berlin

The coffee lacks personality, with any flavour struggling to cut through the milk. But it’s passable, and that’s sufficient when a cafe boasts this level of atmosphere. Sublime, minimalist space spilling out into a gorgeous small park. Bring your own novel, find a bench, and escape... Service was without fault.

Now Laneway Espresso Dickson. The Toby’s Estate beans made for a very adequate coffee experience. Service was slick - short but friendly. Atmosphere is very much par for hole-in-the-wall operations.

First encounter with the contactless hospitality measures in these days of Coronavirus. A responsible reaction but still a touch surreal. No pun intended. Dined in-house and my flat white was very pleasant. Bold flavour and excellent mouthfeel. Food was brilliant and the service equally so - patient, attentive and cheery. Finding a car park can be an issue during busy periods.

Returned as promised and... wow! A gorgeous flat white and a remarkably tasty breakfast. Service remains very warm and the facade and fit out have lost none of their appeal. Potential realised, and then some.

Fantastic coffee, truly exquisite Portuguese tarts, and tight, friendly service. Take away from the food truck style opening in the wall or savour inside the clever and engaging layout of sneaky seating, clean lines, a deli counter and fridge full of cured meats.

Tidy outfit, and decent coffee given the limitations of the European style beans. Tasty menu, top shelf pastries, attentive service and cute Parisienne outdoor seating.

Delicious coffee and super hip atmosphere, let down on this occasion by poor service. We were shown to our table inside then promptly forgotten. The oversight was noticed far too late, but the coffee did square the ledger somewhat.

Coffee was pleasant but lightweight in terms of flavour profile. Paddy was behind the machine though, which suggests that was more an issue with the bean than the barista. Scandi fit out was very warm and welcoming and the service was beyond reproach.

My piccolo on the run impressed with a gorgeous, bold flavour and welcome structure. Service was fast and friendly, however the cafe’s atmosphere was a handicap. While buzzing with conversation the interior lacked personality and wasn’t adapting well to the morning heat.

The St Ali beans here make for an appealing dark and edgy brew. The atmosphere however, is anything but. The space is generous to a true fault and the fitout falls short. The word soulless springs to mind. Service was genuinely cheery but lagged at inopportune moments.

Straight up great coffee with a delicious, bold flavour. That said, if you opt for a table, in the interests of full disclosure this cafe operates inside a shopping centre. So even though the fit out has a free flowing layout and employs some raw materials and chic trappings with a minimalist bent the atmosphere is decidedly curbed. It aims at hip but lands more so on the family friendly side. Service was amiable and breezy.

Look my flat white was too milky and the trademark Two Before Ten flavour had drowned someplace near the bottom of my cup. But, there was a crisp, big city vibe inside and out and the service was flawless. This cafe is uncomplicated and a joy to visit. A little awkward though that the one thing it hasn’t quite nailed yet is the coffee.

Clean finish to the coffee - somewhere short of the classic Campos flavour however. Appealing fit out that plays between charming and paint-by-numbers. Service was keen and friendly on this occasion, but I’ve heard the staff have their moments.

Opted for the staple small flat white with Founder beans and walked out with a fairly decent offering. It did take much longer to pour than it should have, though. Aesthetics are very much on point - minimalist, warm and organic with an emphasis on white space. Counter service was very prompt and engaging.

Love the Bowie reference, the nod to public transport and the split-flap display signage. A small but very geographically appropriate cafe , brought to you by the amiable whizz kids that transformed Lyons with Stand By Me. The RoastWorks beans in the hopper make for smooth pours (black or milk based) and a point of difference from the other cafes in the Woden precinct. Lunches to go on offer too.

Line out the door, which turned out to be indicative of this cafe’s popularity but also a reflection of its staff’s casual approach to service. The pour and milk work were efficient but there was a lot of chat at the register. Coffee was brilliant. Not as dark a flavour profile as some other cafes extract from the Black Betty beans, but silky smooth. An odd note of celery, which didn’t detract but made for a curious drink. Atmosphere is faultless. A very special experience.

