Every now and then a place like the Waterview Coffee Project comes along.
Set in the little-known area of Waterview (just a few minutes off the Great North road highway 16 exit), the old shipping container cafe is almost an anti-cafe of sorts, the James Dean of cafes. No pretty elevatoresque cafe music here, just the occasional decked-out ride blasting high bass hip hop music as they slowly roll past. Want to sit down? Stay inside, or better yet - grab a seat on the pavement outside and get some of that vitamin D you've probably been missing out on.
If you're after a snack, you better look elsewhere, they only have a very few nibbles on offer. As for a coffee though, these guys know their shizzle. Chai lattes, soy mochas, decaf americanos, whatever your flavour, the tattoo-studded barista will nail it, serving it in a takeaway coffee mug.
Looking past the gritty edges (which are all part of the charm really), the place has a lot of heart and a super communal feel, their self-proclaimed ethos to 'give Waterview a heart, and a chance for the community to connect'. And it does so, not with the spritzy decorative pizzazz of some of the more central places, but just with decent genuine conversations, high class coffee and a nice dose of sunshine. Were it not for other activities (work, namely) later that day, I could've easily kept sunbathing and sipping on cup after cup of Kokako coffee.
It's not really what you'd expect a cafe to be like, which is exactly why I like it. Well done Waterview.