Palomino Espresso

Scores:
Coffee: 16/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 32/40
Bean: Morgans

Thursday: Character is not something which can be typically said for an inner city cafe, a Wynyard cafe more so. I think we have all come to expect super sleek, clean surfaces, a grumpy barista and a recycling of Campos, Toby's or if we are lucky Mecca beans, which often leads you pondering the question if you're on York Street, why did I just not go to Mecca?

Blink and you'll trip over the chair and table outside, which I would not recommend, Palomino Espresso seeks to break this inner city monotony with a cafe that is oozing with character - it also helps that the staff are friendly and it runs its own bean. What's the catch I hear you say? No tables? Pop up cafe? Rubbish bean? Happily I can say no to all.

Walking in you can enjoy the Surry Hills feeling instantly. It's a little after 10 as I walk in and luckily for me time is on my side as it's in between rush periods. There is a chilled vibe all around. I order a latte with the friendly girl behind the counter and jump on a seat near by which has just freed it self up.

The coffee seems to just fly over too me and clearly far to much in a holiday mode (had the week off work), I ask the busy cafe-worker how's she is going, what's the cafe like, how long it has been open, etc. She was nice enough to indulge me in quick banter before she rushed off to help out some other customers.

The coffee in front of me looked good. Looking at it you can appreciate the effort which has gone into the latte. There is a nice heat to the drink, spot on milk proportions and a pretty bit of latte art on top.

A suit brushing by me reminds me that it's the usual clientele for the city - busy suits and more busy suits. However, the cafe had a good effect on people with everyone, more or less, seeming far more chilled then I would have expected for the location - some people were even taking their time asking to have their drink 'for here' and sit and talk to one another.

Going back to the coffee, the latte had a bit of an unusual aroma, it was clearly a cocoa smell, but there was some other (non-traditional) flavours to it. A non-milk based espresso would likely shed light this in future.

The coffee had quite a distinctive flavour, it's quite a sweet drink and that cocoa aroma was far more of a dark-ish chocolate taste, there was also an additional fruity flavor to it, perhaps some sort of stone fruit?  It had quite medium a body body and overall hit the right spots.

Letting it cool, I found the dark chocolate taste took on a bit of a caramel tinge. This flavour change had the unfortunate effect of altering the after taste to be a little bitter, but really it's not that much of a big deal, as the flavour change was more than satisfactory!

At some point water arrived at my table, which was a nice addition. I thought, they thought I was here reviewing them for a second, because of this instant unasked water request, but a scout around showed this is the effort they were putting for everyone.

Overall, I think the small quirky touches really make Palomino stand out - the toy horse which has been put into their espresso machine, the  pavement flowers flowers on every table, the scrabble pieces and milk label things on the wall - just make it a bit of fun. And, let's not forget the place also has a solid coffee, nice staff, good service and great looking muffins all of which make a wonderful feel. If this was in Newtown I would happily make it a regular. 

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 8/10
Experience (taste and smell): 8/10
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Coffee total: 16/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like):
Cool?: 7/10
Service: 9/10
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Cafe: 16/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 32/40


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Kitchen by Mike

Scores:
Coffee: 16/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 32/40
Bean: 5 Senses

Is there any better feeling then waking up on a Tuesday and knowing you have the day off work? While many would happily head towards the beach or a park on this fine winters day, being the coffee nerd I am I head inside. Well, outside first then inside, to one of the most talked about cafes in the Inner West.

Winner of Time Out Sydney, café of the year, Kitchen by Mike has that Marrickville feel all over it but in Rosebury (not even sure where it is, geographically speaking).

After a short drive, navigated by Nerd 2, we get here at 11:30am right before the lunchtime fun. Tactfully, reading other bloggers comments on the location before we arrive, thinking we'll walk in and know what's what. However, we (I) still have the same issues with finding the entrance to the place.

Nerd 2 and I had to do a that awkward pause outside a place, in the car park before going in - “Is this the right place?”, “yes Rob it is, there are coffee cups over there”, “are you sure?”. I would recommend using the Street entrance rather then the strange car park entrance on the side.

Jazz in a large warehouse, Kitchen by Mike is not so much a revolution (as one may think by the reviews) as it is a fun café, with great food in a huge warehouse - think if IKEA got cool.

