Great little place to grab a coffee and take away. Fruit salad is yummy and for lunch eggplant…read moreschnitzel sandwich is a favourite. You can eat there and its always pretty full but I live up the street and always do to go with it being between the beach and the lake there are heaps of lovely spots to sit nearby.

Willoughby is finally getting cooler! We've got a small bar. We've got a wholefood cafe. We're…read morefinally loosening the grip of the old people and schoolchildren and 80s dags that washed up here like waves of flotsam after the recession and never left. Here are words associated with Sprout that will tell you all you need to know: kale, quinoa, organic, green bowl, activated, superfood. I was a tad hungover so eschewed the benefits of a green bowl for an organic beef burger with relish on a triangular bun (triangles are back, yo!) that was a proper two-hand job and left me feeling way better than a milk bar burger might. The coffee is all kinds of great too, as is sitting outside on a milk crate in the little corner nook between two shops like some kind of breakfast creep.

A short trip down Willoughby road and you'll notice a new kid on the Naremburn cafe block. This…read morecafe & grocer combo has only been open for two weeks but is already drawing the attention of the locals. We needed to have brunch before another roadtrip and the missus suggest we try this place as she had noted it had opened recently. I guess the first test of any cafe is their coffee. Sprout has great coffee and it was well made. No complaints. I ordered the Egg & Bacon Roll (see photo) which came with rocket, tomato relish and aioli. The rolls itself was one of the triangular Brasserie Bread rolls and with the fillings quite literally became a handheld meal. I appreciated the fact that the fried egg still had a runny yolk - as I have a personal dislike to hard cooked yolk. The missus stepped up and ordered the Big Breakfast with added Avocado (see photo). The whole meal was good, and we both noted that the poached eggs were cooked perfectly (slightly done but still runny). - yeah I'm a runny egg fiend. We sat out the back on the Terrace and enjoyed the fresh air whilst looking at their new garden set up. The man in the store explained that they were growing a kitchen garden down the long side of the backyard and that the smaller patch nearer our table was likely to be some citrus plants. All in all, a nifty little spot that we'll be visiting again.

Great food. Nice small business but they still delivered quality experience! Thank you!read more

Not sure why this place was empty when we came in! We ordered a big breakfast (2 sunnyside eggs,…read morebacon, tomato, 1 sausage and mushrooms or toast - we had both) and a BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) in focaccia with chips and salad, a mango lassi and an iced coffee. The drinks came out in a matter of minutes and food not long after. Was thorughly inpressed with the friendly service, timing of food and most importantly, the quality of food. Everything was so fresh and tasted great! Will be coming back here again to try out the other options on the extensive menu.

I hadn't known about this place until someone recommended it. He praised the staff effusively and…read moresince I have been there twice, I understand why. This is a very friendly family-run cafe with seating outside and in. I had scrambled eggs with sourdough toast and grilled tomatoes. I've had the same dish at other places, but this is my favorite because the toast wasn't over toasted to a crispy critter. The eggs were fluffy and a grilled tomato for breakfast really hits the spot. Another time when I came here, I had a perfectly poached egg and a delicious scone with jam and cream. I love the way scones in Australia are more like a tender biscuit rather than the hard triangle that passes for a scone in the States. With the jam, the whipped cream is just a bonus. Also, poached eggs are common, a healthier way to eat an egg. It's a bit out of the way towards the end of the outdoor mall, but we'll worth seeking out.

When I need to suggest a cafe to anyone coming to Hornsby, this is easily my default. While most of…read morethe other cafes seem to be reliant on the mass produced, generic coffee, these guys have always been one step ahead. Back in the days before Toby's Estate became more mainstream, these guys had it as their go-to bean. Now that Toby's is more focused on mass production, Thyme Square has switched to Jack and the Bean coffee (another great option). As you know, having a good supply of coffee beans is only the first step in the production of an awesome cup of coffee, but I am happy to say that this cafe does a very decent job banging out cup after cup of great coffee. It must be mentioned that this cafe is also focused on having a wide range of food options [breakfast/lunch/dinner] (which are a tad pricey but compared to other options in Hornsby, might be worth it). As it has been a while since I have eaten here I will leave it to others to tell you what they think. When I was eating here though the standard was quite high. Cafe Summary ------------------------ Passion for Coffee - 7/10 Coffee beans - Jack and the Bean Crema (1=burnt, 10=velvet) - 7/10 Special coffees avail? - N/A

Has to be the best place in Sydney for delicious coffee, yummy food and friendly staff. Found this…read morelittle gem randomly and have been multiple times in last few months and always excellent. The smashed Avo and corn fritters are family favourites!

