Coffee Alchemy

Scores:
Coffee: 19/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 32/40

Friday: My walking’s lead me to Coffee Alchemy on Addison Road in the top of Marrickville, it’s an unusual street to find one of Sydney’s best coffee shops, but I can say, it’s totally worth the walk through industrial gloom on the way there.

More of a house of worship (or maybe an industrial cleaners) then a coffee shop, you’ll notice one clear thing when you walk in, coffee is all that is happening here. There is no food, there very limited tables, seating is strange (church benches!) and everyone faces the coffee machine. Heaven help you if you order deaf or a hot chocolate (not sure if they do either).

I walk in and find the café is unsurprisingly full. In going up to the counter, I do my best not to be overwhelmed and order a long black.

If you know your coffee stuff you have a bean option here. What I mean by option is that there are typically a few different beans on the run at the same time. For instance, today, for my long black, I had the option to pick from three origins or blends. Although if you’re like me, and enjoy the surprise, you don’t have to express an opinion.

It’s all mechanics here after my order, so I find my way onto one of the benches and wait. There is little chat happening here, but this is not a bad thing.

Before you come here, you may suspect that Alchemy is the home of the hipster (I did), but you would be wrong, Alchemy is a home to a coffee lover. While there are the usual high cut, tight, pastel short types here, there are equally as many older more in touch with society types who are equally enjoying the experience.

The coffee comes out reasonably quickly and, as you can see, it looks wonderful for a long black.

I take a smell of the coffee and it is an experience in it self. Dirty, sweet, flowerily, and a little spicy the smell of the bean just lingers in your nose. It’s not for the fait hearted, but it is a simply wonderful experience (it’s also fun trying to guess what blend/origin you ended up with!).

In tasting the coffee, the drink must be one of the best-balanced espressos I have ever had. Those smells, I described above, are far more distinguishable when drinking it. You initially taste a wonderful (tropical?) fruit taste, followed by an earthy dirty, but yet slightly spicy taste, which tends to linger nicely in your mouth. While I mention a dirty flavour the overall effect is very smooth.

Letting the coffee cool, the spiciness of the drink becomes far more acute. It’s almost a whole new experience. The long black becomes a drink with more of a bite, yet still remains a black coffee without that unpleasant aftertaste that one so often experiences with this level of acidity.

On a side note, there is just so much amazing coffee things happening here, the espresso machine aside, I can see 3 other forms of coffee making magic in just glancing at the bar, a place of science indeed.

Overall, there is just so little and far too much to say about Alchemy. It’s just a wonderful coffee house, but so far from being a place to relax, Alchemy is only about the coffee. If you want to experience the bean at it’s best, come here. If you want a place to sit, grab a bite and take in the world, don’t.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 9/10
Experience: 10/10
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Coffee total: 19/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): industrial cleaner meets coffee house of worship
Cool?: 7/10
Service: 6/10
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Cafe: 13/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 32/40

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Double Roasters

Scores:

Coffee: 17/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 35/40
Bean: El Salvador single origin ‘Oro Lavado’

Friday: Given my day off I decided to walk up part of the way from Marrickville to Enmore (the great inner west coffee frontier). My first stop was a great looking place I had not heard off (not to hard in these parts for me) called Double Roasters.

Double Roasters is on Victoria Road, across from one of the many parks along this stretch. While Double has a big awning it’s kinda hard to spot, so keep your eyes peeled.

Walking in it’s everything I would hope for from a coffee shop in the area, cool and friendly.

I was initially greeted by some really friendly staff members, who were chatty and jokey and willing to talk coffee, the weather or flight noise. 

I took a seat somewhere near the door and scope out the place. It’s industrial chic: old coffee equipment, wooden tables and a worn and painted cement floor. Were better to spend a 30mins or so? I love it.

I went up to the counter and ordered a latte and took a seat near the big door.

The drink came quickly and presented really well. The latte sat within a very new egg like glass, and was served on some old fine China (same as Mecca King Street), moreover, the spoon, which is often forgotten, was one of those old tourist location spoons (mine was from Winton QLD), hilarious. I’m going to get in trouble here for saying there is some nice irony to this, but I reckon I am using the word correctly here. The art on top was a casual leaf, which looked fantastic. Top marks.

While a little thin on the foam for a latte, the coffee was amazing. They were pumping out a Single Origin coffee (roasted out back) from El Salvador named ‘oro lavado’. The aroma from the coffee was an interesting caramel, nutty smell, which I reckon nicely balanced the milk.

