20 Best Cafes In Sydney

Sydney is world-renowned for its stunning scenery, its vibrant culture and, of course, its delicious coffee. With so many incredible cafes to choose from, deciding on the best can be difficult. Whether you're looking for a hipster hangout, an outdoor oasis, or an intimate spot for two, Sydney's café scene has something for everyone. From the classic to the innovative, here are some of the best cafes in Sydney.

20 Best Cafes in Sydney

Sydney is known for its café culture, with a plethora of cafes serving delicious coffee and food. From trendy speciality coffee roasteries to waterfront cafes with stunning views, there is something for everyone. In this blog, we explore some of the top cafes in Sydney, highlighting their uniqueness. So grab a coffee, and let's get started!

1. Edition Coffee Roasters

Address: 60 Darling Dr, Haymarket NSW 2000
Timings: Monday- Sunday: 8 am-4 pm
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

Edition Coffee Roasters is nothing short of a minimalistic contemporary art dripping through each wall. This cafe celebrates Japanese culture aesthetically. Owing to their specific brewing method, this place will serve you artisanal coffees, which will have you knock right at the heavens door. Another reason you’ll find this place on the best cafes in Sydney list is because of their carefully curated and roasted coffee with many different seasonal roast profiles. 

Must try: Souffle pancake

2. Bread and Circus

Address: 21 Fountain St. Alexandria 2015 NSW
Timings: Wednesday- Sunday: 8 am-2 pm
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

Bread and Circus is a nice, cosy, and airy space tucked away in Alexandria’s Old City. It is a bustling cafe with an excellent tea selection and a daily rotating menu of organic food. The fruit bowls they serve are the finest blended selection. You will find a wide variety of meals that resemble a colourful explosion. No wonder this cafe is one of the top cafes in Sydney.

Must try: Fruit bowls 

3. Industry Beans

Address: 38-40 York Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Timings: Monday- Friday: 7 am-3:30
Avg Cost: $$-$$$
Industry Beans is a minimalist café and eatery which serves single-origin and blended coffee. A "concept café," it is modern and minimalist on the interior but nonetheless warm and welcoming. A must-try here is their renowned "Bubble Cup," which is effectively a caffeinated bubble tea mixed with cold brew, tapioca pearls, and house-blended condensed-soy milk. The minute you try their Bubble Cup, you will understand why this café belongs on the list of best cafes in Sydney. 

Must try: Bubble Cup

4. Single O

Address: 60-64 Reservoir St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
Timings: Monday- Friday: 7 am-3:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday: 8 am-3 pm
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

This café is among the top cafes in Sydney you should try! Single O has spent the past 18 years elevating all things coffee. When they first tried making a blend, they were so taken aback by the delicate yet distinct flavours of each individual origin that they had an epiphany about the benefits of simply offering single origins to everyone. Since 2003, Single O has defended caffeine in all its finer forms. 

Must try: Coffee

5. Room Ten

Address:  10 Llankelly Pl, Potts Point NSW 2011, Australia
Timings: Sunday- Saturday: 7 am-3 pm
Avg Cost: $$-$$$Room Ten is a hidden gem on Darlinghurst Road’s side streets. This cosy cafe is one of the best cafes in Sydney due to its best-served coffee. With a simple menu and intimate atmosphere, this place is filled with regulars every day. The Brekkie Rice is a local favourite, but the menu features modern Australian coffee and meals. 

Must try: Breakfast rice with black quinoa

6. Paramount Coffee Project

Address: 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills151 Clarence Street, Sydney
Timings: Monday- Sunday: 7 am-4 pm
Avg Cost: $$-$$$It won’t take too long to realise why Paramount Coffee is one of the best cafes in Sydney. This place presents a  discriminant approach to coffee selection and a variety of coffee origins, processes, and roasters. The best regional and worldwide roasters are honoured here, and new beans and roasters from throughout the globe are frequently featured.

