Great coffee and great ambience. During my stay at…read morechatswood, steam engine was my regular morning ritual. They got a dj on Friday which was pretty amazing!! I tried their breakfast set too with avacado toast.

The little engine that could!…read more And this place is little. Constructed on the far left hand corner at the bottom of the escalators at Chatswood Interchange, it's difficult to miss as you can see the steam rising from Barista magic at work. It's busy, in a worker bee sense. People come and go clutching coffee, whilst 3 artisans work their craft. I rolled in here with my two elderly companions on Wednesday post lunch, and we were drawn to the little padded seats at the back, which also opens through to the other side. Ordering, then taking a seat, our talking point became the shelves in front of us with coffee and train paraphernalia. I grabbed the HONY book on display and attempted to explain the concept to the ex-journalist at my right. The book (from 2010) unfortunately contains only the images and captions, not the stories that we have all seen on Facebook, but I think she got what I meant. Soon after, the coffees arrived. Soy Latte. Flat White. Cappuccino. Our cappuccino drinker said the flavour was lovely but she wanted it "hotter". The flat white drinker remarked in earnest tones that it was wonderful. I just drank mine and smiled. Yes it was damn good. One of the best Soy Latte's I've had. No bitterness. A smooth, flavourful brew with some complexity to delight my tastebuds. Isn't "winning your loyalty" an interesting concept. When I stroll through Chatswood next I would find myself hard pressed to try another coffee place, and there are many... If I did try another coffee place, I'd feel like I was cheating on TSE. That's what winning your loyalty is all about.

Since I was up early, I took a walk to see if I could locate Botanica Garden Cafe and to see if it…read morewas worth trying to get my travel companions to get up early one morning for breakfast. The walk was a little long, but I found the cafe directly across from the Waverton train station. And it was so cute! The decorations! The nooks! The mish-mash of homey cutesy things. Ultimately, I was unsuccessful at tugging them out of bed for this, given our limited time remaining in Sydney. But I bought one of their Gluten Free Almond and Coconut Teacake with Passionfruit $5, just so I could review this place so others can try it for the hot meal that I did not get to experience. Service was quite nice. The Teacake, however, was just okay. But then I am not much for passionfruit, and the gluten free nature of the cake may have led it to be a bit more on the crumbly side. Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4pm Saturday and Sunday 8am - 3pm For their commuters, they offer a takeaway Good Morning Menu special deal - $11 for a regular coffee and a choice of toasties and brekkie rolls, from 7:30am - 10am (weekdays only, I suppose).

Fantastic foods with amazing presentation & taste. Good service too but place needs tidying up…read moreas it looks more like a SEA hut. Nevertheless the Quiche & Bruschetta were fantastic!

Great atmosphere, great service, great food and great coffee…read more That's a lot of great. There's something about this place that just oozes greatness. Perhaps it's the fact that it's off Willoughby Road with the passing of pedestrian tragic

Coffee: Bean Drinking Passion: 9/10…read moreCrema: 9/10 Walk into a cafe that does its own roasting and you are on the right track. Go into a cafe that has a separate machine, in this case a Slayer, then you've done extremely well. When this cafe also has multiple single origin coffees on the go, you've arrived. Around this area,this is an easy cafe to recommend. I love the passion they have for awesome coffee and the attention to service they obviously pride themselves with. While I was not blown away with the Kiaragana Peaberry, neither was it disappointing. This would make an awesome "sit at home on your balcony and enjoy a weekend morning" coffee. It was smooth and robust, but as a single origin, it just didn't jump out and say "here I am". So to ensure I finished on a great note, I got them to warm up the slayer and pop out a Kenyan Tegu espresso (on a dash of hot water), and it was awesome. On par with the Honduras I had at Coffee Alchemy, this coffee was robust enough with a hit of a bright back-note, but finished cleanly. All in all it was an enjoyable experience which is exactly what I look for in a great coffee. So if you find your self in Crows Nest, or perhaps are trying to avoid the cafes in North Sydney, this place is a great option. N.B. They have public WiFi on offer. No #powerwhoring available

Hmm the wafting smells of sugar, coconut and cinnamon.........such a delight!…read more As we walked in after dinner and because the weather was overcast the store appeared to be dark inside probably due to their minimal lighting. I think they're going for that dark seductive ambiance vibe or I could be way off! After browsing the various collections of cakes (cakes the size you could put your whole face on!) we decided on ye good ole Kurtosh - cinnamon of course although the coconut was a good contender. $7.50 for one and made fresh to order which only took about 5 minutes which we happily sat around to wait for. The interior is an industrial style with exposed brick and dim lighting. As you walk in the cakes and pastries selection is on the left and straight ahead is their coffee station with a massive coffee machine! Down the back to the left is a large communal table for bigger groups etc. Will have to pop by again, as they have cute cups they serve their tea/coffee in and also to try their cookies and cream cake i spied earlier.