Tasting it, it is a coffee with plenty of character. That sweet caramel flavour, which I smelt, tended to dominate the taste, but then you are occasionally hit with that pleasant nutty after tone, which creates some balance to the drink.

 One of the most best things about this coffee was the acidity refinement and depth of the drink, which was quite noticeable even in a milk based coffee, a long black here I reckon would be a knock out.

Overall, funky, friendly and with some magnificent coffee (not to mention some of the food going past), this newbie to the area is going to make a killing to one of the most exciting coffee regions in the Sydney Landscape.

Scores:

1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 8/10
Experience (taste and smell): 9/10
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Coffee total: 17/20
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2. Cafe score 
Style (what’s it feel like): Australian industrial chic
Cool?: 9/10
Service: 9/10
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Cafe: 18/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 35/40

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The Kick Inside

UPDATE: Sat 11th Feb 2012.
Sad news coffee lovers, this coffee shop closed down this week. Really sad to see this one go!


 Scores:

Coffee: 15/20

Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 31/40
Bean / roaster: Golden Cobra

Wednesday: A wet morning inspires me to go searching for a good coffee closer afield. Just down Erko road, I’m told The Kick Inside, is possibly one of the grooviest cafes in the inner west, so I go and check it out.

More of a Surry joint then a Newtown one. The Kick is a 1970s paradise, a place of old plastic kitchen tables and chairs, old worn floorboards and a coffee machine which so many magnets it looks more a fridge.

I walk in from a huge rainstorm and find with great relief a huge table is open in front of me. Some cool random house music is playing and I take a seat near the door. Winning place so far.

I order at the counter and grab a flat white, the barista is pleased with the order as he had been pumping out a few too many baby-chino’s for his likening this morning. He’s the friendly sort and we had a chat about my accent and what I was going to do tomorrow (Australia Day).

The coffee arrives in no time and while it’s a little foam heavy and not so delicately constructed, it looks good and more importantly has a really pleasing fruity aroma to it, which is something to savour.

The coffee is an amazing, rich, bold and smooth roast (Golden Cobra).  It’s a blend coffee with some bean from PNG in the mix. I love PNG coffee as, if roasted well, adds some fantastic distinct fruitiness to any coffee’s taste.

The coffee from The Kick is both delicate and complex in nature. It has a slight level of acidity to it's coffee, which you can work out even with milk in the mix. It's a winner of a bean and a winner of a drink.

I stayed here a while, doing some of my last writing for my current job, before I start my next one. It’s a place that you can just chill for ages without being bothered. Or chat away and feel part of the erko scene.

Overall, I like the place, it’s unique for the area, super friendly and has a great reasonably unused and unseen, organic bean. Do check it out!


Scores:

1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 6/10
Experience (smell and taste): 9/10
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Coffee total: 15/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): 1970’s lounge room
Cool?: 8/10
Service: 8/10
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Cafe: 16/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 31/40

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Becasse Bakery

Scores:
Coffee: 13/20

Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 24/40

Friday: Just Becasse. My search for the best coffee in the city Westfield continues today. I find myself looking for a easy snack after a weighty morning’s typing. Where better to relax, I ask myself, then in front of the baking window at the amazing Becasse Bakery.

Found on the food court level of the Westfield building, Becasse Bakery is the cheaper, more student friendly spin off to the posh more expensive restraint upstairs.

In café in this ecosystem has to be different as the Westfield has a multitude of café and coffee options, Becasse trades on it’s newly formed (classy) name and on it’s excess of great looking bread and pastries.

Becasse for a Friday arvo is pumping. Coffee and bread orders seem to be going though the roof and the line for the counter is many persons deep. I finally get to the counter, where a very friendly French girl greets me. I somehow in the cause of ordering a coffee become involved in an interoffice (café) joke, it’s a fun experience. Inter-staff jokes going on I always consider a good thing, as it means the atmosphere is light hearted and chilled. I at the end of this end up with a flat white.

At Becasse, they trade on the food court actions, and so there is no table service here (even if you order sit in). I know I have a bit of a wait so I grab a seat at the counter in front of the large window looking in at the kitchen and lose myself in watching bread and pastries being shaped.

My name gets called and I find my way around all the new people waiting on coffee orders. I can see that the coffee has been mass-produced by its look and only some thought had gone into the look and style of the drink (anyway, any style could get ruined by my walking).

