[Sydney] Let’s face it, everyone needs a pick-me-up every now and then. And it is impossible to head down Sydney without trying some of their coffee, unless you are caffeine-intolerant.
Some of my friends used to say they couldn’t find bad coffee in Sydney. Well, I think there are still a couple of generic-places but most are above the average.
Hot, cold, poured, driped, or filtered, these Australian cafés have exactly what you love (and maybe something you haven’t ever tried before, too).
So whether you’re vacationing in the great Down Under or simply searching for a new local coffee shop on your way to work, stop by one of these Top 12 Best Coffee Places in Sydney:
Single O Café
60-64 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills , NSW 2010
Tel: +02 9211 0665
Opening Hours: 6:30am – 4pm (Mon – Fri), 7:30am – 3pm (Sat), 8am – 3pm (Sun)
Single origin, fruit blend coffee at the original Single O Café
Originally named Single Origin Roasters, the first group of customers to enter the cozy location shortened the name to Single O Café—a name still used to this day by the company and customers alike.
As soon as you walk inside, you’ll find a welcoming atmosphere and a menu that offers breakfast, lunch, and a wide array of coffee.
From pourovers to cold brews and espressos, Single O has something for your taste buds to love. Coffee, both hot or cold, will run you around AUD5 at Single O Café.
I find their coffee generally consistently good.
If you’re eco-conscious, fret not. All products are ethically sourced, handroasted, and single origin. Next door, you’ll find Sideshow—Single O’s specialty brew bar.
This is where they created The Juggler: Milk on Tap. Simply order your favorite drink and watch the baristas whip it up in a few seconds flat thanks to this awesome machine.
They recently revamped their look, with the takeaway counter at the side – so regulars may be in for a surprise.
Artificer Specialty Coffee Bar & Roastery
547 Bourke St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
Opening Hours: 7:00am – 3:00pm (Tues – Fri), 8:00am – 1:00pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Mon
Google Maps – Artificer
Head here if you are just looking for good coffee
Craftsmanship and devotion to the preparation of coffee – no cakes, no pastries, no sandwiches, no tea, just coffee.
Owners Dan Yee (Air Coffee, Salvage) and Shoji Sasa (Single Origin, Mecca) give an incredible feeling of professionalism, source the beans on their own and roast them on-site.
The décor incorporates those Japanese-Nordic styles, with an executive brass counter, plywood walls, but you won’t miss the silver Synesso espresso machine. A world-class coffee roasting machine sits at the back.
The seasonal blend I got (30% Brazil, 70% Columbia) was ultra-smooth; the caffeine would not hit you immediately, coming in slow and gentle.
Brewtown Newton
6-8 O’Connell St, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia
Tel: +61 02 9519 2920
Opening Hours: 8am – 4pm (Mon – Sun)
http://www.brewtownnewtown.com
Google Maps – Brewtown Newton
Cafe in a warehouse, known for sparkling coffee, cruffin and brewnut
Brewtown Newtown calls itself a “cafe, coffee roastery, and artisan bakery”.
Pioneered by two men with serious solid café credentials, Charles Cameron previously managed Single Origin Roasters and Toby’s Estate Woolloomooloo, while Simon Triggs was manager for Toby’s Estate and owns Gnome Espresso at Surry Hills.
The building where it is located at is already worth a mention, converted from a beautiful old warehouse that dates back to 1911.
Coffee is roasted in-house, so that the team can take more ownership and develop into a coffee wholesaler.
Also look out for the Brewnut – their version of the cronut; and B.K.A Brewtown’s Kuoign Amman, added with salted caramel sauce to make it all more seductive.
Paramount Coffee Project
80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills Sydney 2010
Tel: +61 02 9211 1122
Opening Hours: 7am – 4pm (Mon – Fri), 7:30am – 4pm (Sat), 8am – 4pm (Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/theparamountcoffeeproject
Google Maps
Industrial-Chic cafe on Surry Hills
The Paramount Coffee Project got its name as it is built into the hallway of Paramount House, a gorgeous-industrial space showcasing different styles of quality coffee.