First, be smooth when you come in - yeah, you know that you can’t get food until lunch is called (who knows these things?). Just take a seat, grab a coffee and try work out what is going on. On this, Nerd 2 and I sat down and waited about 5 mins till we worked out there is not table service here. I went up and ordered a latte and earl grey tea.

The coffee and tea came out to us pretty quickly and during the wait I embarrassed Nerd 2 by pulling out the camera and walking around. It’s a ridiculously cool space. I love the long tables, fresh green stuff, and polished concrete with unpolished timber.

Arriving before 12 is a show in onto itself, people begin to pour in... from I’m not totally sure where and excitement builds as the food starts to come out. Luckily, most are as confused as I am over the system. I overhead someone say “it gets a bit mental” and mental is right.

The SMH describes Kitchen by Mike as “queuing for food doled out on enamelled tin plates and eaten at bare communal tables.” Totally nails it really, while this may sound rough it’s a great eating experience, be warned you will over order and you will pay for it.

The drinks arrived. The latte (not pictured) did not look too bad at all, there was a nice proportion to it with a good level of foam to milk, if a little milk heavy, but I’m being picky. The drink also had a reasonable heat to it, which should please the heat picky. Looks wise, it had a swirly art work on top, Nerd 2 thought it look like a post modern landscape, I’m not totally sure, the lack of art to me was a bit of a let down.

The coffee’s aroma was a sweet caramel flavour meets light tangy fruitiness, it’s a drink which I would describe has quite a pure smell, in that the roaster does not really seem to get in the way of the beans natural flavours.

Taste wise I found the drink to be very clean and reasonably ‘fresh’, if a coffee could be described in such a way. It was a drink that was centred upon a caramel or perhaps toffee (could have been the cake I was eating) sweetness with hints of tangy fruity acidity. Perhaps the most interesting element of the drink would be the aftertaste that did not linger but had that minty or freshly picked herb taste to it. Like pulling leaves off basil or the like. It was a nice coffee and made more so by the synesso espresso machine pumping it out. I’m thinking they have their own blend or use a standard 5 Senses one very well.

Having had the coffee Nerd 2 and I went and lined up to get our hands on the meal. Lining up like a kids at camp is not a bad experience and the staff are friendly and helpful even with a huge line behind you. My naive skills at describing what I have just eaten will only let the meal down so let’s just say it was pretty and tasty.

Being the amazing nerds which we are, we hung around. I kept writing, she reading. At about 2:15 once the lunch lines had slowed down, I was greedy and went to get another coffee (pictured), part curious as to the lack of art from the first, part because it was a great coffee. The second drink looks fantastic and I thought far more on the mark as to what I would expect from such a café.

Overall, is Kitchen by Mike the world’s coolest IKEA or just a great Sydney café? Either way Kitchen by Mike is a fantastic edition to Sydney’s café scene. While Le Monde captures Sydney’s 2008 café mood, Kitchen by Mike I would say captures the way Sydneysiders are dining in 2012. Come down to where ever this suburb is, and hit  up Kitchen by Mike you’ll love it, well at least on a Tuesday, from what I'm told Saturday and Sunday are whole new ball games.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 8/10 (better second [9] coffee then first [7])
Experience (taste and smell): 8/10
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Coffee total: 16/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): If IKEA became a cool hipster
Cool?: 10/10
Service: 6/10
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Cafe: 16/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 32/40



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City Extra

Scores:
Coffee: 7/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 14/40

Have you ever thought, 'what do typical Sydney tourists drink when they're in Sydney?' Well the good news is you're not alone. I have also thought about this. Yes we live in one of the best coffee capitals of the world (well I think so), but is that really the way your average mum and dad tourist see it? Circular Quay is where the tourist is at, so, putting my body on the line I headed there.

City Extra is a name that inspires fear in many a person at least for one reason or another. This ever-popular tourist café, found at Circular Quay between wharfs 3 and 4, is the Quay's 24 hour go to; known for youth drinking, bad food and high prices and I must note one of Sydney’s most popular cafes by total trade.

What tempted me to try this crazy idea you may ask, well outside City Extra was a sign claiming "best coffee in Sydney" so not wanting to miss out on such an opportunity I headed in.