Aroma wise the coffee has a sweetish smell to it, which has citrus tingle to it. It does not smell too bold, but does have hints of that nice roasted coffee aroma.

Proportionally speaking the flat white works well, and has a good foam to milk ratio. Considering the heat of the drink it’s not very hot, but defiantly within the realm it should be (I personally think the milk was heated to a near perfect level, I don’t like to burn my mouth).

Sipping on it I can immediately taste that citrus aroma. You will be able to pick out that by citrus I mean not just a lemon or orange, but more a mixture of citrus fruits, it’s nice and a little challenging. My nose, for a change, was on the target on the roast of the bean and after one or two sips it is unquestionably clear that the coffee is a medium bodied drink. Overall the drink had a reasonable balance to it.

Generally speaking, for the cafe lover, Becasse stands well above the typical food court experience. Its coffee is of a high quality (Quarter Twenty One blend) and the window to the inner workings of the bakery gives it something extra. The long lines and having to find and watch a table is a pain however, and more so is carrying you’re coffee around, especially given the competitive nature of this food court and balancing a laptop and your shopping with you’re coffee can feel a little challenging for the solo diner. I like the cafe, but it’s not a stand out to me when I’m next in the area.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 5/10
Experience (taste and smell): 7/10
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Coffee total: 13/20
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2. Cafe score 
Style (what’s it feel like): food court café meets Chinese dumping/noodle house.
Cool?: 6/10
Service: 5/10
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Cafe: 11/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 24/40

Mecca Espresso (King Street, City)

Scores (averaged across two visits): 
Coffee: 17/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 32/40


Tuesday: Walking down a different King Street today, following a recommendation from a friend, I head towards Mecca. Mecca should not be a new name to many in the Sydney coffee world. It’s been a mainstay under the Grace Hotel for a while and has built up quite the following especially now as its Ultimo store won a series of awards (think the SMH good café of the year award).


As I arrive I was unsurprised to find a huge queue of businesspersons all bouncing back and forth waiting their turn to order a coffee. Mecca is a sliver of a shop, but maintains itself well, using both inside and footpath to optimal usage (be sure to get here before lunch to grab the choice tables).


The line moves with business like precision and I found was quickly at the head of the queue ordering my flat white, while still somewhat distracted by the building itself. Once I had ordered I took a seat along one of the inside benches and took in the whole shop, noting the stained glass and old charm of modern space.


The coffee was quick to arrive, and I noted to my satisfaction that the cups they used (which would not be out of place at my grandparents house) matched the old feel of the building. Style wise, the foam art while not as fantastic as Campos yesterday, still looked pretty good! Layering wise it was a little heavy on the foam, but not so much so.


The smell of the coffee was interesting it was something both reasonably bold and fruity sweet. It is a pleasant experience and one that I repeated a few times.


Drinking it I found it to be a medium-ish roast (leaning a little bit on the darker side). The milk I found interacted with it well, giving it a bit of a creamy taste with occasional hits of what I reckon could be caramel. That fruitiness, which is more of a peach then a cherry kind of taste, tasted was less distinct then it smelt, I am guessing because of the milk, but was pleasingly still there.


Just to note, I am pleased I only had a small flat white, as the milk flavour really dominated this drink (more then it should). I think the drink of choice here really is the espresso, but if one must insist upon a larger coffee get it with an extra shot.


What I also liked about Mecca was the option to get some filtered coffees in store (shock horror American style coffee!). Having spent a lot of time in North America, I can appreciate a good filtered drink and am really wanting to come back here (or one of their other stores) and grab one over a long breakfast with nerd two and send her to sleep with what I can taste in the dark black drink (she is a tea drinker).


Overall, it’s great. The shops a little old, while not being so at all (modern coffee stuff here fore sure), cool while being serious and has good coffee, done in unexpected ways. I like it.

 (first experience) Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 8/10 (not the greatest of art, but a whole lot of style)
Experience (taste and smell): 9/10
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Coffee total: 17/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): Manhattan/Italian coffee house
Cool?: 7/10
Service: 7/10
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Cafe: 14/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 31/40


UPDATE: I keep my promises!


I went back to Mecca on King Street, to try out the long black here. Again line was long, but not hugely so. I managed to score a seat outside. Ordered a long black and waiting with anticipation.

The coffee came out to me at quite a speed.

Ok, some things to notice here. As you can see from the picture, the crema is broken and messy. Now this can be a bad thing in a coffee, however, if you’re going to a well-known quality place assume it’s not.

