Barrel One Coffee Roasters

Brookvale locals have a new early morning go-to thanks to Barrel One Coffee Roasters, which has just opened a cafe inside its six-year-old roasting warehouse. The New York-style cafe is open from 6am Monday through Friday and 7am on Saturdays, making it ideal for commuters and all-around early risers.

For the fit-out, founder Daniel Agapiou was inspired by a recent trip to Brooklyn. The result is a sleek design that highlights the warehouse feel with a polished concrete bar and floors, bare timber high tables and a letter board menu, all accented by lush greenery and a hanging plant garden.

Barrel One is all about ethically sourced coffee — supporting farmer co-ops and trading with independent producers — so you know you're getting a (morally) good cuppa here, available in both single origin and blends. Non-coffee options range from organic sodas and fresh pressed juices ($6 each) to coconut hot chocolates and turmeric almond milk lattes ($4.7 each)

Apart from the drinks, the succinct food menu is New York diner-themed and includes two types of grilled cheese toasties stuffed with produce from Melbourne's Maker and Monger ($12-13) — choose from swiss, gruyere, smoked ham and mustard or cheddar, jalapeño, roasted capsicum and cornichons varieties. Other specialties include the smoked reuben by Manly's Pastrami Kings ($14); avocado on rye with pastrami or smoked trout ($12 each); and bagels and schmear by Brooklyn Boy Bagels ($8–$12), with cashew cheese also up for grabs. It's simple comfort food at it's finest.