Ampersand Cafe & Bookstore, Surry Hills

Scores:
Coffee: 15/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 28/40

The main strip of Surry / Crown is notorious for getting a table at lunch. Often most people's experience of new cafe's in the area is that they are unable to get a table at their usual cafe and forced to move on. Luckily for me I don't mind where I end up as I'm typically trying a new place every time.

The next stage in my Surry cafe crawl has landed me at Ampersands Book Shop Cafe, across from the public library and Clock Hotel. This cafe is clearly a popular choice due to its location, developed food options and its opening onto the public square.

Your experience will start with you standing in the middle of the café’s main doorway, this is a cafe where you are seated by staff, and staff will police this well, so do as you should and block the doorway till you're found a seat.

I was told when I arrived that there were no tables available so waited on the grassy area till a table freed itself up. I did not have to wait long. As I was seated I had my coffee ordered, my second and last latte of the day (I can really only take two milk based coffees in one day). They also left a menu with me to order lunch.

The latte was quick to be produced and I reckon looked pretty good! The milk was silky, the colouring was complex and milk to foam ratio only a little off.

The aroma of the drink was of rich cocoa flavours, mixed with a bold and developed roast smell. I could not pick the bean, but it's a fun one.

Tasting it I found both cherry and coca flavours mixed in with that roasted aroma. It's a reasonably bold drink that is somewhat smooth and quite enjoyable.

While waiting for my food and letting the drink cool I scoped out the patrons they were a far more developed Surry crowd than I found at Kantine. More couples and slightly older persons although there was a real mix to the place.

Letting my coffee sit, I found brought out more the bold cocoa flavour further, leaving it to become a little smoother in the mouth and become a little more acidic in its nature.

Overall, sitting inside or outside here is a pleasant experience; the relaxed vibe outside is nicely balanced against the organised ‘chaotic’ second hand book library inside. The staff are efficient and busy and however clearly under pressure and don't feel comfortable. The coffee is a solid choice, made well and stands as an great option for the area.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 7/10
Experience (taste and smell): 8/10
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Coffee total: 15/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): Exactly how picture Surry café should be.
Cool?: 7/10
Service: 6/10
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Cafe: 13/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 28/40



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Kantine Café Bistro

Scores:
Coffee: 12/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 27/40

With the New Year upon us, I’ve made an effort to bring myself up to the highly frequented, not so blogged about, at least on my behalf, Surry Hills area of Sydney. This morning I'm starting at the corner of Crown and Oxford and having a walk around this Northern end.

My first stop on my Inner East trip was to the cafe Kantine, a highly modern, white and bright café found right on the corner of Campbell and Denham streets. My initial feeling about the place, walking in, was that it’s kind of like a Noosa wine bar (faux 'Mediterranean' feel) meets the Inner East.

It's bang on 12pm so it is not overly busy, I can sit more-or-less where I want. I grab a choice window seat. A waiter comes over reasonably quickly and I order a latte. In no time he’s come back with some water.

Scoping out the patrons is quite an experience here. Being so close to Oxford Street and in such a cool area, they are a mix of young twenty somethings. I found I was not the only person looking around at others, come here and you'll get perved on from both girls and guys.

The coffee came around to me pretty quickly and I was neither overly impressed nor disappointed with the drink. There was no latte art, however it was a clean pour with that silky shiny foam that everyone loves. The proportions were a little off but forgivable.

The drink had a bit of an elegant roasted aroma to it. I enjoyed the sweet, dry fruitiness of the coffee's aroma.

Tasting it I found it to be a full flavoured and quite full bodied. However in saying full bodied I equally found it to be reasonably delicate, quite a sophisticated blend. The flavours of the blend I found were somewhat sweet and possibly on the fruit led side, my best description would be a citrus flavour without the rind.

Letting the drink sit balances the drink further - leaving it as a sweet and mild affair, it's clearly a bean designed to be had with milk and does this well.

