An unassuming hidden gem, run by the friendliest & hardest working couple. Great coffee, quick…read moreservice and some of the most delicious food we've found living in the CBD. The BLAT, Chicken Gourmet Club, Peri Peri Chicken Salad, the list goes on and on, all make with extremely fresh ingredients, bread and to order.

Issuing a strained grunt as we wandered over the crossing towards 'Bent Fork' - it seemed my…read morehusband felt a concerted effort to push more hairs out of his chin was in order. As he grumbled about 'not being a bloody hipster' we found a wooden bench right in the heart of the cafe and set about taking it all in. This is all sorts of cobbled-together-seriously-well-thought-out-slap-dashery. It's like the 'Hoarder Next Door' nipped over the fence to get 'activated' with Pete Evans and gave birth to 'Bent Fork'. A place to eat good, healthy food in recycled jars and off old spoons. It promises much with its array sweet delights (without the sugar) and already I love it. A waiter gave us a flash of bone on his way to a nearby table and as he laid the platter down in front of the diner, I confirmed that yes, at 9am someone was having meat on the bone for breakfast. I shuddered and searched for something a little less Paleo then plumped for the porridge (quinoa with coconut milk and berries). The food was great - not mind blowing but thoughtfully done, well-priced and with plenty of considered novelty to make it cool without being try-hard - which is all important given the cruisy locale. Very, very decent indeed and we shall certainly return.

Healthy, fresh, yummy, casual beach dining.. all the elements for a cool place to hang-out on a…read moreweekend for a bite to eat or coffee catch-up. The Bent Fork has all these things and is located on Lawrence Street in Freshwater (or Freshie as its locally known). The corner café has outdoor seating and friendly bouncy staff who are wanting to make your dining experience a great one. This was my second visit to Bent Fork and I remembered how great the nachos were on my last visit. The menu is seasonal and is always changing so I was pleased to see new delightful options on offer. My friend ordered the crispy soft-shell crab which was complemented by a dipping sauce and Vietnamese style salad. I stole some crab off her plate and it was delicious. Slight food envy but I was still very happy with my choice. I was feeling I needed to go for a cleaner option after a night of debauchery and chose the raw beetroot salad. My friend declared it looked like a plop of beetroot dip in the middle of the plate. I thought the dish looked fantastic. Check-out my photo and you be the judge. They have Botanica cold pressed juices! Hooray! I ordered a green juice and felt the instant effects of natural goodness pumping through my veins. I highly recommend Bent Fork. The coffee is also a winner and I must mention that they do breakfast until late.

Stroll like a dandy down Dee Why promenade of a weekend morning and you'll see a few cafes with…read morezero people in them and one with all the people in them. Literally all of them, like some giant baby has been using them as toys and is jamming them all into one room of a huge Barbie play house for it's own infantile amusement. It doesn't make any sense, only, it totally does. The cafe is Seachange. and the reason it's so beloved by locals is three-fold: the servings are huge (no fleck of steak on a giant white plate here), they're happy to change absolutely anything on your order without any pissy whining or "No, the chef would kill me" type excuses, and the staff and management are unbelievably friendly. Wulf (sp?) made sure our group got a table inside to protect the little baby we had with us from the sun, and even though he was run off his feet stopped by the table a few times to drop jokes. I had the acai brekky bowl with banana and strawberry and bircher, at $15.90 it's the healthiest way to start the day while still feeling like you're eating ice cream. The Local with tons of bacon, eggs, and a potato rosti is also a winner, as is, oh, pretty much anything on the menu. When you're done, slop across the road and roll about on the beach like a walrus. Trust me, it's great.

One and a half years later, it still has maintained that same quality. Nice and efficient service,…read moregreat portions and good food. The coffee ($3.80) is enjoyable (excellent latte art by the way!) and the view is simply perfect. I love coming here when catching up with friends. Their toasted Turkish sandwiches are still my favourite ($15 and a large portion). Nothing better than consistency and they have it here. Highly recommended!!

Such good iced coffee. And I'm not talking about the delicious, creamy atrocity Aussies call iced…read morecoffee, I'm talking about coffee. With ice in it. It's an art, people! (They also have an 8-hour cold drip should you so desire.) The shop is tiny, but if you're lucky enough to snag a stump you'll be privy to some of the most amusing customer conversations. Hungry? They were whipping up waffles last time I was there. But don't get your tastebuds in too much of a tizzy, it's just waffles, so if that's what you want, consider yourself a winner. If not, well, tough luck. But let's be honest, you're heading here for the coffee because it's undoubtably Manly's best, whether hot or cold. And hey, I'm sure they'll even put the ice cream in there if you ask nicely. Just don't ask for decaf. Or larges.

These guys are serious about coffee. Whether it's a doppio espresso or cold drip, you can always…read morecount on a great coffee. The menu is simple: Coffee in one size. No large. No decaf. Waffles with optional chocolate. Because they do it simple, they do it well. The waffles are freshly made as you order. The chocolate is freshly melted Belgian chocolate. The coffee is either their standard blend, or a single origin that rotates every few days - and they are fastidious about how they make it. The actual café is just a hole in the wall with a few boxes & logs that serve as stools. The popularity of this spot ensures an intimate buzz and more often than not, a friendly conversation with the locals. Well worth a visit.

