It’s been a while and I thought I’d post an update on the burgeoning Sydney cafe scene from my point of view. That is, as a fussy coffee drinker.
Firstly, I am not providing an exhaustive list of what’s hot and what’s not. If you want that and a broad range of opinions, then check out BeanHunter an awesome international coffee oriented cafe rating system put out by a couple of Australian guys.
Next, the dead pool. Cafes can become great and some can stay great, but when the management changes on an excellent cafe the result is not usually good. In my opinion one example of new management wrecking a perfectly good source of excellent coffee (and organic food) is Pulse on Kent St (you’d be excused for thinking it’s called Sacred Ground as I did originally since it’s branded heavily by them). The management and staff changed completely about 6 months ago and that’s precisely when it jumped the shark.
My impression is that some cafe owners think that running a successful cafe is like running a successful convenience store. Be attentive, take the money, run the business. Well that may be the case with some cafes but not when you’re trying to attract a coffee hunting crowd. Funnily enough they really care about the coffee. These days the Pulse coffee just tastes dead.
Mecca on the corner of King and York is still awesome. Not really much surprise as these guys are hardcore coffee nerds whose passion for coffee flies them to Africa and is quite literally tattooed into their skin. Not surprising but but reassuring they are leading the way. The boys have opened a store in Circular Quay since I wrote about them and that makes three locations.
Also still sublime is Single Origin which is a phenomenon unto itself. If you think their website is good that’s nothing compared to their double ristrettos. I can’t stop thinking about the toasted sourdough with nutella, sliced banana and roasted almonds, I’ve had it for breakfast there twice! I’ll blog more about the single origin coffee movement next time.
New on the scene and lean and mean is Klink, down behind the Queen Victoria Building on Clarence St across the road from world superhero chef Justin North’s Becasse restaurant and its very good Plan B cafe. Klink is almost invisible, having no signage, making it impossible to spot from the footpath and often obscured from across the street by busses. The weird Japanese $2 shop and the more conspicuous Vela Nero (not a bad cafe) are either side of Klink so if you see them you’re warm. The coffee is worth the expense of needing a GPS to find it.
Klink’s bossman barista, James, is clearly anal retentive about every cup of coffee being hand crafted to perfection - even at the increasingly savage rush times. With that approach and beans roasted by top notch purist Golden Cobra you can forgive the minimal menu. It’s a wonder they can even make toast in such a small footprint.
Workshop Espresso is another newish cafe in the CBD that demonstrates great taste and skill. The tiny yet polished shop is virtually at the intersection of George and Druitt streets on George across the road from the Queen Victoria Building. To be honest I have been disappointed more than once here and often prefer Klink. Especially considering how big the queues can get. Nevertheless I have to give them their props. They know coffee and how to make it and their huge crowd of customers are well deserved.
The Met cafe, one of my old haunts at Wynyard park on Margaret St I have to admit I haven’t been to in a long while but writing this roundup reminds me I must go check in with Brendan and see if he still knows how to do it 
Outside the CBD there are too many to cover and I don’t know them as well with a couple of exceptions. I know Annandale cafes well and can heartily recommend Clover across the road from the Post Office on Booth St or Gallery Cafe if you don’t mind paying and waiting more than anywhere else in Christendom.
My to-do list includes roastery Coffee Alchemy in Marrickville who are so hard core they don’t even serve tea and I want to revisit the Allpress cafe in Rosebery/Alexandria for a double rizz and a bap. After that I’ll probably take some hints from Grant Lyndon of Sydney Coffee Tours fame.
Any suggestions?