As I was letting my coffee sit and waiter came up behind me, tapped me on my shoulder and asked me if I was ok and needed more water. To be honest it scared the shit out of me, but again this is the kind of service that you'd hope to find in most cafes (not being scared but attentive service).

Overall, the coffee is nice, the place chilled, patrons a real mix, location prime, and staff friendly and attentive. Like Bogey Hole I reviewed earlier in the year, the big let down was the lack of presentation on this occurrence. It is a worthy stop in a Surry Hills cafe crawl.

I should mention that whilst on this review I did not eat here, I have eaten here before and it was great, not to mention on that instance they did do some fun latte art (see the flat white photo to the right). This is more a FYI than an event that will change the scoring.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 5/10
Experience (taste and smell): 7/10
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Coffee total: 12/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): faux Mediterranean come Australian cafe
Cool?: 7/10
Service: 8/10
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Cafe: 15/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 27/40


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Search for Australian grown coffee

Hey all,

Instead of a review I thought I would ask a question. I'm searching for a great glass / cup of Australian grown coffee. Any clues as to where I should start my search? I've got some good ideas but would love some inspiration.

Thanks guys,

Coffee Nerd

Random - Twelve

Twelve, Newtown @ 12:08, latte.

Has not improved much in terms of looks. As for the rest - nice aroma and ok flavours a little washed out, quite milky in consistency.

t

The Bogey Hole Café

Scores:
Coffee: 13/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 27/40
Bean: Toby's Estate

Welcome to 2013 readers.

What says welcome to a new year in Sydney better than a morning spent at the beach? I know that was the top thing on my mind when I work up this morning on the 01/01/13 although much to the annoyance of Nerd 2, who I am sure would have liked a little longer sleep in to start the year. Our morning started at 9am as we jumped in the car and drove out to Bronte.

Bronte has to be on of my favourite Sydney beaches I love the park meets beach thing the area has, not to mention the local cafe combination the area provides. And, by the look at the number of visitors this morning, so do a few others!

Having spent the morning swimming and lazing in the sun, Nerd 2 and I finished our time in the ideal beach location with a coffee (well, Nerd 2 a fresh fruit juice). Not knowing much about the cafes in the area, we went into the first café that caught our eyes, plus more importantly the one that had a spare table. Luckily for us, a table had just opened up at a café we were walking past, The Bogey Hole Café.

If you've not been here before, The Bogey Hole Café is the café second from the right, if standing with the beach at your back, and to my eyes it’s the café with the most personality, it’s got a bit of old world Sydney beach charm to the shop front and seemingly more relaxed less snooty than some other options. You'll want to grab a footpath table in the summer to catch some breeze.

As we sat down a waiter came over quickly with menus, first thoughts - not to shabby for a ridiculously busy day. After 5 minutes he came back with water and asked us both what we were looking for, I went a latte and baked eggs, Nerd 2 a fresh watermelon, ginger and apple and a vege-burger.

Interestingly, the coffee and juice came out together reasonably quickly with Nerd 2’s burger and my baked eggs a little spaced out a little later but close enough to work. Little odd on the timings but it may have been the day.

The coffee’s initial appearance was a little disappointing, foam not overly silky and no attempt at latte art (you’re making me a little sad Eastern suburbs). These aspects aside, it presented well with solid foam to milk ratio and nice glass and saucer.

The aroma of the coffee was somewhat diluted to my nose with the salt in the air (and my nose from swimming), but it had the bright fresh fruity and toffee like sweet aroma notes we’ve come to expect from a Toby’s Estate House blend.

Tasting wise I found it leaning more on that toffee / caramel flavours than the fruit (fresh berry / citrus like rind) aspects which Toby’s house can show up.

