The Little Marionette

1A Booth St, Balmain, New South Wales 2041, Australia

Add hours

(02) 9810 9728

7.67.8Coffee7.3Atmosphere7.6Service

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23 Reviews

8.3

didups 65 reviews · 3 years ago

This cafe is very interesting and well situated. Ed is very good and very keen about running a very good boutique cafe. The Little Marionette is delightful and certainly worth a visit, particularly for people who are very interested in good coffee and good cafes.
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9.0

crawford 118 reviews · 3 years ago

The coffee here is strong with a slight chocolaty taste. They use a bean with a Columbian base from a roaster at Mascot. This is a place for good coffee!

I got talking to the owner Ed and as we were talking he keep the coffees coming - I wasn't complaining!

The cafe is... Read more
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7.0

Thundergod 204 reviews · 1 year ago

Found myself heading for Balmain today so decided to finally give The Little Marionette a try.
I was expecting the coffee to be good after reading many reviews.
I was not disappointed.
The place is small though and i considered myself lucky to get a seat just before my coffee... Read more
1 Flat White
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9.5

FreshPrince23 42 reviews · 2 years ago

Macchiato was a taste sensation. Complex, rich flavours. Aftertaste was as good as the coffee itself. Tough to beat sitting in the sun in the park across the road and they will bring your order to you in a glass like you're dining in. Get there.
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6.5

sierra83 63 reviews · 1 year ago

Tiny hole in the wall type place. Great coffee with great service - love the fact that it's off of the main strip.
1 Soy Piccolo
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6.3

meloduh 94 reviews · 3 years ago

Asked for a double ristretto cap. The coffee was very weak, which makes me think it was either a single ristretto or that much of the flavour was lost when they transferred the shot from a glass to the takeaway cup. Service was friendly and coffee extremely cheap at 2.80 for a small takeaway.
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4.5

BrandonS 15 reviews · 4 months ago

Nice coffee, medium roast, bit on the weak side so order an extra shot if you need a strong taste. Friendly staff..bit of baristatude here as mentioned by others. Minimal seating, more of a takeaway stand.
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8.0

scoutin 15 reviews · 2 years ago

This was a refreshing gem found in sydney, bugger it\'s outta the city. Definitely up to Melbourne standards. It\'s a shame I haven\'t found anything like this near our office in Sydney.

Espresso was short and full flavoured, had a latte as well, which was smooth along with great... Read more
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8.3

trevsone 13 reviews · 1 year ago

Mains: $3.50-$14.50
Payment accepted: Cash Only
Friendly cheerful staff smiling and even singing to the music as they serve great coffee and yummy nibbles :-) With just three small tables in the tiny cafe, customers willingly flood across the road to the lawns of Gladstone Park,... Read more
1 Flat White, 1 Espresso
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4.8

grizzle 15 reviews · 2 years ago

After hearing good thing's about this place, I visited on a Sunday afternoon, and there was a lengthy line and wait- which I don't mind if the coffee is worth waiting for. Had a double ristretto piccolo and it was quite burnt so I had a single shot cap and it was also a burnt shot that stayed in my... Read more
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9.0

DrAmes 47 reviews · 1 year ago

Fantastic! I was led here by this guide app. My friend and I came here on Sunday after a 25km run in the rain. She and I grabbed a rug then had some of the best coffee in sydney. Breaky was also fantastic. Loved the atmosphere. It seemed like half balmain also knew about this tiny cafe. Lots of... Read more
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8.8

Marcus Flack 12 reviews · 3 years ago

OK, I'm gonna get straight to the point..ROCK and FREAKING ROLL. So I had not slept for 3 days. I had just finished up a massive deadline at work and was lazing around Sydney for the weekend to recover. And 'The Little Marionette' was going to be my jump off point. But instead of lounge in the very... Read more
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8.5

Darkforces 40 reviews · 2 years ago

Simply the best coffee in Balmain. Dedicated Baristi who know their trade is matched by prompt friendly service. The queue of people waiting for takeaways is evidence enough that these guys are doing special.
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8.5

Johnlord 8 reviews · 2 years ago

One sits for coffee with ones brother on a Sunday morning. I can almost say it was the tastiest ristretto I have experienced. This was followed by a smooth and bodied piccolo that melted in my mouth. %0AFood verdict: I licked the plate. I had the ricotta, banana and honey on sourdough while my... Read more
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9.3

jamies 3 reviews · 7 months ago

This little home-like cafe delivers espresso that has to be experienced. Well textured and extracted coffee combined with the folksy and warm atmosphere that is The Little Marionette. You'll fit right in here.
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8.8

beany3 11 reviews · 10 months ago

Wow! Coffee was great and I love the service in the park. Gluten free almond cake was pretty good but not enough variety. Still one of my fav little cafes.
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9.5

Bradlord 8 reviews · 2 years ago

Decided to try this place this morning on the back of good reviews from friends...... Wow! Amazing double ristretto followed by beautiful latte! These guys are serious about coffee! All this in a cosy little art deco environment what more could you want on a Sunday morning?
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9.5

Loosemacg 18 reviews · 2 years ago

Absolute favorite of mine: small joint with great vibe, almost always good music, plus they deliver your order to the park across the road if you wish. Coffee (roasted in house) is excellent, and menu, although small, is interesting and flexible
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9.0

Costaki 4 reviews · 1 year ago

awesome cafe, go here for my morning coffee every saturday. funky crowd, workers and vibe. coffee is top shelf, a must visit.
1 Skinny Piccolo
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7.0

Steph91 32 reviews · 2 years ago

So tiny! But cool peeps and the coffee packs a punch. Supplies Shortlist at Redfern...speaks for itself really. Piccolo is the way to go here,x
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5.5

Klinsmann 4 reviews · 7 months ago

From someone working the the coffee industry I was rather looking forward to my afternoon indulgence here. Despite the coffee being of the highest quality the service was shocking to say the least... 'Baristatude' I believe it called..! What ever happened to customer service?? It takes more effort... Read more
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4.5

BarbaraX 2 reviews · 1 year ago

The relaxed vibe of the place is good until you realise that the service is also relaxed and the weak coffee did nothing to stir me out of the relaxed mood. Perhaps it's because I attended in the afternoon but the lack of treats to go with the coffee was disappointing.
1 Cappuccino
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8.5

Bean Shooter 4 reviews · 3 years ago

For those interested there is another "The Little Marionette" cafe in Annandale. I had a doppio ristretto and a piccolo and they were amazing - time actually froze for the few seconds that the ristretto was rewiring my tastebuds haha, the bean oils were rich and adequately illustrated the intense... Read more
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