Here’s where to get the best coffee in Sydney

Lara Picone Lara Picone
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If coffee is non-negotiable to your daily existence, then you’ll want to read on for the best beans in Sydney.

Coffee lovers understand the first question when one arrives in a new town is where to find the good stuff. Before a lack of caffeine impairs your judgement and panic sets in, get your eyes on this list. We’ve done a combover of Sydney and extracted the best places to get your nectar of the early morning gods. Deep breaths, it’s all going to be OK.

From Surry Hills to Marrickville, here’s where to get the best coffee in Sydney.

1. Single O

Sample Coffee
This much-loved cafe is invested in sourcing the best beans.

It’s all about single origins here, and yep, there are no surprises there given the name. Single O is deeply invested in sourcing the best beans that pass their litmus test of superior flavour, sustainability and ethical farming practices, so what goes in the cup is feelgood for more reasons than one. Their Surry Hills location is the OG O, but you can also find them in Carriageworks, Eveleigh and, surprisingly, three locations in Japan.

Address: 60-65 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills; 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh

Opening hours: 7am-3.30pm Monday to Friday; 8am to 3pm weekends

2. Normcore Coffee

Ask Google and it will tell you Normcore is the number one coffee place in Sydney. But the accolades come from more than desktop reviews with the Aussie-owned and made coffee company stacking up plenty of industry awards. Roasting both single origin beans and blends, Normcore’s stated mission to make ‘Damn Good Coffee’ borders on the obsessive, which is music to the ears of the bean nerds among us. Find them in the city and also Ashfield.

Address: 209 Castlereagh Street, Sydney; 14 Brown Street, Ashfield
Opening hours: Sydney CBD 7am-4pm weekdays. Ashfield 6am-4pm weekdays; 7am-3pm weekends.

3. Rising Sun

Rising Sun Workshop
Rising Sun is known for its quality ramen and coffee.

Perhaps not the most obvious location for excellent coffee given that Newtown’s beloved Rising Sun is better known for motorbike tinkering and ramen slurping. But don’t be fooled by the leather, grease and deep bowls of tonkatsu broth, the brews here wander into the realm of perfection and plenty of time is given to ensuring good cups.

Address: 1C Whateley Street, Newtown

Opening hours: 10am-3pm daily.

4. Edition Coffee Roasters

There are no blends at Edition, instead, the focus is squarely on unadulterated single origin beans roasted and extracted with precision. A seasonally rotating menu keeps the flavour fresh and intriguing in the cup. Now with four loctions in the city, you’re never too far from your daily edition.
Address: 60 Darling Drive, Haymarket
Opening hours: check website for hours of different locations

5. Sample Coffee

Sample Coffee
This much-loved cafe is invested in sourcing the best beans.

Roasting their responsibly sourced beans to highlight the nuances of flavour, Sample exists for the joyful ritual that accompanies your daily cup (or three) of coffee. Their ethos is a rounded approach that looks to both fairness for producers and fun for consumers. Swing into their St Peters or Surry Hills outposts and relish the moment.

Address: 1.03, 75 Mary Street, St Peters; Shop 1A Devonshire Street, Surry Hills

Opening hours: St Peters 7am-2pm weekdays; 8am-2pm Saturday. Surry Hills 7am-3pm Monday to Friday

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6. Paramount Coffee Project

Rotating through local and international coffee roasters and with one of their founders being Russell Beard of Rueben Hills, you can expect high-quality, consciously selected brews at PCP. For more than a decade the formula of good coffee and a chic space has kept coffee lovers going out of their way to get their fix, so much so, that there are now two Paramounts Coffee Projects caffeinating the good people of Los Angeles.

Address: 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills

Opening hours: 7am–4pm Monday to Sunday

7. Primary Coffee

Primary Coffee
Primary Coffee’s seasonal blend is complemented by Sungold Jersey milk from Warrnambool.

Inside the brick facade Primary Coffee’s minimalist interior holds space for an uninterrupted appreciation of the bean. Roasting their beans and bagging them for take-home enjoyment, this petite shopfront has become so popular it now sprawls out onto the footpath. They also have a strong merch game, so keep an eye on Instagram for drops.

