(Beware how to make dbl mac in this review. Some what ranty)…read more.. Wandering down a somewhat unkempt street across from the Epping Coles I noticed a stairway going up to a wooden platform that almost hides a cafe behind it. Honestly, I love the effort that has gone into the design of this place. Somehow you get transported to somewhere peaceful and relaxing (I especially loved and quickly grabbed one of the comfy chairs near the door). The coffee they use here is Campos, so they have a few extra brownie points to start with, and while they were able to extract a fairly good crema, it was ruined with too much milk. This is certainly not uncommon, unfortunately, and likely only an issue for people like me who drink macchiatos. After my second milky dbl of the day, I am feeling a little like a broken record I think justification is in order. For me, a dbl mac is one of the harder coffees to make well. Most people fail immediatly by over espressing the coffee to stretch a single into a dbl rather than making two singles. All this does is stress the bean making the consistency more watery and the flavour more bitter. Then coffee crema comes down to alot of things. The pressure in the machine, the temp of the cup and portafilter and how tight the coffee was packed. Also harder if you use to singles as the first shot might burn the second. Finally the milk. I think when people hear double, they think "large" but it is incorrect. The milk (a dot of froth and teaspoon of milk) performs an essential function of stopping the coffee crema from burning. If you can not see a dark espresso colour at the bottom you've added too much. So why order the hardest coffee to make from unsuspecting cafes? Other than being a bastard, when someone gets it right it is fantastic. It is also a great way to measure the skills of who ever is making the coffee. Anyone can make a cap or latte, as most issues are covered up by the milk. The great thing though is that if they can make a dbl mac well, their caps and lattes will be amazing. Cafe Summary ------------------------ Passion for Coffee - 7/10 Coffee beans - Campos Crema (1=burnt, 10=velvet) - 7/10 Special coffees avail? - N/A Special Features ------------------------ Toilets

Grabbed a couple breakfasts this morning, The deck out the front seems never to have enough tables…read morefor the size of the deck which is shame as inside is very noisy. We thought we were reasonably lucky when got a seat on the porch area but to our surprise another couple sat at a table behind us that was really close and only really enough for one person as there wasn't any room for the second person. This was a bit unusual. The food was reasonable except a little greasy from the bacon and hash brown looked like had seen better days (so we didn't eat them). The coffee was well made and still Campos so it had plenty of flavour.

I love this place, I would probably say it is my favourite place to grab a coffee in the crows nest…read morearea: Coffee: Double macchiato Bean: Campos Crema: Nice, thick. 8/10 Overall Taste: 8/10 Served in: Small glass (+1) Preparation: Well made, not too much milk The guys behind the counter are very friendly, and very easy to chat too. They have a small range of snacks (banana bread, muffins, etc) and a small seating area, with either a communal table or small tables. They have a big window that opens wide to let the sun and fresh air in, and really adds to the appeal. The opening hours is a small minus - I would guess most of their customers are from local businesses, so they close earlier in the afternoon, which means I sometimes miss them if I get there later in the day. I also wish they had wifi there, although this is a common complaint for me in Sydney!

Driving this café on busy Alexander Street I'd never thought it looked like much to bother to go…read moreinto. As soon as I walked in I wished I'd have been a little less apprehensive. I was having a pretty crappy day before I came here. One sip of my to-die-for mocha and the groovy tunes sound louder (in a fun, energizing way) the baristas look cuter (they started off pretty cute to begin with) and the sun came out (in my mind at least). What else are they about? Lots of laptops, even though they don't have wireless. Lots of young business and creative types, even though we're in mums central Crows nest. Eclectic choice of photos on the wall - a mountain view, a surf adventure, a large canvas of a perfectly poured coffee. Simple but delicious looking eats on display - think pre made Turkish bread sandwiches, cookies, banana bread, homemade muffins. The staff work quick - and so they should as the thoroughfare of custom is fairly constant. They're also really friendly in that ozzie bloke 'thanks man' kind of way This is a place you come back to. I know I will be. Outdoor seating. Raw sugar sachets on the table. TV indoors but no sound. Campos Coffee beans. Oh.. the groovy jazz tunes just turned to Bruce Springstein's 'Born in the USA'... haha take it as you like it I guess?!