We're from the east and we don't often get to the North Side, but we do enjoy exploring the beaches…read moreand the cafes! A day off gave us the opportunity to head over and enjoy brunch at Little Collins, Freshwater. About 5 minutes walk from the beach, located on the strip of shops in Freshwater, the cafe is on a corner spot, uncover but open to the breeze and daily sunlight. Stylish and casual fit out with wire chairs, hanging pendant lights and flowers for a decorative element. Staff are friendly and hospitable, make your order at the counter and food is brought to you when ready, and it is quite efficiently. We begin with our coffee, made using Campos beans, and had this with our healthy brekkie bar for a nice little snack while our meal was prepared. Drink wise, there's plenty of juices and smoothies or milkshakes and kombucha. The menu sports all day brekkie and lunch from 11am with your traditional brekkie favourites, as well as super healthy items like acai, Bircher and salads for lunch. We order savoury dishes; the smashed avo, lemon labneh + dukkah with cherry tomatoes, and dukkah. We added mushrooms to the dish. We also ordered the scrambled eggs with a side of kale and relish. The eggs were nice and creamy, with crispy bread. It was a great brekkie and a good option since you can choose from a range of add ons. The food can be ordered eat in or to go, and if you're in a rush, there's also plenty of food ready in the window, from muffins, croissants to healthy slices and we had a few of these too. Coffee is by campos, a mainstream favourite, and there's also plenty of options for tea, juice or smoothies. Food here is well priced and the cafe overall is very approachable.

Popped in here randomly cause I was hungry. Ordered the chili eggs and wow!! Sooo good!!! The…read morefirst time since living in Australia where I've finally found food with flavor that's not Asian. This would be the closest to "Mexican spices" I've found. Definitely worth checking out! Staff was friendly too.

If you live in Dee Why (like I did for over a decade) and you are out and about, doing your…read moreshopping, it is not that easy to find a good coffee. There are a few average coffee shops around, they aren't bad, just average, to find a really good coffee it was often difficult unless you head down to the cafes and restaurants near the beach. This has changed now the madness has arrived. Mad Espresso stands for making a difference and that they are, not only so they serve really good coffee but their coffee is organic, from Columbia. They also serve organic tea, hot chocolate and chai. They are a little out of the way as they are not in the main grocery shopping area (yet they are still much closer than the beach), but there is a philosophy behind the location, as in the last few years, Dee Why's shopping area has been completely taken over by large complexes and Mad want to avoid being part of these conglomerates, which I don't think is so crazy. To my knowledge they are the only organic coffee shop in the area, so good on them for their difference.

6am opening time with amazing service and breakfast. $8.50 for a large mocha and a bacon and egg…read moreroll!!! So good! Such Delicious food! Yum!! I will be back again! I loved it!!! If you're ever in Dee Why and need a great meal at a great price go here!!

Terrific coffee, and only a few minutes' stroll from my house!…read more I went here out of desperation: I was out of coffee beans for home, and - no longer living close to the earth-shatteringly good Coffee Alchemy - I gave it a shot. I'm so glad I did. Two (of the four?) brothers have been running a small coffee shop here since August 2013. It's a fairly ordinary, quiet cafe if you want to sit in, or at their outside tables, to enjoy a coffee. But I bought a 250g bag of their beans (they roast them at a roastery up in French's Forest) and took them home; it was a bit steep at $14. In my machine they produced a brown magical elixer that is rich, balanced and robust either as an espresso shot or in milky coffee. Yum. I have since been buying 1kg bags of whole beans. These work out to be 40% cheaper than buying 250g, so if you make a lot of coffee at home (I do) or have vacuum-sealed containers for the beans (I do) then it's definitely worth it. Fantastic coffee, worth looking for, if you're in this neck of the woods.

This place is the perfect breakfast cafe. While staying nearby for 2 weeks, I must've come in here…read more5 or 6 times! Amazing breakfast burger, smoothies and coffee. Really can't go wrong here!

Great little café run by staff who seem to care about what they do. Good coffee and quick snacks…read morethat are a cut above the usual fare.

Great beachside spot for coffee or lunch. Bustling but not too crowded on a Friday for lunch,…read moreimagine it is crazy on weekends. Falafel wrap and BLAT sandwich were both delicious.

Me gusta. This is a…read moresolid breakfast/brunch/lunch joint fronting South Curl Curl beach. It has outdoor seating that is super dog-friendly and indoor seating with a splendid view of the ocean if you're feeling cozy. This place is frequented by the locals, which I love. And the workers are super chipper and friendly, which is great! I ordered the Avo Melt on Turkish ($18), which is vegan and can be modified to being gluten-free. It was served hot and fresh, and the cheese melted into the avo-spinach-tomato mixture. The hot sauce gave it a nice kick. Divine. I also had a chai latte, which they nailed. I wouldn't hesitate to come back here if I'm ever in the area again. Who knows, maybe I'll move out to Northern Beaches and frequent this place once a week!