Address: Shop 1/ 9 Ward Avenue, Potts Point

Opening hours: 6am-2pm Tuesday to Sunday; 6am-12pm Monday

8. Coffee Alchemy

A lifelong obsession with flavour has led those behind Coffee Alchemy to create award-winning brews with pizazz. Go for bold with Goodness Galileo, extra bold with a cup of Hairy Chest or the Paracelsus Punch, all of which are bestsellers and produced by way of established relationships with producers. Coffee Alchemy is the HQ and roastery, but you can also grab a cup from Gumption in The Strand and Micro in Barangaroo.

Address: 2/87 Sydenham Road, Marrickville

Opening hours: 7am-2pm Monday to Friday; 8am-3pm Saturday; 9am-1pm Sunday

9. Regiment

Regiment coffee
Regiment is popular with both office workers and visitors.

Specialty coffee sits alongside delicious cafe fare in this humming CBD spot. On the pour is brew from Melbourne roasters Veneziano and whether you opt for filter or single origin, it’s going to be a cup to savour.

Address: 333 George Street, Sydney

Opening hours: 7am-4pm weekdays

10. Black Market Roasters

Learn how to make beautiful coffee art with their Latte Art course.

A pandemic start-up, this Marrickville one-stop coffee shop and training facility is a place to sip and learn. Enjoy a tasting experience or go further with barista training for either professional accreditation or just to flex skills at home. Want to know how to get those pretty swirls on your cappuccino? Learn it here with their Latte Art course. You can also just enjoy the mastery of others and stop in for a coffee and lunch at either the Marrickville HQ or Newtown spot.

Address: 24 Cadogan Street, Marrickville; 86 Enmore Road, Newtown

Opening hours: Marrickville HQ 6am-2pm Monday to Friday; 7am-2pm Saturday. Newtown 9am-5pm Monday to Friday; 9am-7pm Saturday.

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11. Reuben Hills

Surry Hills is alive with the burr of bean grinders and you’ll find some of the best grinds at this halfway-up-the-hill cafe. Reuben Hills takes a stand for coffee producers by ensuring fair prices for farmers. If you’ve ever wondered why your single-shot soy flat white costs so much these days, these guys give the answer by way of their transparent pricing. Check it out on their website and you’ll soon find your $6 coffee is much easier to swallow. Of course, that liquid gold is also deliciously nuanced and if you love to nerd out of flavour profiles, you can certainly lean into that here.

Address: 61 Albion Street, Surry Hills

Opening hours: 7am–3.30pm Monday to Friday; 7.30am–3.30pm weekends

12.  Barrel One Coffee Roasters

Barrel One
Barrel One sources some of the rarest fair trade coffee.

With five locations across Sydney, Barrel One is a clear stand-out in the specialty coffee world. Not least because its bright and playful red-hued branding feels more like it’s peddling an alcoholic beverage than a daily cuppa. It’s not just good looks, though, Barrel One has been ethically sourcing and carefully roasting beans since 2012, so there’s pedigree in each sip. Try their sparkling lemon cold brew and grab a tin of their instant coffee for your next camping trip.

Address: Various

Opening hours: check website for hours of different locations

13. Padre Coffee

Padre coffee
This much-loved Paddington spot serves seasonal espresso blends and single origins in its modern space.

The Sydney outpost of renowned Melbourne roasters, Padre Coffee is serving the people of Paddington their daily grinds in a bright and bustling Five Ways concept store. It’s more than a grab-and-go joint, here you’ll also find retail coffee and homebrew equipment as well as coffee training and classes. And with Padre’s long-established responsible business model and mission to support and encourage a love for coffee, you know the beans here are the biz.

Address: 241A–241B Glenmore Road, Paddington

Opening hours: 7am-2pm Monday to Friday; 7am-3pm weekends

14. Skittle Lane

Since 2015, Skittle Lane has been brewing up good coffee and good design with warm hospitality. They’ve since spread from the CBD to the northern and eastern beaches with outposts in Manly and Bondi, while their Brookvale roastery keeps up with the demand and is soon to welcome drop-ins for a cuppa and a little retail therapy. If you can’t make it in-store, add a subscription to cart to be delivered to your door.