Dropped in on a Sunday around 10am for brekky. Quite busy, we had a short 10min wait for three…read more The venue itself is pretty average. Nothing that really stood out. The staff were all friendly. Some more attentive than others but they all seemed to be with the program. I had a soy mocha and I was pleasantly surprised, so much so that I ordered one for the road when we left (a very rare occurrence). Strong and sweet, as a good mocha should be. The food was great. I ordered the smashed avo and my wife had the corn fritters. The smashed avo was $21 and it is from memory the most I've ever paid in Sydney for two pieces of bread, some avocado, seasoning, and one egg. I actually really battled with justifying ordering this dish at such an inflated price. However, I will say, this was the best smashed avo I've had in Syd and I would gladly order it again. The avo itself had an excellent taste, not overpowering at all. The toast had some sort of a sun dried tomato past/spread over it and I think this really set off the flavour of the avo. Quite nice. My wife reported the corn fritters to be good, not bad, but not nothing spectacular. Obviously not a signature dish. Anyway, definitely worth going out of your way to make the stop.

I love a cafe where i can make myself comfortable, read my book or newspaper and take my time over…read morea snack or a few cups of tea or coffee. Gusto is not that kind of place for me. It is more of a quick cuppa or take away sandwich place. Not knocking it in any way. I've had a fairly decent bite to eat there and my chai tea was good, albeit not quite hot enough. i just didn't find it comfortable enough to want to hang around beyond my food and drink. It's really small inside and the tables and chairs are pretty close together so you feel a bit squashed and conspicuous. It seems to me that it is more of a meeting place for a coffee and perhaps a treat (of which there are some delicious looking ones) And I don't suppose it claims to be anything else either. Its right there on Fiveways, that great junction in Paddington. So a better location you could not ask for and many of the pre-prepared lunch meals were sold out by the time I got there later on in the afternoon, so clearly it is fairly popular. For all I know it could be legendary with the locals! it was my first visit though and first impressions were 'nice, but nothing too special.'

I loved the vibe I got first time walking around Five Ways in Paddington. There's a small town…read morefeel and a certain tranquility that you don't find in other Sydney neighborhoods. Gusto is the perfect place to let the day pass by as you sip a macchiato and munch on sweet treats. This café and delicatessen reminds me of ones you would find in Europe, with locals socializing here habitually. My cappuccino was above average and executed with precision. Their banana bread is a divine slice of heaven on a plate. I also tried a fudge brownie with chocolate chips that was intensely sweet but packed an equally strong cocoa punch. Gusto also sells a variety of fresh paninis, wraps, and salads that will tickle anyone's taste buds. I would suggest that you try your hardest to get a seat outside to marvel at the harbor views. Also, you're a people-watcher like me, this is the place to do it. People flock to Gusto on a regular basis, so you might find yourself waiting to get a seat. Even so, you can still experience their tasty sandwiches on the go. The servers aren't very approachable or welcoming, but they do their job well.

The worlds worst pie! And makes you upbuy under $10!…read moreNo longer a bakery. Maybe their Vietnamese stir fry is better.

Step out of daggy ol' Willoughby and into Provincial France by way of Miss Saigon…read more Faded brass and warm timber and iron birdcages and pain au chocolats and banh mi and a line out the door of people who are busy watching people except for the ones that are basking in the million dollar glow thrown off by the shelves of golden baked goods that run down the length of the delightfully cramped little shop cum bakery cum makes-you-jealous-the-decor-is-better-than-your-house cafe. My takeaway pork pate banh mi is presented in such a beautiful cardboard-and-cellophane box it makes me want to write a haiku, or something in iambic pentameter perhaps. The tomato and onion meat pie is a revelation, with loads of cooked-but-still-crunchy onion and ripe tomato. The coffee is strong and sweet and smoky, which sounds great on paper but left me a bit meh, but then again I'm Pisces and known for being fickle and capricious, so maybe I'll like it next time. Awful lot of long sentences in that review. Ever since the price of full stops went up I've found my sentences getting longer and longer.

A lovely hole in the wall cafe off World Square. It was brimming with people who were mostly city…read moreworkers getting their coffee fix. There are some seats outside the cafe so you can sit and people watch if you have time. The service is lovely and helpful. I had a Mocha and a Raspberry Mini Muffin. As there was a blueberry muffin stuck to it, the lady kindly gave me both! That was nice of her. The coffee was nice and the muffins were delicious.

While this cafe offers very little in the way of atmosphere, with all seats out on the footpath of…read morea major road, for those looking to duck in, grab a coffee, and scamper back off to work, this could fit the bill. Though be warned... if you are a non-smoker, you might want to avoid this place. It is a smoker's paradise. Alternatively, if you are a smoker, come here, it is a smoker's paradise ... :-) Cafe Summary ------------------------ Passion for Coffee - 8/10 Coffee beans - Neoma Coffee Crema (1=burnt, 10=velvet) - 7/10 Special coffees avail? - N/A