What has happened is either: the shot went into the cup first, and then hot water second (positives and negatives) or the café does double ristretto instead of a single espresso which changes both the taste and crema viscous quantity and taste. What does this mean? It means you’re crema look will be ruined (personal style), but the quality of the drink should be high.

Back to the experience: A friendly barista brought me the coffee, who explained it was a single origin coffee from Costa Rica (although he said he could not pronounce the bean’s origin, as his Spanish is not great, fair enough!). He also told me what I should expect in the drink. This service is top quality today.

The coffee had an amazing rich dark fruity smell to it. And that taste just followed though. The drink was nice, deep and balanced, it managed to pull off an almost cheeky fruitiness, with some interesting fount of mouth acidity, balanced by a back of mouth almost salty base.

(second experience) Scores:
1. Coffee Score
Style (look & feel): 7/10
Experience (taste & smell): 10/10
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Coffee total: 17:20
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2. Style (what's it feel like): Manhattan / Italian coffee house
cool?: 7/10
Service: 9/10
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Cafe: 16/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 33/40


Average Coffee (experience one and two): 17/20
Average cafe (experience one and two): 32/40

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The Goods

Scores:

Coffee: 17/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 30/40
Bean: Single Origin Roasters

Saturday: I find myself walking around Oxford Street this afternoon, after a morning with Nerd two in Surry.  I suddenly discovery myself stuck outside, with an impending storm above me.  With the clouds, looking ready to dump a tone of water, I made a run for a coolest, closest and sharpest coffee shop I could see. I find myself in front of The Goods, perhaps one of the most charming coffee shops just off Oxford Street.

I casually walk in and order a long black, trying to make it look like I did not just run to get here. The barista who seemed excited and yet slightly bemused by my situation, gives me a bit to compose myself. I take this time to calm down and look around.

It seem I’ve struck gold. The Goods seems to be the most relaxing café possible. I find the café pleasantly empty, but still full of enough twenty-something’s recounting last night adventures as to not be awkwardly empty. I grab a table near one shelf of books, between two boxes of fruit and take a deep breath.

While I did not mind at first, I find the coffee takes a while to get done and for the first time ever in my blogs history I get up to see what’s what. The girls stared blankly at me, for about 5 seconds and then realise they have totally forgotten my coffee, and then proceeded to offer me constant apologies. 

The coffee once it arrived was totally worth it. It simply had one of the best crema viscous I have ever seen (and tasted). The smell matched the look,  and I found a rich light to medium roast smell wafting at me, which had a mixed chocolate fruit smell to it, simply beautiful.

Drinking it I find this fruity taste dominates the flavour, which makes it an instant winner.  Clearly this is a very delicate coffee with some sweet fruity, almost milky overtones. As I let it sit, the flavours simply become superb, with that clean delicate fruity sweetness just taking over. The word refreshing does not often come to mind when drinking a coffee (more so a long black!), but this one was just refreshing.

Overall, what a find! The Goods has fantastic coffee, style, and one of the most chilled places to be, or be seen on Oxford Street. Moreover, It’s rare to find a coffee shop that has a coffee to match its foods so well (this coffee, could compliment some fruit drinks well), so well done The Goods! The only disappointment here was the forgetful (but not sow) service, I assume it was more of a one off.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look, feel, consistency): 9/10
Experience (taste and smell): 8/10
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Coffee total: 17/20
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2. Cafe score 
Style (what’s it feel like):  If an Indian Raj had a inner city Sydney coffee shop
Cool?: 8/10
Service: 5/10
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Cafe: 13/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 30/40

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Joe Black

Scores:

Coffee: 17/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 34/40
Bean: Five Senses

Thursday: Praise to the moe! Found tucked away in what could be described as the very edge of Surry, maybe more the city, it is one of Sydney’s newer (about 6 months) café haunts. With only the smallest of doors on Commonwealth Street, (with a table to match) this place would be easy to miss, if it weren’t for the huge crowd of people walking in and out.

The café is everything you would hope for in a Surry Hills joint (may be more of a Melbourne St Kilda cafe): the café has amusing menus; murals on the wall; and super friendly staff, particularly when placed in contrast to the usual Sydney CBD city joint.  Walking in I was blasted with something that sounded remotely like car chase music from an 80’s movie, a great experience I must say.

The café attracts all types, from regulars (of whom I assume are groupies of the cafe), to newbies (like myself) to businesspersons to those who just stumble upon it on a trip down a random city lane way.