Address: 40 King Street, Sydney; 6a Loftus Lane, Circular Quay; 83/87 Pittwater Road, Manly; 121 Curlewis Street, Bondi; 2/8 Orchard Road, Brookvale

Opening hours: check website for hours of different locations

15. Only Coffee Project

Only Coffee Project
Find top-notch brews at this stainless steel-clad bar.

Pared-back perfection happens at this stainless-steel coffee bar that doesn’t cater to tea drinkers or a roll-call of alternate milks. Stocking some beautiful beans and filter favourites, get along for that very serious cup of joe.

Address: 2/118 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest

Opening hours: 6.30am-3pm daily

Discover the best cafes in Paddington.

Lara Picone
Working for many of Australia’s top publications, Lara Picone has had the distinct pleasure of writing, editing and curating content about the finer things in life for more than 15 years. Graduating from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, her editorial foundation began at Qantas: The Australian Way magazine, before moving on to learn the fast-paced ropes of a weekly magazine at Sunday Magazine and picking up the art of brand curation at donna hay magazine. Pivoting a near-problematic travel lust into a career move by combining it with storytelling and a curious appetite, her next role was as Deputy Editor of SBS Feast magazine and later Online Editor of SBS Food online. She then stepped into her dream job as Editor of Australian Traveller before becoming Online Editor for both International Traveller and Australian Traveller. Now as a freelancer, Lara always has her passport at-the-ready to take flight on assignment for the Australian Traveller team, as well as for publications such as Qantas Magazine, Escape and The Weekend Australian. As ever, her appetite is the first thing she packs.
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Art, wine & fireplaces: 8 reasons Bowral is the ultimate winter getaway

(Credit: Destination NSW)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    The Southern Highlands earns its title as Australia’s top country town in the cooler months, and it’s worth every minute of the 90-minute drive from Sydney.

    Many Sydneysiders head to the Southern Highlands in spring for the tulips. It’s one of the most stunning spring carnivals in Australia. But the ones in the know come to Bowral in winter.

    The first thing you notice at this time of year is the quality of the light. It catches the tangled limbs of the gums and tints the fields, farms and forests a pretty shade of Granny Smith green. And then, a world-class art museum, an impressive network of walking trails, great shops, cosy restaurants and bars and luxury accommodation take centre stage, making Bowral a place you want to linger as the mercury drops.

    Just 90 minutes south of Sydney, a Bowral winter getaway is the coolcation city folk desperately need. Here are eight reasons to pack a good coat and head for the Southern Highlands.

    1. Check in

    aerial of Ardour Milton Park Bowral in winter
    Check in to the gorgeous Ardour Milton Park Bowral. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ardour Milton Park Bowral rises like a hologram in the hazy green light as you turn onto Horderns Road. A $10 million refurbishment of the grand 1910 estate was completed in early 2026, and the beautifully restored hotel now includes 44 guest rooms washed in sage green, cobalt blue and dusty blush. The dining room at Horderns Restaurant continues with a botanical theme – earthy banquettes, floral touches throughout – and a menu that moves with the seasons.

    After enjoying slow-braised Cowra lamb and a second glass of red, move to the Polo Bar, which has a fireplace and views across the estate gardens. Build a grazing board from the dedicated Charcuterie Room and take it outside while the light lasts. If the sky clouds over, use this as your cue to enjoy a next-level spa experience at Èliva.

    2. Hunt for treasure

    couple exploring Dirty Janes bowral
    Find vintage treasures in Dirty Janes. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Winter is the perfect season to lose an afternoon inside Dirty Janes Bowral. Over 1600 square metres of covered space houses 90 individual sellers of everything from mid-century furniture to industrial lighting, antique silverware, vintage clothing and objects whose previous lives you can only imagine. Enjoy a bit of off-the-cuff banter with your fellow fossickers in between searching for that must-have military jacket or vintage silk scarf.

    Around the corner, find the Instagram-famous front door of FoundAntiques, though the real finds are deeper inside. Bring cash, wear comfortable shoes and leave some room in the boot.