Well Scramble me crazy, their eggs, which are free-range folks, are divine!…read more A one minute prance down the street from my house, I pass Scrambled everyday, and just as often mutter, "One day ... You and me, one day." It was as though Scrambled had blurred itself into the backdrop of my daily cruise down Enmore Street, and for that reason, I was no longer intrigued by the cozy wooden tables outside or the light, fresh inside ambiance that radiated tattoos and show posters ... But behold, the awesomeness that was a post-Thursday party, Friday afternoon brunch at Scrambled! The menu is modestly priced, with breakfast costing between $10 and $15, and coffee prices your average. Our large skim caps were massive and delectable, in fun red mugs that made sipping from them feel like I was at a Little Red Riding Hood themed party... And then the food came ... First things first, I rarely eat eggs, and I couldn't tell you the last time I had a biteful of baby chicken. This may be why these were some of the most savory, delicious eggs I've ever had... Scrambled eggs with haloumi and mustard seed ($12) doesn't sound all too exciting, but they were fluffy and cheesy and everything "y" you could probably name. They were served with toasted turkish and mushrooms for good measure, making the meal complete and out of this world. We also ordered the breakfast quesadilla ($12), which was garlic flavored and packed with slightly spicy red beans, peppers, and onions. OLE! Two perfectly poached eggs on the side and a sprinkle of springtime salad and avocado helped make for a morning of Mexican nostalgia. Minus the tequila.. It wasn't midday yet. This plate was festive, fresh, and fun, but not truly memorable .... Overall, Scrambled has squirmed it's way out of backdrop bordem and salsaed it's was into my breakfast behavior.

Another foray into "a new brunch" place paid off today. We…read moreboth had Spanish Eggs with chorizo,olives,Spanish onions ,feta,sun dried tomatoes & baby spinach with Turkish toast. Very tasty , and nice to se the chorizo was soft and easy to eat. Most meals are "scrambled eggs", hence the name I think, but there are other choices. Lots of different ingredients used, makes the choice difficult but also encourages you to come back to try another variation. Ordered "well done" Turkish toast, and a "hot" skinny latte, both served as requested. Staff very friendly, service quick. Fabulous background music , not too loud. Great decor, relaxing and not "squashy" We will be back.

Such a super cute place my Aussie friends brought me to. My favorite was the pecan pie and cinnamon…read moreroll. That says a lot since I'm from Texas and we are known for pecan pie. These pastries tasted so fresh and without the added sugar from corn syrup. I enjoyed everything I tried and would love a spot like this in Dallas.

Within 100m of this bakery are 5-6 other options for coffee and snacks, so to compete you'd have to…read moredo something particularly well. These guys do cakes and cookies... quiche and bread... a range of meat pies.... and (most importantly) it is all great value and delicious. The last time I came here I grabbed the baked cheesecake and a mac. The cheesecake was awesome. Best part was that as a single tart like serve, it was not too small or too large to munch through contentedly. The mac had too much froth for my liking, but once removed, the remainder of the mac was great. Only annoyance is that when removing some of the froth I lost some of the crema and coffee oil... So if you desire good coffee and cake and don't feel like paying $5+ for something sweet, then this place is for you. Cafe Summary ------------------------ Passion for Coffee - 7/10 Coffee beans - Di Stefano Crema (1=burnt, 10=velvet) - 6/10 Special coffees avail? - N/A

Service was fast and friendly, they answered all the questions I had and I decided on the grilled…read more(trying to be healthy) barramundi with chips. My order came with tartar sauce which was nice. The total came to about $30. I added chicken salt to my chips, yum! There are about 8 tables available for dine in purposes but the beach is right across the street so I took my lunch and sat on a bench overlooking the water.

Always fresh seafood the grilled octopus is amazing and fish freshly caught. Good outdoor seating…read moreoverlooking Balmoral Beach and bus stop at door.

Ooooh, the contentious Sea Poppy. Despite the efforts of some opponents (neighbouring businesses)…read moreSea Poppy has overcome the odds and opened its doors at Fairy Bower. This 'boutique general store' oozes cool from the young baristas to the random collection of Moroccan and Turkish homewares. Cooler than this, Sea Poppy has bought us what we've been waiting for - a choice! No longer limited to the pricy kiosk at The Bower restaurant you can pick up a gourmet pie, freshly made sandwich or a cupcake for no more than $10. In Sea Poppy today I noticed they are going to start snorkel hire soon - what genius idea to bring to Fairy Bower so we can enjoy the marine park in all its glory.

