Love the vibe of this spot right off of George street. Cute indoor-outdoor patio and excellent…read morebeans. Menu looks tasty but I didn't grab food.

I had cappucino, and my wife went with latte. Both beautifully done. Then we shared a fresh…read moresqueezed oj. Perfect. My acai bowl had fresh fruit, granola, and shredded coconut over icey acai. This had nice balance, not too sweet, and healthy as all get out. (Where did that expression come from?) My wife chose brushetta with halved cherry tomatoes, over avocado toast. There was a side of hulami cheese which benefitted from a lemon juice dousing. This was a super savory way to start our day. We loved everything.

I was surprised to find this place on the ground level of St Ives Shopping Village. It is hipster…read moreheaven. I would have given this cafe 5 stars if they served coffee than Toby's Estate. I am not a fan all of that coffee bean. Especially as Three Beans is down stairs. But other than their choice of coffee beans, this cafe is awesome. Great food and great little desserts. And to top it all off the staff are extremely friendly. Just a warning, it is extremely crowded and so you might have to get take away or wait for a table.

Sometimes I'm coming through here early so pop in for a a quickie!…read more This morning I was there at 7.30 opening so thought I'd grab some brekkie. Ordered the Muesli. Wow!!! Crunchy grains and seeds, yoghurt, honey and fresh fruit ........and a fun little cocktail umbrella! Tooooo cute! Made me smile!!! The service here always impresses me. A warm smile goes a long way plus I enjoy the decor here. It's not what you expect from a cafe in St Ives Shopping Village! Love it, and happily take on the challenge to return to review more menu items!

Honestly some of the best and quickest service I've ever had for brunch/breakfast. We were seated…read morewithin a few minutes of arriving and we quickly placed our orders. Our drinks were out in 3-5 minutes and our food was out within about 5-7 minutes after. As soon as we finished we were given our checks to pay at the front. I think we were here for only 45 minutes and it was amazing! I started out with the iced strawberry matcha and my husband had their iced mocha. The iced mocha was good but the iced strawberry matcha was flawless. The strawberries were so fresh and the matcha was just perfect itself. Great combo together! My husband had the free range eggs on toast and I had the eggs Benedict. His was delicious but the eggs Benedict was amazing. The crispy kale really sold me as it was delectable in each bite. Eggs were poached to perfection and the truffle hollandaise was just delicious. Couldn't have had a better experience if we tried!

This cafe was recommended by a family member and was an easy travel from our hotel and was actually…read morea walking distance of less than 10 minutes. For a larger party, coming in with a reservation was convenient since they are pretty busy and change tables often. Service staff were efficient and very friendly. Ordering was easy as well. Their seasonal specials is definitely worth the look over. I had the peanut butter shake and although it didn't look it, it tasted very much like peanut butter in liquid form. I also got to try the summer breeze watermelon salad. That was refreshing. It had a mix of greens, dressing, feta and a crisp prosciutto. I've never had prosciutto served fried; it was delicious. The whole piece married well, and I wish I knew the background of how it was created. I loved every bite! Although the place was crowded, it can still be intimate. Besides indoor seating, they also have a patio and seating outside.

Cafe Ella in Darlington has some tough competition in its neighbourhood, and I think it's going to…read moretake a lot of work before it can pose any kind of threat. As we walked in we were notified by the friendly waitress that there were no menus on the tables. This in itself would be fine, except that the menu written on the chalk board at the front of the cafe was scrawled almost illegibly, and with no order whatsoever - breakfast items were hidden amongst lunch items, and figuring out exactly what was on offer was an effort in itself. Thwarted by the challenge, we opted instead for one of their cakes, which was nice enough. The coffee was average, and when we asked if they took Eftpos, we were informed that they did not, and that the nearest ATM was a 15 minute walk away. The problem with Cafe Ella lies not only in its haphazard menu, but more so in the fact that it can't beat its competition. With the bustling Shortlist cafe only two doors down, any passer-by would look at the dreary, empty Cafe Ella and suspect that they must be doing something wrong. Whilst we decided to give them a go in the spirit of trying somewhere new, I know where I will be heading next time I'm in the area and it won't be to Ella.

I read the last review and felt instinctively like I need to defend Cafe Ella!…read more Rachel C. is right about the coffee -- it's Vittoria, and not amazing. It's not bad though, it sort of depends on who the barista is on the day. (Denise is great.) I will say this for Ella: it's super friendly, and the chalk-board menu is iconic (same as its sister cafe, Cafe Giulia). The menu is not as extensive as Cafe Giulia, but given the kitchen is small, they do a good job. Cafe Ella's servings of food are always generous, messily presented, and fresh. The muffins and cakes are rich and delicious, and they do a good blueberry bagel with ricotta. They don't have Eftpos, but there's a pub 1 minute away with an ATM. Cafe Ella is not as self-consciously trendy as one of its neighbours, Shortlist, but the staff at Ella make an effort to remember your name (and your coffee order). Cafe Ella has a lovely, quiet upstairs area and they're happy for you to sit there and read for hours. It's a place where you can feel at home.

