Cafe Ella in Darlington has some tough competition in its neighbourhood, and I think it's going to…read moretake a lot of work before it can pose any kind of threat. As we walked in we were notified by the friendly waitress that there were no menus on the tables. This in itself would be fine, except that the menu written on the chalk board at the front of the cafe was scrawled almost illegibly, and with no order whatsoever - breakfast items were hidden amongst lunch items, and figuring out exactly what was on offer was an effort in itself. Thwarted by the challenge, we opted instead for one of their cakes, which was nice enough. The coffee was average, and when we asked if they took Eftpos, we were informed that they did not, and that the nearest ATM was a 15 minute walk away. The problem with Cafe Ella lies not only in its haphazard menu, but more so in the fact that it can't beat its competition. With the bustling Shortlist cafe only two doors down, any passer-by would look at the dreary, empty Cafe Ella and suspect that they must be doing something wrong. Whilst we decided to give them a go in the spirit of trying somewhere new, I know where I will be heading next time I'm in the area and it won't be to Ella.

I read the last review and felt instinctively like I need to defend Cafe Ella!…read more Rachel C. is right about the coffee -- it's Vittoria, and not amazing. It's not bad though, it sort of depends on who the barista is on the day. (Denise is great.) I will say this for Ella: it's super friendly, and the chalk-board menu is iconic (same as its sister cafe, Cafe Giulia). The menu is not as extensive as Cafe Giulia, but given the kitchen is small, they do a good job. Cafe Ella's servings of food are always generous, messily presented, and fresh. The muffins and cakes are rich and delicious, and they do a good blueberry bagel with ricotta. They don't have Eftpos, but there's a pub 1 minute away with an ATM. Cafe Ella is not as self-consciously trendy as one of its neighbours, Shortlist, but the staff at Ella make an effort to remember your name (and your coffee order). Cafe Ella has a lovely, quiet upstairs area and they're happy for you to sit there and read for hours. It's a place where you can feel at home.

Great coffee and food!! Also very kind and hospitable!! Nice vibe and quiet atmosphere to get work…read moredone! Definitely worth a stop!!

This place is tiny but very cute! I had been seeing all their wonderful brunch food on Instagram. I…read morehad the blue latte which was good, but didn't end up finishing it as I was dumb and forgot to ask if they had non-dairy options. The French toast was good, but a little dry so I asked for maple syrup. Probably with the ice cream it would have tasted less dry but the French toast itself is so large I couldn't imagine adding that on top. I really enjoyed the Pashmak (similar to dragons beard candy or fairy floss) at the top though! So much that I bought a package of it for myself somewhere else later on that day. Their special menu looks great right now, lots of cool items like mermaid pancakes! This place is easy to find and there's street parking nearby.

The coffee is pretty incredible and staff is very friendly…read more I came here a few times and had a mocha and also an iced oat latte. Both were very good The hot chocolate and mocha are made with actual solid chocolate so it is very tasty I got the halloumi wrap here without egg and it was great. A little salty but very flavorful and pretty filling

Once a hole in the wall strictly serving coffee and a few sweets, Ristretto & Co. has evolved into…read morea café hotspot for locals in Sydney's South-West on Northumberland Street Liverpool. A small walkway through the cafe's busy kitchen takes you out to a quaint, rustic style courtyard to sit, relax and enjoy a coffee & brunch with friends to escape the busyness of the world outside. Ristretto & Co. is a local favourite, renowned for its seamless Campos coffee and menu offering a wide all day breakfast menu. We chose a couple of favourites and were recommended to try the waffles - every instagrammers dream! We enjoyed corn and zucchini fritters with aioli, avocado salsa and a poached egg, which had a lovely crunch, yet were still light and fluffy on the inside. The serving was very generous so despite being full, was hard to resist finishing. We also had the smashed avo (with a side of bacon) just to lighten things up which was nice and fresh with the hint of lemon. To satisfy our sweet tooth, we tried some waffles served with vanilla gelato, shredded coconut, salted caramel sauce, fresh berries, maple syrup & Persian pashmak! The presentation of this dish was beautiful with the popping colours of the berries atop the glistening maple syrup and the delicate pashmak on the top. It was hard to pull this one apart! Although this was very sweet, the flavours and textures worked well together and left us very satisfied. We thoroughly recommend visiting Ristretto for an amazing breakfast/brunch.

was walking down paddington when just came across this place and I kind of felt like getting a hot…read morechocolate so decided to stumble in there . Didn't have a lot of time so was only able to stay for a quick drink but looking at the menu was mighty tempting. They have a wide range of options for the sweet toothed out there. Thick shake menu looks great and then the hot chocolate came in an option of either Chocolate Fudge , Honey comb and one other that slips my mind. I decided to order the Honey comb. It arrives and it had marshmallow and honey comb on the side of the plate as well as some more honey comb inside . Was beautiful . Perfect temperature and the chocolate was delicious as well . I will definitely come back to check out the rest of the menu. Friendly staff who even asked if I enjoyed it too...