Must try: Scrambled eggs o, sourdough and beans 

7. The Grounds of the City

Address: 500 George St, Sydney, NSW, 2000
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

If you’re hunting for the best cafes in Sydney, you should definitely visit The Grounds of the City. This cafe/ bistro is inspired by Parisian culture. The Grounds of The City will whisk you away from the bustle of the Sydney CBD and into a time of vintage charm and romance. You can enjoy coffee and breakfast in the morning and come back for cocktails in the evening. 

Must try: Lobster brandade on toast

8. Cuckoo Callay

Address: 413-415 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
Timings: Monday & Tuesday: 8 am-3 pm; Wednesday-Saturday: 7:30 am-3 pm; Sunday: Closed.
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

With pink neon, velvet drapes, and sparkling white marble, Cuckoo Callay, which takes its name from a Lewis Carroll nonsense poem, hits all the appropriate kitsch notes. You can expect a unique fusion of delicious food and top-notch coffee. Everyone's favourite, welcoming neighbourhood cafe, Cuckoo Callay, is situated on the busy Crown Street in the centre of Surry Hills and undoubtedly is one of the top cafes in Sydney.

Must try: Fried shallots, croissant with triple smoked bacon, bacon mac n’ cheese 

9. Artificer

Address: 547 Bourke St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

When two coffee kings come together to honour their royal bean, you get the speciality coffee bar and roastery Artificer. This cafe specialises in obtaining delicious coffee. It aims the interpretation of its amazing and unique qualities through the correlation of selection, roasting and brewing. This is undoubtedly one of the best cafes in Sydney.

Must try: A vanilla latte and a heap of avo on toast

10. Coffee Supreme

Address: 11 Mitchell Rd, Brookvale NSW 2100, Australia
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

The beaches are home to some of the top cafes in Sydney, including the super uber and coll roastery Coffee Supreme. Behind a green front and vivid red roller doors, you'll find its Sydney cafe and roastery in a former Brookvale warehouse. If all of these cafes and the atmosphere of the city make you stay here, the Sydney student housing guide will be very helpful to you. 

Must try: Espresso, cold brew and seasonal blends

11. Rising Sun Workshop

Address: 1C Whateley St, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

Rising Sun Workshop is a nice airy, plant-filled café tucked away on the top floor of a former hardware shop on a quiet side street. This cafe, which is one of the best cafes in Sydney, offers a variety of beverages, including freshly made espresso drinks and anything from Americanos to Frappuccinos. Along with their Korean-inspired breakfast, you may also order Fizzy Bubblers, affogato, and hot or iced filter coffee.

Must try: Morning ramen with a bowl of bone broth with tomatoes, egg and bacon

12. Mecca

Address: 67 King St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Timings: Monday- Friday: 7:30 am–3 pm; Saturday & Sunday: 8 am–3 pm
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

The biggest retailer of speciality coffee in Australia is Mecca Coffee. To add an authentic experience to every cup of coffee they serve, they have been gathering and sharing the experiences of farmers, roasters, and baristas for more than 20 years. Alexandria's Mecca, as its name suggests, is Sydney's main gathering place for coffee enthusiasts. All of Mecca's coffee is roasted using old Probat roasters modernised with technology to assure consistency and taste. It truly proves to be one of the top cafes in Sydney.

Must try: Piccolo or a flat white

13. Circa Espresso

Address: 19 - 21 Wentworth Street, Parramatta, Sydney, NSW 2150
Timings: Mon - Fri: 7 am–2:30 pm; Saturday-Sunday: 8 am–2:30 pm
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

One of Western Sydney's best breakfasts is served at Circa Espresso, which is tucked away on Wentworth Street. Expect to savour wonderful comfort food from the all-day brekky menu while sipping Circa's renowned speciality coffee. This cafe should definitely be on your list of best cafes in Sydney. If you want to explore the history of Sydney while enjoying your coffee, you can also visit some of the best museums in Sydney.