PARIS REINCARNATED!!!…read more Yes! I am not exaggerating! This quaint, unassuming patisserie had a line out the door (good sign ). It didn't look like much, but the racks of fresh, delicious looking bread and the fact you can see where they actually do it did fill me with confidence. The coffee machine was on the side and in watching the barista go about his business (although very busy) did not fill me with the same confidence (oh well we're here for the baked goodies not the coffee!!) **I'll give you a moment, yes those words did come out of my mouth - this visit wasn't about the coffee.... Hahahaha** Oki doki - back to the review... The staff were friendly and service prompt - on this occasion we did a little eat n running. Once we got to the front we had a look at the selection and well... Things got a little outta hand! We started "could I please have 1 croissant... Oh and a walnut & chocolate twist... And a choc pyramid pointy cake thing... And a pain au raisin...and a pie... Plus 1 x picollo & 1 x chai latte." We got home and WOW O WOW! Arguably the best pastries we've had since Paris. Buttery croissant but flakey outside. It was all just delicious. We seriously considered driving the 45min back to get more. LOVED IT! Will be back. As a side note the coffee was average at best. Bitter. Not that nice but meh. Again it was the pastries. Chai latte was pretty gross. Too sweet, powder not mixed in. Don't recommend at all. Overall a really positive experience and one that we will definitely we reliving.

Cute little neighborhood cafe. Great coffee & pastries. Good service. No Wifi if you are looking to…read morebe online.

I enjoyed the roots more on this visit than my last, I came a little earlier and by beating the…read morehustle and bustle the staff identified me as a new visitor and explained their menu and philosophy of their coffee. The coffee was as good as I remembered, great temperature, hot enough to chase a way the morning chill yet not so hot to burn my mouth or worse the coffee! Since I had time I went for a full breakfast rather than a breakie wrap and it was excellent (see my pictures) and I was offered another coffee whilst seated, told I could settle up later and they correctly identified my order. I will be back when I next visit head quarters.

It seems North Sydney has a new coffee shop to reinvigorate would could be seen as a tired old…read morescene for the workday masses. The Roots, whilst an interesting choice for a name is a grounded, down to earth cafe that keeps a simple yet serious approach to good coffee and good service. Nestled away below the Greenwood bridge, the buzz of the cafe is nicely offset against the backdrop of a bustling Pacific Highway (you wouldn't even notice it). Simplicity is the key here and if they did a Saturday breakfast it would drag the masses into the great ghost town quicker than a boxing day sale. What I drank: Latte What I rate: Service: 4/5 Vibe: 4/5 Overall rating: 4/5 Ideal for: Lunch time get away, brunch if you're lucky to have weekday off.

Hills Bros, the offspring of the Reuben Hills and Paramount Coffee Project, is a much anticipated…read moreopening. An irresistible force field drew me in today, into a small but perfectly formed space, with a similarly select menu. While tempted by the oatmeal breakfast waffle, I eventually opted for the brown rice congee. This was a delicious hipster version, which would have been even better with a side of fresh chilli. I predict a big big hit.

I heard a good reputation about this new café on a food blog and went there for a casual lunch…read more First, I had a latte and was impressed with its lovely not-too-strong flavor. (The coffee cup was cute to!) The food I chose was the chicken tacos. The chicken was very tender and matched well with spicy mayo sauce. The only problem was it was a bit difficult to eat with hands like other tacos. This café has a cool contemporary ambience with friendly service. Other dishes in their menu look very interesting as well. Since the café is located in an office building, it might be a bit tricky to find this place for the first-timers.

I've loved breakfast here! I often come here in a Sunday morning before heading to work in a nearby…read moredress shop. Try the French Toast or the Avo and Feta! I went this weekend on a Saturday about 9 and there was a wait for tables so they are obviously doing something right! I went off for some shopping and returned for a later brekkie rather than stand there watching customers have each bite and wondering how long they'd be before their table was available. The crowd had moved on and I ordered the Avo with a poached egg. It's a fave, as I said! But I felt decidedly uncomfortable when the 'spare' chair at the table for two was whisked away for another table. The crowd had diminished and other larger tables were empty, so there were other 'spare chair' options. On my way out I mentioned it and staff were apologetic... so I hope it won't be the experience for other solo diners.

Prompt and friendly service, followed by well presented instagram-friendly food! Portions are a…read morelittle small but the taste is worth a try. Very good coffee too.