It’s 11:30am, so I arrive before and after the two rushes of the morning. The café is somewhat quiet, which is great as I get my choice of the seating. I go up, a little distracted by all the cool stuff everywhere, and order a flat white and a toasted sandwich. The guy behind the bar is the friendly sort, and I am sure if you’re looking for a chat about coffee, weather or whatever he would be keen.

Coffee and sandwich almost arrive together and I’m super happy with how it all looks. The sandwich is on one of those kid’s plastic plates, which I think is ironic (I'm told I use this word far too often when describing Sydney cafes) and suits the café, and the coffee is cheekily styled with a double fan thing going on (I am sure there is a little use of extra equipment to make that look). 

The coffee itself has nice sweet undertones to the smell, I can’t fully place it, something along the lines of a thick honey perhaps, you can smell right away it’s going to be a bit of a medium to bold espresso drink. It has a ridiculously thin and perfect in layering to it. Joe’s barista certainly pushes the new-old flat white style to its limit, it works really well.

At this point I can’t help but judge Joe's bean against the last two cafes I have been to in the last week Mecca and Campos. Joe, unlike these two gods of the Sydney scene, does not have that creamy dominant taste, but rather a far bolder taste, which tends to be dominant over the milk, rather then work with it.  I don't have a preference, it is just something interesting about what the café is going for.

The flavour while drinking it is far less honey driven then I thought it would be from smelling it. Instead drinking it I find a more fruity sweet drink. Indeed, the coffee itself is quite pushy to the drinker with an interesting combination of some pretty intense flavours. It’s really enjoyable.

Things to note, that I spied some great stuff sitting here a while. I noticed that they have some siphon coffee decanters (best word I can think of right now) set up. Siphon coffee, is something to behold if done well, it’s a cross between a long black and a tea, bring out some fantastic flavours in the process. I really want to try this. Second I can see their take away cups have moes on them. Amazing.

Overall, I am really happy I came across this café, while it’s beans are no Mecca, nor it’s art perfection no Campos, it’s crazy cool café and produces some of the best coffee I have had in Sydney. It’s just crazy cool (sorry for repetition) place and gets close to top marks for that. What a god send to this end of Surry (or to the West in of the CBD itself)!

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look, feel, consistency): 8/10
Experience (taste and smell): 9/10 (I would go 8.5, but it gets rounded up)
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Coffee total: 17/20
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2. Cafe score 
Style (what’s it feel like): church of the moe
Cool?: 9/10
Service: 8/10
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Cafe: 17/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 34/40

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Campos Newtown

Scores:
Coffee: 18/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 33/40
Bean: Campos Superior Blend

If dutch and slayer mean something other then a crazy killing North Western European, you know you're in experimental coffee heaven as soon as you walk in the doors of Campos Newtown. While not the young son, or outright champion of the Sydney coffee scene anymore, the who's who of coffee love this place to death (dutch coffee is a fanatic slow drip set of glass pipes and a slayer is, more-or-less a type of espresso machine where almost everything can be controlled on the spot for those not in the nerdy know).

Found on Missenden Road in Newtown, it’s hard not to spot the tiny, almost hole-in-the-wall coffeehouse. With a long line, which pumps weekday or weekend and its simply intoxicating smell, Campos will win over most coffee hearts.

While its beans are seen all over the city (and well beyond) and seem to signal to most coffee lovers the possibility of a good espresso, this Campos is indeed the ‘flag-ship store’.

Monday: I’m meeting up with my mate Chris and he suggests I should finally go to Campos (bit of a elephant in the blog/room). I finally cave in (not that hard) and set a brisk walk from the university to Campos.

I was lucky, on my arrival, to find both Chris there already and, moreover, only a short line. I quickly found myself weaving my way to the back of the store, walking on the well worn floor boards, taking in that brilliant smell, and marvelling at all the coffee memorabilia (in any other location, you would think this was the home of some mad hatter).

We found a seat and I quickly went up to the counter to order two flat whites. Ordering here is often a pleasure and a pain. While the staff are often (in times of a huge rush) quite rude (maybe more arrogant) at times (not today though!) their table service system is something to be marvelled at. Even with times with two espresso machines working at full tilt and no standing room left, a sit-in coffee (with no names or number) will always make it to your table in a good amount of time.

As expected two perfect looking coffees arrive within minutes of ordering. Looking much like the cafes symbol they both have that exact fan shape making for two great looking drinks.