Ok ok so I don't really see why there is so much love for the place. It's average at the most…read more Two things I have to admit it is pretty inside and the coffee's are amazing. I however find the cakes to be pretty meh. They taste below average. I have had better and I have seen better. The tiramisu I had was ok though. Aldi and Coles tiramisu is better though. The service is ok, girls behind counter are rather slow and not very friendly. The barista is amazing. She was alone and she made about 20 coffees in 6 minutes. I was impressed.. Don't think ill be back though..

Best coffee and teas in Sydney. Great owners and they employ a lovely team/staff and great…read moreambiance.

Oh I've been hoping to find a place like this... old, pokey, hidden rooms (not so hidden but most…read morewould not know they are there unless they went to the outdoor toilet). There's always a line out the door in the mornings when I pass by. I could only imagine it was because the coffee was outstanding as the location in Naremburn is right on Willoughby road and near the highway overpass. Despite my fluffy indecisiveness (there's so much to soak up and look at) the staff were friendly and accommodating (I think they knew I was a Forsyth virgin). So the coffee. I wish I could say I melted at my first sip. I didn't though. It was a little bitter for my liking but not because of the way it was made I think it was just this particular blend. They use Vitasoy rather than the smoother Bonsoi too which cuts the flavour a bit. Saying all this, I still feel compelled to stop writing and buy another. Perhaps I should try another version - like their 'slow coffee', filter, plunger or syphon style. Sweet treats to have with your cuppa - mini cup cakes, Addiction brownies, smartie face biscutes and giant florentines. I loved the brown cups and sauces my mocha came in... nice shape to hold. If your after a quiet cuppa they have a sweet but modest outdoor area and an light indoor area downstairs (if it's busy you can order down here to as there's another coffee machine). I also love that their coffee is sourced from organic, sustainable, direct trade and rainforest alliance plantations. They have the eco/community mindset that's for sure and set up events like the annual picking of the cherries day for the local kids at their retail shop. I'd come here to buy a unique teapot or mugs, loose leaf tea or coffee. The cafe is 30 years old and it looks like they have 30 years of collectables - and dust on the display shelves I'm looking at. But it somehow adds to the charm of this place - as long as the coffee cups and eating areas are clean I'm happy. Custom is varied and I guess that's mostly because it's been here for so long - the word has spread.

Super friendly service is always welcome, but never more so than on a Monday morning on the way to…read morework. Check your options from the 'Coffee' & 'Not Coffee' menus. Some food available, and some seating if you have time to sit and enjoy!

I really like this place since it's on the way to uni. All staffs are super friendly and…read morewell-trained. Also, the service is fast and the place is really cozy. You should check this place out!

Tea Journal is a little slice of heaven located in a somewhat hidden part of the Chatswood…read moreInterchange, opposite of the post office. The interior is minimally decorated with the main focus on their teas and freshly baked cakes, the color scheme is calming (greys, pale greens, white, earthy tones) and the space is open and well lit. Besides the occasional outburst of loud noises coming from those walking past outside, it's rather quiet inside which makes for a tranquil and satisfying experience. Although I wasn't given an explanation of their products, I found from casual reading that all their teas are organic and from their very own plantations in Yunnan. I can't call myself a tea connoisseur, but I do appreciate a good cup of tea and the teas I've had here on two separate occasions were beautiful. On their menu is a decent selection of white, green, black, herbal and oolang teas with some mixed ones. If you're on the lookout for lighter cakes, Tea Journal is where it's at! Their cakes are just a tad bit sweet, stay true to their subtle flavors, baked fresh on premise (witnessed this personally!) and come with an affordable price tag. The matcha cake was exceptionally light, fluffy and moist. To my surprise, the cream was equally as airy if not more and the matcha flavor was very true through and through which meant that there was a hint of bitterness. While there is an abundance of matcha desserts in Sydney, I found it rather difficult to find Japanese cheesecake so it was a pleasant surprise when I noticed it here. Cheesecakes are generally dense and a bit crumbly, but a Japanese cheesecake is cotton-y soft in texture and much lighter in taste. Tea Journal's version is exactly this, and it was topped off with some powdered sugar. The only reason why I docked a star was for the inconsistent service. On my first visit, an employee was carefully watching to make sure the leaves weren't left in for too long; and a refill of hot water was quickly offered to replenish my teapot before it was even empty. On my second visit, the service was rather lackluster, impersonal and the employees seemed confused/flustered when asked questions.

This seems like a very popular study spot, I think it's a great alternative to cafes! The cakes…read morehere are also quite good -- they're nice and light, perfect to pair with tea. I was rather disappointed in their tea though. The tea in the pot we ordered was full of particles and almost all the leaves were broken and ripped. Really surprising for a company that's supposed to be known for the quality of their tea. Still, I'm glad they ventured into the cafe space; I hope there will be more places like this!

The wraps, sandwiches and coffees are really really good. Can come here often. Nice spot for a…read morequick bite.

Great place for a cup of coffee and food. Quick service and reasonable prices. There are a few…read morelocations.

Gloria Jean's are always good with adding a little extra here and there, but here I ordered totally…read moreoff menu (white chocolate raspberry ice mocha) and they actually made it. Brilliant.