The Nine Best Coffee Shops in Sydney's CBD
Seek out these Sydney CBD coffee spots for a top-notch pre-work caffeine hit.
The Nine Best Coffee Shops in Sydney's CBD
Seek out these Sydney CBD coffee spots for a top-notch pre-work caffeine hit.
When you're doing an office coffee run in Sydney CBD, it's widely expected that you'll do what it takes to get the best cup possible. Whether it's hoofing it an extra block, up a hill or through construction — no obstacle is too great when it comes to snagging the best coffee in Sydney. Luckily, our fine city centre is dotted with roasters and cafes turning great single-origin and house blends into espresso, filter and cold brew coffees — you just need to know where to find them.
So here we give you the best coffee shops in Sydney. Seek them out and you'll be rewarded with both taste and thanks from your caffeine-hungry co-workers.
Recommended reads:
The Best Cafes in Sydney
The Best Bakeries in Sydney
The Best Bagels in Sydney
The Best Breakfast in Sydney
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Dukes Coffee Roasters has been one of Melbourne’s best coffee roasters since 2008, and we’re lucky enough to have our own outpost down at Barangaroo. The blond timber and smooth curves here mimic those of Dukes’ Melbourne store, though this space is bigger, lighter, and brighter than its southern sibling.
Brewing from 7.30am every weekday, the cafe brews Dukes’ full range of coffee black, with milk or as a filter. Alongside that, it has a tidy selection of sandwiches, pastries and sweet treats. Better yet, the team is committed to supporting both the planet and every one of the communities involved in the coffee’s production. Each bag of coffee beans has been ethically traded and can be traced right back to the farm from which it came.
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9
Barrack Place is the CBD’s new food and caffeine-filled laneway hangout. Inside, you’ll find three spots serving top-notch brews, one of them being southwest Sydney coffee roastery St Dreux. Its second outpost is a pastel pink coffee oasis. It’s serving up its own blends of beans as milky coffees, filter and nitro cold brew — a sparkling, nitrogen-charged coffee with the foamy head of a beer. Perfect for Sydney’s balmy summer mornings (and afternoons).
Food is light, limited to pastries — sweet and savoury — and baked goods. If you’re looking for something heartier, we suggest heading next door to the aforementioned Mo’st — it’s slinging rou jia mo: a Chinese-style burger originating from the Shaanxi Province that’s said to be the world’s oldest sandwich.
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8
If you’re looking for a way to cheer up your working week in the CBD, pop into June’s Shoppe. This bright yellow cafe has friendly staff and a simple menu – think pastries, toast and open sandwiches. At brekkie, fuel up with the Top of the B&E: a mountain of fried egg, maple bacon, barbecue sauce and red Leicester cheese. Then, come lunch, tuck into a feast of wagyu bresaola, Branston pickle, rocket, hot mustard sour cream and ricotta salata. If you’re looking for a sugar hit, there’s the Nutella banana bread, loaded with the obvious spread, plus banana, spiced strawberry sauce and caramel popcorn.
As for the coffee, it’s a quality blend from Gabriel Roasters. Tea, chai, kombucha, cold-pressed juices and coconut waters are also on the menu.
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7
Regiment is a busy glass-walled cafe smack-bang on the busiest part of George Street. You won’t be able to escape the hustle and bustle here, but it’s one of the best Sydney coffee spots. Stepping in, you’ll be greeted by two sleek white Synesso Hydras, warm lighting, blond wood, and a wall stacked with all the things you’ll need to make a great coffee (here, courtesy of Five Senses).
Given its location, the venue is filled with office workers on coffee breaks and suit-and-tie types taking meetings — but that doesn’t mean this is any old CBD cafe. If you’re in a pre-meeting rush, grab a coffee to go and pick a sweet treat from the glass case next to the counter — on any given day there might be anything from flourless chocolate brownies to hunks of caramel slice. Time to spare? Take your pick from a selection of bowls, salads, sandwiches and dishes.
Image: Kimberley Low.
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6
When award-winning baristas get together to start their own cafe, you can bet that the coffee will be pretty damn good. Normcore Coffee Roasters, operated by Nate Lee and Chanho Hong, is just that. With a name taken from the anti-fashion trend, Normcore (a fusion of ‘normal’ and ‘hardcore’) serves up ‘hardcore’ blends for its lineup of single-origin black coffee and Normcore blends for customers who prefer their cuppa on the milkier side.
