I’ve been trawling different cafes around the estern and inner west suburbs of Sydney the past few months, doing some reviewing work for a Sydney guidebook coming out this year. Some of the winners I’ve been to include:
Clodeli in Clovelly for the coffee, rustic farmhouse atmosphere (the table had a basket of baby pumpkins on it!) and brilliant deli/cafe concept;
Gusto Espresso Bar in Coogee for that urban-beachy vibe and flat whites that taste like butter popcorn and caramel;
Sonoma Bakery Cafe (both in Paddington and Waterloo) for tasty sourdough treats;
The French House in Waterloo for the amazing 18th century French decor and decadent chocolate croissants;
Vargabar in Newtown – a quaint cornershop venue that serves what I consider to be the best cafe in Newtown (the baristas may be better at Campos, but the overall experience and lack of snobbery at Vargabar makes it my favourite);
XXII at Pyrmont, which serves a killer espresso (short black) and also has a great lunch menu.
There have been some disappointments too, but it’s not very ladylike behaviour to mention them! (P.S – the photo above is of me a couple of years ago at Fresh in Katoomba)
Nice review! I’m keen to check out some of those eastern suburbs tips! … re: Vargabar – I’ll second that call. Interestingly, the few blokes who opened it up were just young and keen hacks who loved coffee and loved a good coffee shop vibe. And their hard work has paid off – they opened another shop in bondi (i think!) too.