The coffee had a fantastic aroma, which I think may be my favourite part of it. With milk it’s still quite a bold smell, but yet has some sweet undertones. It’s the kind of drink you can smell quite a bit and not get sick of.

As expected it is very well layered, and to be honest I can’t really fault it in its presentation. While not dramatic, or bold it is ‘just-right’ and just what you hope for when you come here

Taste is where it gets interesting. For such a bold smell, the coffee has a surprising creamy taste to it (which some people do dislike [shocked face]). But it certainly does work well it’s a very layered drink and not at all ‘clean’ but I think that is in its charm. Slurping on it, you can taste fruity smell, which in the mouth is on the acidic side but also you can taste that cocoa which certainly prominently features in this bean

As mentioned above, this place is a coffee lovers paradise, you have options here well beyond the traditional espresso coffee. A coffee on the slayer is great (they use their Obama blend, rather then Campos Superior on the espresso machine) and likewise is the dutch coffee experience, which is a must for those wanting something very different in the Sydney coffee experience (this is a different blend as well).

All up what can I say about Campos? It’s the old school (new school) of the Sydney coffee scene all in one place, while it’s gone mainstream (sorry coffee hipsters) and you can find its blend and bean well beyond the inner west, this café has stayed true to what it does well

Sydney’s best coffee? Maybe, and many would agree with that statement, and on some days so would I (although it should rank top or equal top by the time I end up tallying up my notes) but on others different coffee and beans call to me.

Sydney’s best coffee shop? Maybe again, but less so. It’s not a place to come to relax, nor is it that friendly at times. It does however experiment like no other and for this alone it wins my praise (and high score).

Overall, if you have never come here, you should, enough said.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 10/10
Experience (taste and smell): 8/10
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Coffee total: 18/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): a cramped, hot coffee lovers paradise
Cool?: 7/10
Service: 8/10 (judged off today’s service @ 3pm)
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Cafe: 15/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 33/40


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Bacio

Scores:
Coffee: 10/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 20/40

Monday (2012!): While there are a few coffee shops in the QVB, few have such a capital location (feel that city buzz) as Bacio does. Located right next to the central dome area (Christmas tree at this time of year). Bacio promises to be a great shopping stop.

Upon arrival, it’s not that clear how to order anything here. I sat down for a good few minutes pondering how to achieve a coffee like those around me, till a girl came up and asked me to order and pay at the counter. Even on arrival to the counter I was confused as there were two lines (one it turns out if for takeaway) [side note: I am not the only one at the time of writing confused on this ordering system].

Upon getting to the counter I asked for a flat white, which the instant response was $4.60. Now I am noting this expensive price, as it seems to match that of a wine bar just a short walk away (little bit shocked).

The coffee arrived in a timely manor and upon it’s arrival I requested a glass of water from a very friendly waitress who came back with it, with some lemon in it (nice).

This is a great people watching location, and the customers of Bacio match those walking passed, everyone has a shopping bag, ipad or camera at the ready. I really enjoyed watching people and family’s rush passed (on a public holiday) and hear the sound of the large clock clime every 30mins or just look at what must be one of the most beautiful buildings in Sydney (I like the new colour job).

Down side of the café, must be the table which I picked, which happens it seems to be somehow in some sort of corridor, with couples and families walking on either side of the table constantly.

The coffee came to be looking dark; it’s instantly recognisable as some sort of Italian (maybe French) style bold roast. The aroma confirms this with wispy milk chocolate, mixed with that nice burnt aroma the average blend produces.

It is proportioned well with a nice layer of foam sitting atop the coffee itself. Sadly though no effort went into its stylistic creation

Tasting it was a bit of a let down, as the boldness which I was expecting feel somewhat flat, although it did produce some nice back of the mouth earthy flavours if you take a big sip. As you let it cool it retains its flavours surprisingly (given it’s lack of a bold kick) well and to me the milk chocolate taste comes out a little more.

This café is a tough one to score. The coffee was pleasant (I liked that surprising earthy undertone), water with lemon thoughtful and location chaotically relaxing. However, the ordering system is confusing, prices stupidly high and coffee (under) averagely presented. As you can tell there are a lot of positives and negatives on both the café and coffee score.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (presentation, consistency, love): 4/10
Experience (taste, aroma, complexity): 6/10
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Coffee total: 10/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): A coffee shop in an expensive shopping centre
Cool?: 5/10
Service: 5/10
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Cafe: 10/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 20/40