored properly, toasted properly and served […]
Cafe 2151, EQ Moore Park
I don’t have much to say here, because I wasn’t impressed in the slightest. I like the EQ. I like the general quality of the chain stores here, like Black Star Pastry, The Bavarian and El Camino. So when I came out of the carpark and went to the first cafe I found, I kinda expected it to be on […]
Flower Child, Chatswood
It’s been a while since I’ve really scoped out the Chatswood coffee scene, but I’m always surprised at how few good cafes there are to choose from. I’ve been to Flower Child a few times, expecting excellent looking and tasting fare, and it delivers, but just barely. My coffee was good, but not mind-blowing. My mushroom toast was also good, […]
Celsius Coffee Co., Kirribilli ⭐
Where the hell did this place come from? In the tiny little shed which is Kirribilli Wharf, Celsius has managed to fill every square inch with seriously upscale cafe. My breakfast was their signature “Smoked Salmon by the Wharf”, a decadent benedict-style dish: smoked salmon and a perfectly poached egg on fantastically soft sourdough with salmon roe that just popped […]
Eighty Ate, North Sydney
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]