    3. Slow down in a beautiful gallery

    kids posing with donald bradman statue in bowral's The Bradman Museum
    Learn about an Aussie legend at The Bradman Museum. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ngununggula – meaning ’belonging’ in the language of the Gundungurra First Nations people – is the region’s first dedicated regional gallery, housed inside the sustainably transformed old dairy building at historic Retford Park. The onsite White Cottage Gallery and restored grounds of the former Fairfax estate reward a slow wander. Find a spot to sit in the courtyard filled with rivulets of winter light and enjoy the plaintive call of a currawong carrying across the heritage-listed grounds. It’s one of the best things to do in Bowral.

    Add Bowral Honey Farm for a hands-on harvest experience, then continue into town to the Milk Factory Gallery to admire eclectic works by local artists in a converted industrial space. The Bradman Museum also knocks it out of the park. Australia’s largest dedicated cricket museum sits beside the heritage-listed Bradman Oval, where a young Sir Donald Bradman first picked up a bat.

    4. A taste of France

    table spread at Lucette bowral
    Enjoy a taste of France at Lucette.

    For a taste of France without the airfare, husband-and-wife team Julien and Romy Besnard – of long-loved Franquette Crêperie – have opened Lucette, a French cafe-bistro with Paris-born chef Guillaume Dubois at the helm. Dubois brings serious pedigree from Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Sydney’s former two-hatted Monopole, and it shows. Start your day with pastries for breakfast and bookend it with boeuf bourguignon for dinner. The chocolate mousse, freckled with Guerande Salt, is the kind of dish that will make you feel smug about the decision to drive south. Join the Sydneysiders dressed in charcoal coats, boots and black tights who’ve already worked this out; the whole scene is worthy of splicing it into an Instagram reel.

    Francophiles should also be across Julien’s Bowral Brasserie – led by Frenchman Julien Viel, who also found his way to the Southern Highlands and stayed.

    5. Indulge in a tipple

    Centennial Vineyards bowral in winter
    Spend time amongst the local vines. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    The drive to Centennial Vineyards passes through a beautiful woodland idyll, the countryside a fuzz of green all around. Inside the Barrel Room, a tasting flight of cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay and reserve shiraz viognier flaunts how well the Southern Highlands does winter.

    This is a region that takes its cool-climate wines seriously, and the pinot noir is one of the stars – a gentle, easy-drinking style with red cherry aromas. Follow your tutored cellar door tasting with another glass of wine in the Terrace Bar, which overlooks the vineyard and manicured grounds.

    6. Blend your own gin

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar
    Pop into Millsheds Distillery & Bar. (Credit: Mattia Panunzio)

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar is somewhat of a local secret. The award-winning small-batch operation produces gin, vodka and liqueurs using Australian botanicals and has picked up silver medals at both the London Spirits Competition and International Wine & Spirit Competition. Beyond the tasting paddle, the hands-on blending masterclass – where you design and leave with two bottles of your own custom gin – is the experience to book, while the terrace bar that wraps around the courtyard is a fine place to settle in afterwards.

    7. Go for a walk at dawn

    Switch your phone off sleep mode and set your alarm to early. Mt Gibraltar rises to 864 metres just east of Bowral’s main street and offers the best views in town. You will pass a raggle-taggle bunch of hikers on the way up to the summit, all making the same quiet pilgrimage into the crisp high-altitude air. On a clear morning, the bony ridges of the ranges come into sharp relief against the light. The return loop takes roughly 90 minutes. A flat white in Bowral tastes considerably better after completing one of the scenic walking trails.

    8. Cosy up by the fireplace

    Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel
    Get cosy in the Berida Hotel’s whiskey bar.

    A cosy bar is the perfect complement to winter in Bowral, and there are a few worth committing to. Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel is built for long, languorous evenings. Take a seat beside the fireplace laden with gnarled logs and work your way through a few whiskies and bar bites like Rangers Valley beef tartare, or salt cod and potato croquettes.

    At Hickory’s within Peppers Craigieburn, well-dressed waiters in denim and leather move quietly between tables, and the cosy fireplace in the adjoining guest lounge attracts an Escape to the Country crowd.

    Start planning your Bowral escape at visitsouthernhighlands.com.au.