Situated on Crown Street in Surry Hills, Alchemy Cafe is a Polish Cafe I discovered a while back whilst looking for somewhere quiet to get some work done with some co-conspirators of mine and we just happened to stumble upon this little gem.
Not only is the coffee good, but a short walk to the rear of the establishment reveals a quiet little courtyard that we've been fortunate enough to occupy for ourselves most times we've been. This gentle atmosphere is imperative to good concentration.
The other stand out at this establishment is the customer service. The owner of the Cafe is a real character, a friendly, interested man who always makes you feel welcome.
He tells jokes, gives out chocolate coins amidst our change and once, when I went to grab a coffee before work with a friend, he overheard our conversation regarding said friend's birthday and brought out a slice of cake and a candle and we all sang happy birthday together. He has a tremendous baritone voice.
The food is great too, a little on the pricey side, but it's a good size serving and delicious food.
It has a real family atmosphere. I'm not sure whether it's family run, but the owner has the kind of personality where it's almost as though you're going to friends place for coffee rather than a cafe, however, the friend just happens to charge you for it.
The cafe is closed on Monday's. read more