Must try: baked eggs, sourdough waffles and vegan pumpkin ricotta

14. Happyfield

Address: 96 Ramsay St, Haberfield NSW 2045, Australia
Avg Cost:‍

Happyfield is a vibrant yellow corner cafe that Jesse Orleans and Chris Theodosi opened in 2020. It offers fantastic food and, as the name implies, a genuinely upbeat atmosphere. Along with welcoming service and selections from the menu like the "McLovin Muffin". This is definitely one of the top cafes in Sydney because of the cheerful vibe it throws.

Must try: Mc Lovin Muffin and NYC Reuben

15. Rolling Penny

Address: 583A King St, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia
Avg Cost: $-$$

Rolling Penny is one of the unique café spaces and best cafes in Sydney. The cuisine at this really unique restaurant, however, features some seriously sophisticated flavours, such as toasted Brickfields rye and caraway bread topped with Portobello. Sit back and relax while sipping blissful coffee served here.

Must try: White miso-glazed eggplant, house pickles, salsa verde on a blue corn tortilla and turmeric spiced cashew

16. One Another

Address: Shop 1/131 Wilson Street, Newtown
Timings: Monday-Friday: 7 am-3 pm; Saturday & Sunday:  8 am-3 pm
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

Sydney's One Another Café is the place to go for modern café fare. One Another is one of the top cafes in Sydney that serves delectable breakfast and brunch, which you won't want to miss. Just find your favourite nook or corner in this quiet and cosy café and read the evening away. One of the other best features of this one of the best cafes in Sydney is that nothing on the menu exceeds $20.

Must try: Bacon and eggs roll with homemade aioli 

17. St Dreux

Address: 151 Clarence Street, Sydney
Timings: Monday- Friday: 7 am–3:30 pm
Avg Cost: $-$$

St D café is named after the patron saint of coffee and is situated within the recently completed Barrack Place little dining zone. Here, coffee is king, with a cabinet of delicious pastries to match. These mouth-watering pastries become a perfect companion to the aromatic coffee this combination allows you to savour every bite and sip, making St Dreux one of the top cafes in Sydney. 

Must try: Sausage roll and signature eggplant parmi jaffle

18. Cornersmith

Address: 88 View Street, Annandale
Timings: Monday–Friday: 7 am–2 pm; Saturday & Sunday: 8 am–2 pm
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

Cornersmith is a charming little café on the peaceful street of Annandale. The interior of this one of the best cafes in Sydney is very minimalistic and contemporary. The Cornersmith crew also runs a cooking school. Along with their famed sandwiches, this is a fantastic spot to pick up some tasty and affordable lunch options.

Must try: berries, figs, tomatoes, and baby burrata soused in cherry gazpacho

19. Matine Coffee

Address: Shop 1, 23-29 Addison Road Marrickville NSW 2204
Timings: Monday-Sunday: 7 am-3 pm 
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

The charming café Matine Coffee in Marrickville has enough room and energy to keep you occupied all week. With a hint of old-world elegance, Matinee Café offers a delicious all-day menu with an abundance of vegan and vegetarian alternatives, not to mention a wide selection of pastries baked daily. We can surely say that Matine Coffee is one of the top cafes in Sydney. 

Must try: Any breakfast dish

20. Bills

Address: 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Avg Cost: $$-$$$

Last but not least on the list of best cafes in Sydney is the Bills. Every Bill Granger's restaurant embodies what they like to think of as an "Australian" spirit: it's sunny, laid-back, and kind. In 1993, Bill built his first eatery in Sydney's Darlinghurst neighbourhood. It quickly gained a reputation for serving amazing breakfasts at the fabled centre communal table, where locals, tourists, families, and friends are still warmly welcomed.

Must try: Bills ricotta hotcakes

Sydney is a great place to visit for a coffee and a bite to eat. With so many amazing cafes to choose from, you're sure to find the perfect spot to relax. Whether you're looking for a place to chill out with friends or a place to grab a quick bite, Sydney has something to offer for everyone. So come to Sydney and explore all of the great cafes and amazing restaurants it has to offer! While you are checking amazing cafes in the city, do have a look at some of the best student housing options that the city offers.