You know something is wrong with a café and its coffee if you get your coffee even before you pay *and* have your loyalty card stamped. Unfortunately that's the case with Red Mango. Their prominent location in North Sydney's Greenwood Plaza seems to allow them to churn out substandard coffee while still getting enough customers. I have my theory that few regular coffee drinkers really appreciate their brew and opt for the same coffee at the same place every day, or if they found a place they like they just stick with it. My joy of coffee drinking (and I guess that of many other Yelp reviewers here) is to try out different places and possibly even different types of coffee to test a café's and barista's skills. In Red Mango's case the barista and the business proved that it does not have the skills to produce a good coffee. My espresso shot was burnt and then further bastardised by watering it down beyond recognition, only to leave an aftertaste that can't be described here without violating Yelp's T&Cs.
So far my bottom three Sydney cafés: Red Mango, North Sydney, Café Ena, Chatswood and On The Grind, North Sydney.
Ah well...another one on the "Cafés to avoid" list. read more