Not nearly as spectacular as Hole In The Wall’s Toby’s Estate that I reviewed last week, Bogey missed the fruity flavours which really left a comparatively lacklustre after taste yet, still in contrast mode, it was far more smooth and levelled drink as you’d expect from more a single taste drink. Overall, I thought it was a nice drink and well above a normal coffee standard, I'm just being picky today.

Letting it cool brought out some of the fruity berry like flavours, which levelled some of the toffee flavours in the mouth, leaving it less smooth but more satisfying.

Overall, there are only good things I can say about the café. The Bogey Hole has fantastic Bronte location, great food and nice, simple and smooth coffee. While not the most modern looking place, it has got more beach hipster charm that you’d ever need. The coffee, while not the best Toby’s Estate example, could be markedly improved, in my rankings, with some art added to it which may happen not on New Years Day. With a choice of 3 or 4 nearly identical looking cafes in the area, Bogey is a dam good choice.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 6/10
Experience (taste and smell): 7/10
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Coffee total: 13/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): A cool beach side haunt
Cool?: 7/10
Service: 7/10
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Cafe: 14/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 27/40


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Bar Latte

Scores:
Coffee: 9/20
Whole experience (cafe + coffee): 17/40

There is something particularly unappealing about coffee shops in or near train stations. Just think about it, I can name a few just off the top of my head and I am sure you can to. Sadly this is not a ‘however’ moment to reveal an amazing coffee shop for today’s review, but rather a confirmation of this fact.

This early Saturday morning finds me at Edgecliff station, waiting to get a lift from a mate, Harley, to get up the coast for a day or two. Having not had a coffee that day I thought I would grab one before the ride. Bar Latte found just outside the station on New South Head Road was there, so I ordered a latte (hey, it’s called Bar Latte) and sat in.

When I called up Harley to say I was getting a coffee, he told me, you're going to be running late and the coffee will be shit. Ouch.

I grabbed a seat outside and had a look at my surroundings. I’m not sure if you’ve ever been to an Eastern European bus station think that, but in Eastern Sydney so the people are slightly better dressed.

The latte came to me reasonably quickly. It was presented to me in a tallish glass on a black saucer.

From first appearances I was reasonably impressed, given my low hopes I had given the place. While there was no coffee art, it had been poured well and the milk looked silky enough. However, there was a plethora of foam well over what you’d want from a latte in 2012 (or 2013 - happy new year).

Just as I was starting my coffee a lady with a dog asked if she could share my table. I accepted happily  What I did not realise was that by her, she meant about 3 people and by share she meant involve. This began me becoming intimately involved with all aspects of their life with 'whose gay’, 'is uncle Joe an alcoholic?' and 'remember when the dog did this?' often including me with a ‘and what do you think?’. Welcome to the Eastern suburbs?

The aroma was quite roasted with a somewhat smooth, fruity sweet aroma drifting through it, a smell that was not that bad at at all.

Tasting wise it was a very sweet, but simple blend. I found that although it seemed quite mild, after a few seconds it had both quite a strong and sour long lasting after taste that just lasted and lasted... yuck.

Letting the drink cool the bitterness of the blend tended to dominate over the sweet and milder flavours. On the plus side it’s an interesting tasting experience in that you do most of the tasting of the coffee in the front of your mouth.

Having finished the drink I found that the best part was the excessive foam, which was left till the end, this had a reasonably pleasant texture and sweetish taste to it.

Overall, it's a cafe for when you need it rather than when you’re looking for it. Staff are non-existent, but nice enough when you experience them, the atmosphere is odd but given the coffee shop is located in the ruins of an early 1990s shopping centre that just could not make it, it does it's best and the coffee is ok, but all together quite a forgettable experience.

Scores:
1. Coffee score
Style (look and feel): 5/10
Experience (taste and smell): 4/10
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Coffee total: 9/20
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2. Cafe score
Style (what’s it feel like): Run down European bus station cafe
Cool?: 3/10
Service: 5/10
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Cafe: 8/20
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Whole experience (coffee + cafe): 17/40


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