Walking in, let's be honest, is typically an embarrassing experience. I was not disappointed. As I took a step towards the cafe two mates, who just happen to be walking past on their way to Manly, stopped me and asked me what I was doing, 'the coffee thing' I replied, "City Extra", they laughed, I sent them on their way.

The last time I had come here would have been years ago, searching out a place to get a drink at 3am. Luckily for me this time I arrive at lunch time and stand and wait at the ‘please stand here’ sign with a few German tourists.

Is the sign a challenge? I ponder. I wait and wait, wtf is going on is my initial thought. Finally, a girl comes over and asks me “what do I want?”, a table would be the obvious answer, but I ask her anyway “a table” I ask. “Ya smoke?” she quickly says, “er… nope” I answer. “You're outside then”, “ok…” I reply. We then go into a pseudo Mexican showdown for some reason till she takes me to an outside table.

Upon taking a seat she asks me, “when’s your friend showing up”, “er, it’s just me” I reply, “ok” she says as I suddenly feel like I should have brought someone, or made my mates to stay for this fine dining experience.

She then puts a menu down and says “better order now before we forget you”, “just a coffee” I reply,  “and?” she exclaims, “that’s it, just a flat white”, “flat white?”, “a flat white” I respond as she starts to walk away.

City Extra, unsurprisingly for a weekend lunchtime on a sunny day, is packed. While I do feel a little guilty for using a table for 'just a coffee', post my discussion with a staff member I’m feeling far less greedy.

The coffee comes out with reasonable speed, this time by a different girl who, I should say, seems far more accommodating. She even asks if I would like a glass of water. She brought one back with ice. Tale of two staffers.

From first impressions, the coffee does not look too bad. There is a reasonably nice pour pattern and upon inspection it seems to have a good portion to it. The cup was a let down though with some old cream or something milky stuck to it close to the lip.

The aroma's characteristics quickly identify it as Vittoria and the aroma it is as you would expect from this brand.

Upon tasting it I found it to be ridiculously hot and I mean burning my tongue hot. What a rookie error, it’s a nice 22C day and there was steam bellowing off the top.

When I got around to tasting it, the drink was more disappointing then even your typical Vittoria - I found the drink had a watery roasted taste with a milky dry after taste. Overall it tasted a little on the burnt milk side… It did seem reasonably balanced however.

Letting it cool, the initial balance brought out by the heat seemed to have left the drink and it just fell apart leaving me with a strong bitter tastes. On the plus side the milk did not develop a skin (yay), so staying positive.

Overall, City Extra does fill a need in the market. It’s for those who don’t know better and those looking for something to eat or drink that is not Maccas between 1am and 5am. Coffee is just rubbish and should be avoided at all costs, but if you’re stuck then you’re stuck. I’m sure I would like it more if I needed a hit at 4am. Service is clearly a hit or miss. I reckon this is the best-placed worst café in Sydney. Any other contenders?

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 5/10 (solid pour, dirty cup)
Experience (taste and smell): 2/10
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Coffee total: 7/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): If the Daily Telegraph went into the café business
Cool?: 4/10 (it has views of the bridge and opera house you can’t rate this down!)
Service: 3/10 (total hit and miss experience)
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Cafe: 7/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 14/40


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Zach’s Kafe Kitchen

Scores:
Coffee: 15/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 27/40

What hits the spot more than a good gym session? Well, don’t feel you really need to answer but a gym session and a coffee works right? This morning I find myself mixing it with Robbie Deans, mothers, fitness junkies and creative types at Zach’s Kafe Kitchen in St Leonards.

Another somewhat hidden gem ‘round St Leonards way, Zacks Kafe Kitchen is a hive of constant activity from 6am to 3pm, with waves of workers steaming in before 9, at 11 and at 1 and gym goers and mothers at 10, 12 and 2. Working near Zacks for the last 3 months, I’ve come here quite a bit and truth be told it has been a bit of a hit or miss experience.

Luckily, for Zacks in the last few weeks, the young guy they have picked up working the espresso machine is a gun, and FIX down the road in Crowie, through the old parking lot and down the back alleyway seems now just a bridge (or car park) to far.

I arrived at around 12pm (11:57 to be exact) perfect to come in just before that lunch rush. While there is always a table floating about getting service can be surprisingly tricky for a small place (when getting food + coffee).