Zero stars if I could. Sad as this place has been here for over twenty years and I have loved…read morecoming here. In recent times, in fact the last three; the service and attitude of the staff has been getting worse. On arrival I chose the large table with a lounge, but it wasn't cleared and looked dirty. So I moved to a cleaner looking table. A waiter promptly came with water and delivered the menu. Nobody came to take my order for ten minutes. Where's my waiter? Oh there he is - on a break in another booth. Finally another waiter comes and asks what I'd like to order and at the same time gets my coffee order. More waiting and more waiting until I thought that why should I disturb anyone to follow up my orders? Today was so bad that I got up and walked out after waiting for my desert and a coffee that never came. What a horrible place and absolutely shocking service! I've had the Micky taken out of me now - forever!

Tried there eggs benedict here,I enjoyed it but the egg and the hollandaise sauce was so…read moreoverpowering I couldn't taste the pulled pork My banana smoothie, though by colour looks liked a smoothie full of berries was better than expected,this was the best of the things I tried My missus couldn't finish her chicken pesto gnocchi and I could taste why. The flavour was too overpowering I do like the decor and ambience inside The staff was friendly and the food came out at a reasonable rate Overall it's just ok to me

This is a nice little cafe that fits right into the vibe of Glebe. Had the pancakes and my wife had…read morethe baked eggs - both of these plates are well worth it! A good portion of pancakes, plenty of maple syrup and a bunch of strawberries thrown on top of the ricotta and banana - all together makes an unreal breakfast. The baked eggs with chorizo were good - a good amount of chorizo and the bread that it comes with was tasty. The coffee.. Wife had a long black but couldn't finish it, not sure about their milk coffee but black coffee here is not great. They've got some juices - expected. The vibe is pretty cool, claims cosy but doesn't deliver that. Has a really cool book that you can sit in for the 'cosy' experience, it's pretty comfy but I wouldn't describe it as cosy. Overall a pretty nice place that I will return to, their food is good! Food 7/10 Drink 6/10 Atmosphere 7/10 Overall 6.6/10

The location is excellent, the ambience is excellent but the food leaves a little bit to be…read moredesired. This place could be so much more than it is right now. I understand what they are trying to do but with some minor modification they could be excellent. I had the Cassoulet with Sausage and Poached egg for breakfast and it was a tin of baked beans heated with sausage in it and a poached egg on top....quite disappointing as a cassoulet is something completely different for me. The bacon was also a bit underdone for my liking and a greasy. I would go back here but given the choice I would pick Burnt Orange just a few meters down the road.

Excellent spot for lunch or afternoon tea on a sunny day. There's not that many outdoor cafes…read morearound on the North Shore that don't look out onto a busy road, so we keep on going back to Frenchy's. It's wonderful on a sunny winters afternoon to get a sheltered spot in the sun and have tea or coffee, or maybe a glass of wine (plus a pastry - no alcohol orders without food). It's also a plus that they cater for dogs, either at one of the outer tables or in the "dog parking" area. I've also been for lunch a few times. I don't agree with the reviews below - the quiche or pies with salad, or maybe a platter, are simple but tasty and good value.

Gorgeous cafe with nice coffee and food. Stopped by here for a takeaway and they were quick and…read morequite friendly. Plenty of lovely food options and I enjoyed my muesli cookie.

This is our favourite coffee shop in Sydney. The coffee is fantastic and the food is just as good!…read moreEllie May is lovely and you will see her behind the coffee machine most days. This is where the locals go for their caffeine fix. If you want to go somewhere with great coffee that is relaxing and unpretentious, then we cannot recommend Ellie May's enough!

Moved up to the big end of town because I am so important. But I couldn't find an honest decent…read morecafe with great coffee and great people like I had down the bad end of town? Enter Fossix. Great coffee - seriously great coffee distinguishing between chocolatey notes for milk coffee and sweeter more complex single origin beans for espresso etc. Clever food options, I note the connection to John Smiths Specialty Coffee. The food is really special. Interesting. Different. Ordered a cap and a brekky wrap. Super friendly server brought out a bottle of chilled water. Nice, I thought. Then I notice it's sparkling! How generous! Coffee and brekky come in a nano second and each is sensational. Wow only one week and I've found my cafe. I'm so happy!

Yummy cakes and treats here! Their chocolate peanut butter cookie sandwich is enormous! Also tried…read morethe carrot cake before but it was a bit too cold and dense.