Located in Surry Hills, it came into existence as an alliance between Australian third-wave coffee powerhouses – Russell Beard of Reuben Hills (Sydney) and Mark Dundon of Seven Seeds (Melbourne), and Jin Ng of Paramount House.
For coffee, Paramount Coffee Project uses a different system of a stable rotation of roasters from across the entire continent every four weeks. You get something varied all the time.
In retrospect, the name “Project” does come across quite apt in this case.
The Grounds of the City
500 George St, Sydney, 2000
Tel: +61 2 9699 2235
Opening Hours: 7am – 6pm (Mon – Sun)
The go-to cafe-restaurant in Sydney’s CBD
The team behind the insanely popular The Grounds Of Alexandria hits another home-run with The Grounds of the City at 500 George Street.
This coffeehouse-inspired inner-city hub is said to “transport you back to an era of old-school charm and reignite the heart and soul of Sydney’s CBD”.
If you come individually, perhaps you can plant yourself at The Barista bar, with “coffee sommeliers” serving up The Grounds house-roasted espresso and filter coffees.
Interesting drinks include Deconstructed Hot Chocolate (AUD7), Deconstructed Mocha (AUD7), Coffee Tasting Board (AUD15 for 2) which includes a selection of their single origin coffee using a variety of brewing methods.
Generally, I thought coffee at Grounds was to the stronger, slightly acidic (compared to other Sydney’s cafes) side.
Skittle Lane
CBD 40 King Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel: +61 466 406 463
Opening Hours: 7am – 4pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat – Sun
Funny name, serious coffee
If the name didn’t spark your interest, then the coffee sure will. Skittle Lane has at least two hand-roasted brews available every day, as well as other traditional offerings.
So head inside this minimalist shop tucked away from the fast-paced streets of Sydney for breakfast and a drink.
The minimalist décor and large bay windows make the perfect area to get some work done or simply take a break after a long day.
Order the espresso for an elevated experience; it’s jam-packed with silky vanilla and cocoa flavors. For a snack, grab an almond croissant or a ham and cheese bagel.
On Fridays, pick up an order of Brewnuts or New York-inspired toasties.
Mecca Coffee
26 Bourke Road, Alexandria
Tel: +612 9698 8448
Opening Hours: 7am – 3pm (Mon – Fri), 8am -3:30pm (Sat – Sun)
Simply coffee, simply delicious
Mecca coffee opened its doors in 2007 with three main focuses in mind: coffee, people, and quality.
You won’t find any subpar beans or bitter brews here. Instead, you’ll enter into a stark white coffee shop with terrazzo flooring, exposed wooden beams, and high ceilings.
At the main bar, you’ll also find natural wines, tap beer, and cocktails after 10 am alongside several hand-roasted coffee brews and blends.
Pour-overs, milk espressos, and batch brews are just some of the varieties available here daily.
While the menu isn’t too extensive outside of coffee, Mecca does offer a few breakfast and lunch options. Savory dishes include: fried chicken rolls with kimchi, roasted pumkin and blood orange salad, and mushroom rolls.
Campos Coffee (Newtown)
193 Missenden Rd, Newtown, NSW
Tel: +61 2 9516 3361
Opening Hours: 7am – 4pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 5pm (Sat), 8am – 4pm (Sun)
Ethical, sustainable coffee since 1997
Campos Coffee is no ordinary coffee. Every batch gets cupped every morning to ensure the smoothest, best tasting flavor goes into every mug.
The small, comfortable café has sitting room at individual tables and by the coffee bar so you can hang out with friends or finish up some work while you watch them hand-craft your coffee blend.
Sweet-lovers will fall head over hills for the creamy, rich affagotos—an ice cream and espresso blend that even the pickiest drinkers will love.
