Coffee Tea & Me

Overview

After an undeniably successful run serving Campos coffee and compressed cool to Redfern locals, the people behind Coffee Tea & Me have set up shop on Potts Point's busy Macleay Street. Like its sister, it's cosy, kitsch and worth a visit.

True to its name, there's not much room for much else than coffee, tea or you, but that's part of the charm. Plus the space is well utilised with cute furnishes like teeny chairs constructed from belted magazines, half-stool-half-bike-peddle seats and two modest tables made all the more delightful thanks to colourful pannikins for drinking water.

The coffee itself is a fine balance of bitter-smooth and served quickly from the well-staffed La Marzocco machine sharing the floor space, in turn creating a refreshing communal vibe. Even on busy Sunday mornings with queues reaching the pavement, you won't wait long. Tea lovers can pick from seven or eight T2 varieties all sat in a row above the counter along with a couple of Monin syrups. Yes, they do hazelnut lattes.

Food comes in the form of bagels: steamed, flat-toasted and with a very decent array of filling options. The smoked salmon and avocado was just the right amount of crispy, not too dry and tasty ($7.90). With the "choose any bagel and get your coffee for $1" deal, you'll leave with a satisfied stomach and a far from bad taste in your mouth.

There are also devilishly rich $5 caramel slices (best shared between two), chocolate brownies (also $5) and a selection of petit fours like pistachio cake bites for those more sweet than savoury.

If you don't mind literally rubbing shoulders with your neighbours, then Coffee, Tea & Me is the perfect people-watching spot if you can nab a pew. However, if this unassuming little gem can get outdoor seating permission, there's not doubt it will do wonders.