Shepherd’s is surprisingly quaint, given its high-traffic shopping mall location. It’s more like a takeaway bakery with an espresso machine rather than a proper cafe, but Shepherd’s does what it does pretty well. They have a wide range of rustic-style baked stuff, and although pretty much everything must be baked off-site, the food still manages to carry a home-baked kind […]
Shepherd’s Artisan Bakehouse, Broadway
Merchants of Ultimo, Broadway
Hands down, this is the best place to get your coffee and BB in Broadway. Merchants of Ultimo is a cute little indoor imitation piazza with a few different kids of authentic Italian fare available around a central seating area. The vendor at the front with all the crowd-attracting eye candy is a baker with a windowful of beautifully decorated […]
The Sip Inn, Erskineville
This place is very recognisable – you would’ve driven past it a thousand times and seen its huge, outdoor courtyard right in the middle of the Erko shopping stretch. A beautiful, shady spot to sit and soak in the ambience, for sure, but as I drew closer to the cafe, I noticed that the only people doing so were “elderly”. […]
Double Barrel Coffee & Foodhouse, Newtown
I had a fantastic breakfast experience here a couple of years ago. The menu was excellent and my brunch was so delicious I wanted to come back and try other menu items. But most of all, the guy running the place was really passionate about his coffee. I’m always impressed when a cafe has a dedicated coffee menu, and I […]
Brewtown, Newtown
I have a love/hate relationship with Brewtown Love: The gorgeous vintage-style decor and post-industrial converted warehouse location. The menu and its skilfully executed simple yet stylish fare. Its authenticity as a quality Newtown cafe, neither bought out nor sold out. Hate: The service – slow and careless with a terse air of arrogance. The last two times I dined in, […]
Picnic, Burwood Park
One day, I found myself in Burwood. I actually lived in Burwood for a little while, back in the day, and my go-to back then was the iconic, family-run ‘Cafe Bello’ in its high-exposure Westfield corner on Burwood Rd. It was there last time I checked, but now it’s a Starbucks. C’est la vie. There was no way I was […]
Cordial, Newtown
Cordial is the closest cafe to my house, and I never go there. There’s a reason for this. The friendly, family-style service is great, that’s not it. And it’s not the decent range of humble breakfast products on the menu – I like being able to get a toastie on thick, pillowy white bread rather than a sprouted rye every […]
Store Espresso, Camperdown ⭐
Store Espresso is the real deal – an authentic example of well-executed local cafe culture. Store has a wide-ranging menu, is very accommodating to individual requests and delivers very personalised service. The owner is a bit of a character and a recognised local who really understands his targeted audience and knows how to work Store’s fantastic parkside location, with its […]
Gather on the Green, Camperdown
This was my old local. I lived directly across the road, so I started getting my coffee here every morning, but it was really not great. A bit over-extracted, a bit watery, in Campos cups but it didn’t taste like Campos to me. Gather is a prime example of a cafe that has been bought, rather than started, in the […]
Shenkin Espresso Bar, Newtown ⭐
First up, my local, my go-to, my good ol’ reliable, right-in-the-middle-of-everything purveyor of consistent coffee and BB *drumroll*… Shenkin Espresso Bar. Not to be confused with the original Shenkin on Erskineville Rd, and certainly not to be confused with the puzzling string of Shenkin Kitchens all over the place (of which Enmore, I think, is the only one left), Shenkin […]