Campos also offers coffee-tasting sessions weekly so you can figure out your favorite brew and flavor profile. If you don’t have time to show up to a tasting, simply ask one of the expert baristas—you’ll have a new favorite order before you know it.
Reuben Hills
61 Albion Street, Surry Hills
Tel: +02 9211 5556
Opening Hours: 7:00am-4:00pm (Mon-Fri), 7:30am-4:00pm (Sat-Sun)
http://www.reubenhills.com.au/about-us-2/
Sweet, savory, or shaken—Reuben Hills has a little bit of everything
Rueben Hills has a unique stance on coffee: try before you buy. They offer public cupping at their cozy café every Saturday where you can chill with the brewers for an hour while sipping on various weekly brews.
Coffee options include: black, white, espresso of the day, cold brew, iced lattes, or double filtered brew. Adventurous sippers can order housemade horchata, ginger tumeric lattes, single origin hot chocolate, nutella hot chocolate, rhubarb soda, or a ginger-tumeric tonic.
If that’s not your speed, then stop by any time for a caffeine boost, snacks, breakfast, lunch, or dessert. Hearty dishes include sweet pastries to chicken burgers and salmon kokoda
Edition Coffee Roasters
60 Darling Drive, Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 5pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 5pm (Sat – Sun)
Google Maps – Edition Coffee Roasters
Nordic offerings with a Japanese twist
Sleek, modern, minimal: these are the words that come to mind when you step inside Edition Coffee Roasters.
Brothers Daniel Jackson and Corie Sutherland opened this shop with the vision of a unique Nordic-Japanese fusion hotspot.
Edition Coffee Roasters is one of the most popular spots in Australia to visit with friends while sipping a Chung Feng jasmine tea or snacking on a Danish filled with Japanese umeboshi plum.
With creativity like this, it’s no surprise that the menu holds some of the most unique dishes to grace an Australian coffee shop.
Kingswood Coffee
World Square, Shop 10, 680 George St, Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel: +61 447 777 567
Opening Hours: 6am – 5pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 4pm(Sat-Sun)
Elevated coffee at an affordable price
Kingswood Coffee on CBD has made its mission all about customer satisfaction. If you want coffee with extra milk and espresso—you got it.
This cozy shop has paired with Sydney’s premium bread, meat, cheese, and bread suppliers to form a delicious limited menu.
You’ll find milkshakes next to toasted sandwiches and pastries. If you have a sweet tooth, try one of the mile-high stacked donuts.
At Kingswood, you’ll always find an affordable cup o’ joe. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate cost under AUD5.
Neighbourhood by Seán McManus
16 Buckingham Street Surry Hills 2010, Sydney NSW
Opening Hours: 6:30am – 3:00pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat – Sun
Google Maps – Neighbourhood by Seán McManus
This compact eight-square metre coffee place is almost a hole-in-the-wall, with just two benches on the footpath.
It sells coffee, a couple of croissants, and chats (just kidding on the last one).
There is always a steady stream of people getting coffee for takeaways, sit on the bench and have little chats, or stand somewhere around while they rest with their dogs.
“Neighbourhood” is quite aptly named. It is like the neighbourhood coffee place, and baristas Sean McManus and Marc Wiebe know the orders of the regulars, and have no problems engaging in small talk with them sincerely and confidently.
Beans are roasted by McManus and the team at Artificer, milk used is from John Fairley, and the non-dairy alternative is made from oats from Tasmania.
McManus didn’t like the taste of soy in coffee, and experimented with different milks from almond to macadamia that could work better.
After a blooper where espresso was spilled into his oat porridge, he accidentally found that missing link.
Read: Other DFD Sydney Food Entries
Other Related Entries
10 Best Cafes In Surry Hills
Neighbourhood by Seán McManus (Surry Hills, Sydney)
KOI Dessert Bar (Chippendale, Sydney)
Cre Asion (Alberta Street, Sydney)
Brewtown Newtown (Newtown, Sydney)
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