On this occasion, maybe it was my overworked brain, but I could not work out what was happening here. I stood in line and ordered - latte and a sandwich - the guy, who served me looked at me strangely and I looked back, “mate take a number” he said to me (“but which?” I thought as there were an array of 5!) then he went and served someone else. But where do I pay? I then joined the take away coffee line to pay. The guy there seemed equally confused, “but you pay there!” he exclaimed... My sandwich never made it.

Once I had gone through this process I took at seat and waited to see if anything I ordered would arrive. I assessed the place in this time. The key tables on this cold day where capitalised early so I took a seat inside at a long bench, till one opened up. It’s a rather nice spot and feels quite connected to the green patch just outside.

The coffee came out at a good pace (note: to me not my number) and whilst there are some supply chain issues happening, looked pretty swish. Solid art, reasonable proportions (properly a little thick on the foam). Nice heat and a great silky look.

The coffee had a bit of a rich fruity perfumed aroma to it. Chatting to some other people in my office about it, they disagree with me on the aroma, thinking it was more milk choc sweet, but I reckon they are well off the mark on that call.

Drinking it I found the flavors to follow the aroma, revealing a fruity sweet, smooth and well balanced drink it really is the sort of espresso which works well with the milk, not sure it works as well as a long black, but I'm sure if that's your go, the barista could pull it off.

Overall, Zach's comes off quite well. It's not the best coffee in Sydney, but it's comfortably good, more so when the young barista is on. I find it is a solid choice if you're in the area, and while my food service sucked it's not always this way. In the end the real winning element of the cafe is the relaxed leafy green feel of the cafe. Well away from a busy road it just feels ideal on a sunny winter's day. I could not agree more with this quote from another review which said "(t)his is the sort of cafe that everyone wants right near their office", yes, you could walk further for something better, but it's a solid call when you don't want to.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 8/10
Experience (taste and smell): 7/10
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Coffee total: 15/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): if your local fitness first was a nice cafe
Cool?: 7/10
Service: 5/10 (note: take away has great service)
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Cafe: 12/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 27/40


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Random - Starbucks, George Street

Starbucks, George Street @ 6:56pm, espresso macchiato.

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Just a bit of foam happening on this espresso mac...

St Malo Bakery

Scores:
Coffee: 14/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 27/40

A cold and early start brings my trail to St Malo Bakery in Crows Nest. Having picked Nerd 2 up from the airport (welcome home!), I got into the Lower North Shore far too early for any sane human, so being the coffee nerd I am went in search of a good 7am cafe.

Malo, even at 7:09 seems a popular destination with locals, particularly mothers (watch the prams), business people heading into work (and looking busy) and randoms such as myself. This is a great thing as often in areas such as Crows Nest it's hard to find a cafe to settle down in within feeling the need to order some huge meal.

 I walk in order a latte, as that is what the three women in front got. The guy behind the till asked me ‘hows it going?’, I remember mumbling something, I get given a number, which is amusing as I am really the only other group ordering, and I take a seat (not always a great small talker in the morning).

The coffee comes out quickly and looks nice with a bit of a heart art pour on top. It seems reasonably well layered (little milk heavy perhaps) and of a good heat for most drinkers.

The aroma is quite rich and fruity, with smoky roasted aromas mixing it with some seeded fruit flavours (maybe a plum?). I found it to be quite a nice smell and I think goes well with the huge range of fruit based pastries they pump out (which look amazing).

On tasting it, like the aroma, I found the flavours to be quite fruity and a little spicy. It’s evident early in drinking this  coffee that it is a medium to well bodied drink, leaning, just a little, on the acidic side. I found it to be reasonably balanced especially with the addition of milk. Whilst not initially evident, the flavour tends to linger some time in the mouth.

Letting it cool does not change the coffee hugely, it continues to have a fruit origin taste, however the fruit flavours become a little more evident as time goes on.

Halfway through my coffee my table almost got toppled by three mothers with prams. Do watch where you are sitting here, it seems bread, early mornings and coffee can be a deadly mix!