Bolt hole offering from the Duffy roaster, in the new and improved Woden bus interchange. Coffee isn’t cheap but showcases everything I enjoy about PNG beans - muscular flavours shot through with the dark tones of raisins and the like. The Greek sweets on offer make for a charming point of difference in the pastries cabinet.

A quiet and sun filled cafe servicing the Healthpoint complex. Pleasant service but virtually no atmosphere and the Redbrick Espresso presented as rather lacklustre flavour wise.

Eye catching facade, superb fit out and very warm service. I so wanted to love this cafe but... though my takeaway flat white carried a hint of caramel fudge on first sip it deteriorated in flavour and mouthfeel from there in. They were near closing time, so I will give them another chance as the joint has clear potential.

Stand By Me has now clearly settled into its skin. It’s evolved into a comfortable operation with a bankable list of regulars from all walks of life, and the service has remained friendly and efficient throughout the transition. The bean in the hoppers has morphed also. It’s now a more muscular roast, though at the expense of a refined finish. An all-round solid experience nonetheless.

An odd but ultimately rewarding café, serving coffee that will do in a pinch. My flat white showed considerable promise at the outset with a discernible note of liquorice, but mellowed quite abruptly and played out as a relatively average cup of joe. The Waramanga shops wouldn’t look out of place in south-western Sydney, and What Café itself has a weary, sluggish feel to it in keeping with its tired facade. All of which is charming in a curious way. The regular patrons are clearly locals and staff were reserved, if not suspicious, at my initial reception. However, my coffee was prepared with care at a measured pace and personally delivered with what amounted to genuine customer service. The suburb clearly treasures its café, and the love appears to be very much requited.

Great crew, formerly of Urban Bean, who have set up shop on the ground floor of Centraplaza, below the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s offices. This tight outfit are brewing ONA’s Founder beans every weekday in a curious but inviting public space. The team know their craft so the coffee is very satisfactory, but it’s worth noting Founder is ONA’s somewhat old school blend and doesn’t match say Black Betty for indulgence. Atmosphere can be a little awkward given the set up and location, but service is bubbly and as efficient as one can reasonably expect from a single machine.

Not to be discounted. Pleasant flavour to my flat white. Smooth and relatively dark with subtle notes of milk chocolate. Atmosphere though is nonexistent. It is what it is - a little glam in parts, but ultimately painfully shopping mallish. Takeaway is the way to go at this particular coffee joint. Service was brisk and impersonal but to their credit they delivered fast.

Look, the bean and roaster aren't quite my cup of tea but this cafe's atmosphere is brilliant and the service is nigh on faultless! There was a decent mouthfeel to my takeaway flat white but its decidedly woody notes grew tiresome in a hurry. Fantastic touches decor wise and the outdoor seating and shopping complex in general make for a delightful space. The barista was super efficient and friendly and indeed contributed generously to the overall sunny vibe of this small business. Definitely worth a visit!

Tidy setup that probably struggles to rate higher simply because it finds itself next door to the accomplished Teddy Pickers. Coffee is a smoky kind of decent, though doesn’t quite do Proud Mary’s beans justice. Service is chummy and the bar is a definite asset. The cafe’s gorgeous crockery and cutlery deserve an honourable mention also.

The most recent incarnation of the ONA vehicle builds further upon the trusty template. An elegant shopfront serviced by a very efficient crew. Coffee was hot off the press but fell somewhat short of realising the full potential of the beans.

The definition of a perfect neighbourhood cafe, Little Oink injects a major buzz into Cook’s shopping strip. With an eclectic atmosphere, staff and clientele, friendly and attentive service and delicious coffee all on offer it isn’t hard to see why. Truly worth the extra long wait during peak hours.

Tipped in advance and my takeaway flat white earned every extra cent. Definitely not flawless, but delicious enough so as to be punching above its station. The setup has a charming food truck vibe to it and the service is easy going but speedy all the same.

Decent offering, though nothing remarkable in the flavour profile. Suburban shopping centre location ensures a comfortable community vibe and takeaway windows are always charming. Service was pleasant.

Very impressed by my flat white, which was rich and creamy with a distinctive note of golden syrup to it. Not entirely sold on the business' atmosphere but it's clearly serious about the bean and has a focus on barista training. Service was cheery but a little disengaging.