Open Monday to Friday from 7am, the tiny cafe on Castlereagh Street is a perfect pitstop for a summery cold brew or warming espresso made from seasonal house-blended coffee. Plus, you can get stuck into a breakfast menu of smashed avo, toasties, and egg and bacon rolls. In addition to brunch favourites, there’s a small lineup of soba salads and chicken and ham sandos to satisfy hungrier customers. With an industrial aesthetic and champion beans, the Sydney coffee shop and roaster offers something for coffee experts and brunch lovers alike.
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5
When the talent behind Reuben Hills and Paramount Coffee Project expanded to the CBD, it was great news to those that work around Martin Place. As well as serving up the seasonal house blends that has given Reuben Hills its good rep, it’s also slinging an interesting menu to match. Fuel up before work with avo toast with Vegemite ‘dust’, chicken tacos or the brown rice congee. Plus, the Sydney cafe sometimes stocks Short Stop doughnuts.
Fitted out with concrete-slab benchtops, striking black marble panelling and wooden stools, Hills Bros carries on the tradition of sleek design found in its Surry Hills siblings inside a Martin Place office building. Doors open from 7am every weekday so you can head down to Hills Bros for a quick brekkie, sit-down brunch, or afternoon snack.
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4
Usually you don’t find good Sydney coffee in shopping arcades. But that’s not true in The Strand Arcade, where Marrickville’s Coffee Alchemy operates its pocket-sized Gumption coffee bar. Like its roastery-cafe, this one delivers quality coffee, sans the fuss (that is to day, any food). So let the coffee speak for itself and order up — try the signature house blend, Hairy Chest. If you like it, you can even buy a bag to take home.
It’s standing room only inside, with tall counters outside in the arcade providing seats, should you loll about for longer — and with hours to match the arcade’s shopping times, it’s open till 5pm on weekdays and 6pm on Thursdays.
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3
Fossix Coffee has been serving up great eats and specialty coffee on Pitt Street since opening in 2016. Run by owner Jeremy Glass and chef Sean Kiely, the Sydney coffee shop boasts house-made pastries, cakes and other sweet treats that are a far cry from your run-of-mill CBD cafeteria eats. Open from 7.30am every weekday, the foyer cafe is serving up espressos and iced coffees made on a rotating selection of coffee, including single-origin blends by Sample Coffee.
Hungry visitors can check out the takeaway brekkie and lunch menu — think smoked salmon bagels, croissants and barbecue pulled pork wraps — or choose from a selection of vego and gluten-free options. Those with a sweet-tooth can tuck into the changing menu of cakes, with local favourites including the Golden Gaytime cheesecake, ‘Mum’s carrot cake’ and a decadent red velvet cake.
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2
Tucked away behind King Street, Skittle Lane Coffee features New York-inspired interiors, with the cafe’s high ceilings and large steel windows demanding attention. Behind the machines, the friendly Skittle Lane crew is serving some of Sydney’s best coffee.
Keeping things sleek with a monochromic colour scheme, Skittle Lane Coffee is cool and contemporary. From the black marble block counter to the modern light fittings hanging overhead, they know how to nail the finishing touches. Aside from its aesthetic charm, these guys deliver first and foremost as a top-notch coffee shop. Serving up their own roasted coffee, Skittle Lane’s seasonal blend offers a punchy full-bodied cup while their rotating selection of single origins keeps coffee geeks on their toes. Pop in on your way to the office for a quick Brewtown Brewnut or pastry from Penny Fours, or stop by for a tasty grab-and-go Sonoma toastie to curb that lunchtime rumble.
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1
Faced with a tsunami of coffee and food, CBD dwellers often have a hard time deciding were to eat. But Pablo & Rusty’s on Castlereagh Street seems to be on top of everyone’s list — and with an appealing façade, matched with a chic interior and top-notch menu to boot, it deserves to be.
Both takeaway and dine-in orders are done at the front counter, which also holds an array of sweet treats. The big black coffee bar takes pride of place, brewing everything from single origins and filter, to their seasonal espresso blend. Besides the bean playing a distinctive role here, the food is correspondingly just as excellent, with everything from eggs and black sticky rice on the breakfast menu to beef brisket buns and gnocchi on the lunch.
Top image: Regiment by Kimberley Low.
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