When WhyGo Australia, part of the BootsnAll Travel Network, asked me to guest post for them on an aspect of life in the land down under, I immediately thought of the increasingly sophisticated and quite delightful coffee culture in Sydney – and my surprise in finding such a deeply ingrained culture in this beautiful harbour city.
You see, I’m a bit of a coffee fanatic. I simply can’t get enough of the black stuff. I’m no coffee connoisseur – I’d still quite happily accept a large cup of weakest drip coffee from Starbucks – but my eyes have been opened to the seriously high quality and range of coffee found across Sydney… and I like what I see.
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Photo credit: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
In my guest post for WhyGo Australia, I write about some of the coffee habits, types and prices, drinking establishments, and a few of the more unusual coffee variations and practices that I’ve noticed through working in Sydney and exploring the wider metropolitan area.
If you’re a coffee lover like me, or just curious to see what all the fuss is about, please do head over to WhyGo Australia’s website to read more about Sydney’s fascination with, and adoration for, the liquid black velvet in my post, titled Coffee’s Up In Sydney!
And if you also find yourself tragically addicted to a good cappuccino or mocha, latte or flat white, why not say ‘hello’ on this blog and start up a conversation on the merits of a good coffee!
That’s assuming you were even aware of Sydney’s coffee culture and, if so, agree that it’s one of the coffee centres of the world?
Coffee’s Up in Sydney! at WhyGo Australia – http://www.australiablog.com/food-and-beverage/coffees-sydney.html
Black liquid gold hits the mark. I also call it my morning elixir! How fortunate to be in a place that enjoys their coffee. The Dutch are huge coffee consumers, and thankfully it isn’t hard to find a good ‘kopje koffie’.
Hi Linda – I’ll remember to try a kopje koffie next time I’m over that way (whenever that will be). I remember that some parts of Europe had a decent coffee culture. Enjoy your morning hit! It’s great to be in a coffee mecca but it can get expensive – I need to show restraint!
I love my coffee and moving from Brisbane to Sydney has been an interesting experience where, in Brisbane, you have to search out hidden coffee haunts. In Sydney, however, even the dodgiest looking street vendor can make a tasty brew for $2.50! My favourite thing to do on the weekend is investigate the many coffee wonders of Sydney.
Have you heard about the cupping sessions at Campos in Newtown? I know it maybe sounds a bit suss but you go and do coffee tasting – not unlike a wine tasting session. Check it out http://www.camposcoffee.com/
@Katherine
I agree. You can find good coffee in the strangest places here. There’s the ropiest looking coffee cart stood just outside out gym yet it sells the best coffee. He has the full espresso machine, all the bells and whistles. Continues to impress me.
I have heard about the cupping sessions but haven’t tried it yet. Do they have to pull you down from the ceiling after tasting all of their coffees? 🙂
My husband swears Sydney has the greatest coffee – its so funny that you post this he was just saying how hard it is to find good coffee in Holland, and that my american coffee is like tea!
Hi @Shera “The Expatriate” – Sounds like you need to get back to Sydney fast for a quick hit of great coffee 🙂
I never knew that Sydney was known for its coffee until I moved here. Now I wonder how on earth it was kept from me. Thanks for stopping by!
Oh good lord, now you have just made us miss our homeland even more. Do you think we can find a good coffee here in Toronto. Well we can, but we have to drive 40 minutes to hunt it down! I love a Melbourne coffee, doesn’t matter where I am someone somewhere has got good coffee brewing. 103 days to go until we can share in a well brewed latte, Sorrento Melbourne, here we come. Cheers SM
Hi @SorrentoMoon – I have been to Toronto and know how you feel. I also need to get back down to Melbourne for a bit of a coffee/shopping/exploring weekend. Can’t beat it. Enjoy the next 103 days in Canada and see you for a couple of perfect Aussie lattes soon 😉
I’ve tried them all down the years – every possible variety but I’ve abandoned them for my regular fix of an Americano with milk. Until fairly recently it was nigh on impossible to get a decent cuppa in Turkey. All that was on offer was Nescafe instant or Turkish coffee. The local brew is definitely an acquired taste, thick enough to repair potholes and sweet enough to rot teeth with the first sip.
Hi @Jack Scott
Know what you mean. My usual fix was the same – an Americano with milk. It was the closest thing I could find to a regular, normal coffee.
Then I came to Australia where Americanos don’t readily exist. So I asked for the next best thing and was told to order a ‘long black with milk’.
You should see the strange looks I get now because long blacks should not be served with milk (allegedly). If I go to a new cafe, I have to stand there and explain my order – the why, where, what and how. Coffee is outstanding here but it’s a complicated business.
I’ve tried Turkish coffee before. I still have the holes in my teeth to prove it.
Russ
Sydney has the BEST coffee in the world (well, anywhere I’ve been anyway). I fell in love love love with it. When I came back to the states I went into withdrawal. Fortunately, I’ll be in Melbourne in a couple of weeks and I’ll have to take up where I left off.
Doesn’t it just? Glad you agree. And how good is it that you get to come back again. Melbourne certainly isn’t too shady when it comes to great coffee. Enjoy your visit back here and hope the conference goes well 🙂