Feels like a fishing village on the edge of Greece or Italy at this primo Toby's Estate café spot…read more The paint is even peeling off the white rendered walls like some old architectural relic. The boys are friendly, the coffee is consistently good and you can sit on a boulder right next to the water and wonder how the other half live. Ready to go maple granola looks highly addictive... just keep an eye on the milk pour... because they'll drown it in dairy and kill the crunch if you're not careful. The savoury muffin lacks flavour, but like all muffin's should, has a good top crust. The macaroon is a moist must... crammed with coconutty goodness to the point that I virtually entirely devour my friend's and realise I should have bought my own. Now an essential coffee accompaniment and a brand new addiction. Stop in here mid coastal walk from Manly to Shelly Beach, or in my case, stagger in here on Sunday morning post Saturday night soiree and pray the caffeine does the trick. If it doesn't, walk three metres and plunge into ocean without any further ado.

It feels strange to be writing a review for an establishment I've never set foot inside…read more It's even stranger when that establishment happens to be my favourite cafe in Sydney. And it's strangerer still when I've only ever tried one menu item. Is strangerer a word? I don't know, ask my lawyer. I've been to Ciccio probably 40 out of the last 52 weekends. This is a conservative estimate. (I'm not sure what I was doing the other 12, if you were wondering). Here's why Ciccio straight up rules: 1) The long, wide wooden bench running down the outside of the cafe. Between 9am and 2pm this place gets more sun than the surface of the sun itself. That may sound improbable but any scientist will back me up here. 2) The one massive, old wooden table under the umbrella (if you're an albino, or easily flammable, this is where you want to be sitting. Forget the little aluminium table-and-chair sets, they're poxy and the tables lurch from side to side). 3) The caramel lattes (diabetically sweet, homicidally delicious) and the gyoza dumplings. Not technically a breakfast food, but I've never eaten anything else here. There's a new menu now that I'm assured is very good, and Gyoza doesn't feature on it - but the owner always keeps some on ice for me. I don't know what I'd do if they said they didn't have any one day. They're very good, is my point. And it makes me feel like a big man on campus ordering something that isn't on the menu - I suggest you try it . 4) The Japanese staff are cuter than Pokemons. In fact, I'm not sure some of them *aren't* Pokemon. They don't even insult me by giving me a menu anymore, they simply smile and bring me my coffee and gyoza. It feels good to be a regular. Reals good. 5) They're dog-friendly, bringing out bowls of water and little bone-shaped cookies for our furry pals. One of the newer waitresses is scared of dogs, unfortunately, but watching her panic when a puppy tries to lick her is funnier than anything Judd Apatow does. 6) Never packed, always nice and relaxed. And the people-watching is off the charts, if you're into that sort of thing. What I don't like about Ciccio: 1) They tried switching from pork to prawn gyoza without telling me. I noticed immediately. They never made that mistake again.

Monday 8am in the suburbs and scavenging for a cafe brew. People was open - woo hoo. I ordered my…read moresoya mocha and sat down. "I'm so sorry we're out of soya". Oh no, that's all I can have. The supermarket across the square was still closed yet five minutes later, voulor! the lovely Asian girl comes back with two cartons of soya, I suspect borrowed from the restaurant next door. The extra effort and the fact that it came in a mug rather than a glass which I prefer helped my Monday get off to a good start. The jazz - Sinatra, Sammy and co - playing subtly in the background eased me into a cheery morning too. The Vittoria coffee was smooth - pretty standard flavor but well made. I asked for it extra hot and it came hot without burning the milk which is common. They have a decent selection of scrumptious looking cakes and muffins but also have a breakfast and lunch menu. Breakfast picks are Double Smoked Ham and Gruyere Cheese Toastie ($8.50), Organic House Bakes Muesli ($11) and the Bacon and Egg Frittata with tomato relish ($11). Lunch picks are Chicken Katsu ($13), Pumpkin and Feta Filo ($8.50) and Chicken Burrito with chilli jam, sour cream and fresh lime ($12). No Wifi. Light and airy with cushioned wall seats. High chairs and outdoor seating.

Fun little street café with excellent food. The Avocado toast with Truffle Oil was amazing!read more

Such a cute cafe with an adorable and friendly staff! Loved the Avo toast and Cappuccinoread more