Overall, St Malo Bakery seems quite a refreshing cafe for Crows Nest. Far more sophisticated then you may expect. St Malo's huge range of bread and quality coffee will be pleasing to most. While it's not an inner west cafe or bakery, it clearly has more going for it than your regular cafe in the area, proving a point of difference in a sea of same-same. In saying this, if place was in Marrickville I reckon far more people would be talking about it.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 6/10
Experience (taste and smell): 8/10
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Coffee total: 14/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): Your grandma's kitchen with heaps of angry mothers
Cool?: 6/10
Service: 7/10
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Cafe: 13/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 27/40

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Project 8 Cafe

Scores:
Coffee: 14/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 28/40

Saturday: An aimless stroll down Broadway finds me walking into Project 8 Café a randomly located haunt in the USYD - Notre Dame - UTS triangle. A favourite of some DDB employees, I’ve been told that I’ve got to give this coffee a go if I'm in the area, so the stars aligning this fine winters day, here I am! Perhaps one of the oddest cafes around the Glebe area, Project 8 seems a bit of a mix of country western charm meets inner city grunge.

Walking in I felt like I was disturbing some community event, maybe it was the Saturday arvo crowd, but I felt that I walked into some great locals chatting session (sorry guys!). It was just one of those moments that you walk in and everyone just stares at you...

Having broken up this great time (sorry again!) I went to the back and waited for service. The barista soon came around to me and asked what I was looking for, a small latte seemed the go as that’s what everyone else was drinking.

Having settled myself myself in (and the local's convo back in full swing) I was better able to take in the café. Wood and more wood is the go here (exposed brick too, don’t panic inner city cafe lovers). The cafe has done something really aesthetically pleasing using worn light blue painted timber against the dark wooden benches and floor. Chilled music plays, there is plenty of free wifi (no idea if that is intentional) and you can hear the sound of the buzz of cars as they drive down Broadway/ Paramatta Road. Light also adds to the effect, streaming primarily in from the wide street side windows which, I reckon, adds to the grudge meets country feel well.

The coffee comes out pretty quickly and I was please with the look - a nice bit of latte art with a bit of leaf action. The coffee was also reasonably well portioned, although perhaps a little milk heavy. There was also some solid heat radiating from it. I especially liked the look of the shiny and silky foam.

Aroma wise, I was struggling due to a blocked nose, but I found it to be quite a fruity drink with something quite nutty occasionally coming through. I could not pick the roaster at all. Perhaps judging by the 'holistic' nature of the café it’s a local nondescript one?

Tasting wise, the fruity and nutty aroma carried through in the flavours of the drink. The latte had a fruity sweetness to it and a reasonably nutty flavour filled body.  Occasionally I found hints of the roaster, which was quite nice. Overall it balanced itself well

Letting it cool, a fruity sweetness came to play a significant role in the taste, but it continued to keep some of the nutty heritage. There was minimal after taste.

As I sat here a while, the café began to feel increasingly empty as the locals left and no one came in to replace them (hey who walks past Broadway at 1:43pm on a Sunday?), which did make sitting here by myself a little uncomfortable. The staff however did not really seem to care, happy chatting to one another whilst cleaning.

Wondering what Project 8 means? So am I. Just thought I would add this here.

Overall, it’s a cool café, although I feel some of its mission is lost as I could leave not having any idea what Project 8 was. I did ask, but as a passer by you’re unlikely to do that (three clues of what it is: 1. it has nothing to do with Tony Hawk; 2. everything you see at Project 8 is handmade 3. it aims to be an opposing force to Gloria Jeans chains). The coffee at Project 8 was pleasing and held its ground well against some of the Glebe giants and the café was nice - I’m sure on a weekday more of a place to come and a hive of activity to than on a Saturday afternoon. If it was my local, I would come again.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 7/10
Experience (taste and smell): 7/10
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Coffee total: 14/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): Country western charm meets inner city grunge
Cool?: 7/10
Service: 7/10
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Cafe: 14/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 28/40



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Random - Turkish Coffee

My kitchen, Sunday @ 9:32am, Newtown.

Nerd 2 came back from her break in Turkey with a Turkish coffee set. She really is cute. She made me a coffee without the typical huge quantity of sugar, good stuff.

Random - Clipper Cafe

Clipper Cafe, Glebe @ 2:41pm Saturday, long black.

Long black in my original review I advised against. This time it was not ridiculously sweet as like last, just not up to the same standard as with their milk based coffee. Very friendly staff.