How did our morning caffeine hit end up so serious? Baristas have turned into coffee Nazis, so you can’t have soy or skim milk or anything outside their narrow view of what constitutes the perfect espresso.
Meanwhile, the Third Wave coffee movement, which treats coffee as an artisanal product rather than the bulk commodity it’s mostly traded as, has led to renewed interest in filter and siphon coffees, with the flavours being considered like fine wines.
Now the coffee equivalent of train spotters are out in force, hunting down kopi luwak, the world’s most expensive coffee (gleaned from civet droppings), Cup of Excellence beans, Jamaican Blue Mountains and Ethiopian yirgacheffe. The blends from a growing number of small roasters are still there, but single origin coffees are the new short black.
And because they’re closely related when it comes to a reviving brew, this year we’ve combined coffee and tea in the one category.
Allpress Espresso
Alexandria’s industrial estate workers are already familiar with the quality coffee at Allpress, hence the constant buzz and ever-full dining area next to the 15-person deep takeaway line. For a change, try the latest Colombian coffee, La Piramide, which promises ‘sweet fruit flavours and a mild milk chocolate finish’. For breakfast, try their house specialty, ‘green goddess’, a combination of poached egg, spinach, herbs, pesto and mayonnaise that’s also available on one of the luscious house-made sandwiches. Allpress is always busy, so if you go for a meal, prepare to wait. While it’s perfect for the working week takeaway morning coffee, it is a bit busy for a slow, romantic weekend breakfast.
ZETLAND
58 Epsom Road • 9662 8288
Mon–Fri 7am–3pm; Sat 8am–2pm
Map INNER SOUTH
Cafe Hernandez
You don’t just go to this bona fide Sydney institution for the coffee, you go for the whole experience. Opened by Spaniard Joaquin Hernandez in 1972, the doors have never closed; in fact, they can’t – there’s no lock. Now run by Joaquin’s son Keno, with his dad watching on in retirement, the cafe is staffed by a posse of young waiters, who slip behind the coffee counter to pour bags of beans when required. Regulars swear by the Hernandez blends, which include Royal Kenya, Colombia, New Guinea and Cronulla. Check out the bean roaster – it’s a heritage item. Also at: 1 Burton Street, Darlinghurst, 9380 9006; 1 Arundel Street, Glebe, 9552 1167.
POTTS POINT
60 Kings Cross Road • 9331 2343
Daily 24 hours
Map INNER EAST
Caffe Bianchi
For more than 50 years Caffe Bianchi has been the mainstay of coffee knowledge in Leichhardt, the home of Sydney coffee, set in a sprawling shop in the suburb’s Marketplace mall. It’s recently moved to a new abode, but the new shop should still be the first stop for anyone in the market for a new machine. Some of the coffee-making paraphernalia is high tech, but there is always someone on hand to assist with the various steaming, pouring, brewing contraptions. This is Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, but with coffee. All the same produce remains, including a range of beans and grinders for the wannabe insomniac. Visit the website to buy online.
LEICHHARDT
180 Marion Street • 9569 1671
Mon–Fri 9am–5.30pm; Sat 8.30–4pm
Map INNER WEST
The Coffee Emporium
It’s 20 years since John Ayoub created Nonno, his house coffee blend, and nearly a decade since he bought his first Bankstown cafe. Now the Emporium is an empire, with shops in Bankstown, Parramatta, Bondi Junction and seven more scattered across western Sydney. If you want to set yourself up at home, this is the place to do your research, with its array of serious home espresso machines, grinders, Bialetti stovetops, plungers and accessories, along with the 30-odd bean blends, including organic and decaf versions. Of course it’s also a cafe, so you can enjoy some thinking time on the lounge with a Greek pastry.
BANKSTOWN
Shop T231, Bankstown Centro, cnr North
Terrace & Lady Cutler Avenue • 9709 6560
Mon–Wed & Fri 7am–5.30pm; Thurs
7am–9pm; Sat 7am–5pm; Sun 8am–4pm
Campos Coffee
At Campos, it is all about the coffee. It’s been that way since Will Young started his venture in a Newtown back lane in 2002 and since then his empire has burgeoned (he supplies coffee Sydney-wide and has opened in Brisbane too). This tiny flagship espresso bar is constantly jam-packed. If you want a seat you need to negotiate carefully through the throngs waiting for takeaways to a few high tables at the back. The baristas work at a giddy pace; legend has it they can push out 200 coffees an hour. Try the Obama Blend, featuring beans from the Americas and Africa, or the much-lauded Campos Superior Blend.
NEWTOWN
193 Missenden Road • 9516 3361
Mon–Fri 7am–4pm; Sat 8am–5pm
Map INNER SOUTH
The Coffee Roaster
The Coffee Roaster keeps on delivering with their unique air-roasted beans. Pop in and check out the way the beans are treated and roasted behind the scenes, and take them up on a sample of the choc-dipped and cocoa-dusted Feine Beans (they also sell them if you ask). The staff are experienced and friendly – even the ‘new’ recruits have been in the business six years – and will guide you when choosing your own bag of fair trade beans to take home. Do note that they no longer open on Saturdays, and make sure you have a look at the view from the top floor while you’re there (up the wooden stairs on the left).
ALEXANDRIA
Green Square
380 Botany Road • 9318 0916
Mon–Fri 7.30am–2.30pm
Map INNER SOUTH
Crave Coffee
What we love so much about this little gem is Chris Sharp’s philosophy on growing and roasting coffee. He likens it to growing a fine wine and says all the same rules re temperature, climate, soil and location apply. Business is apparently booming in the wholesale market and Chris thanks the current at-home-coffee-making trend for that. The latest house blend from Colombia and Honduras is deliberately acidic and incredibly smooth. Banker-turned-owner Chris can be found behind the espresso machine giving his staff a break on Saturdays and, if you’re lucky, might offer you a sample of his own-style piccolo latte. Oh, and for fans, the Kick Arse blend is still kicking... well... arse.
ALEXANDRIA
Unit 72, 20–28 Maddox Street • 9516 1217
Mon–Fri 7.30am–3pm; Sat 9am–1pm
Map INNER SOUTH
Don Adán Coffee House
You don’t often come across a cafe owner who can claim to truly control the coffee served, right from the growing of the beans down to your morning flat white. Meet Gerardo Barrios. His family has been growing coffee for over 140 years, and the beans he roasts and brews come straight from their plantation in Honduras. The experience shows – Don Adán Coffee (available in three blends) has had the Mosman locals hooked for 11 years. This cosy cafe also serves breakfast and lunch, including Central American-inspired dishes such as ‘typico’, a dish of black beans, feta, avocado and scrambled jalapeño eggs.
Also at: Don Adán Coffee Too, Shop 2/65 Parraween Street, Cremorne, 9909 2525.
MOSMAN
5 Spit Road • 9968 2828
Mon–Sat 7.30am–5pm; Sun 8am–5pm
Map INNER NORTH