With coffee being the name of the game here in Australia, let’s take a look at some of my current favourite coffee spots around Mosman. This wealthy suburb of the lower north shore may not be considered one of the frontrunners of the hipster coffee scene (Here’s to you Surry Hills) but with the standards set high and the competition fierce, the ability to create a decent long black is a vital skill.
Whenever visiting a new place, I will always try to hunt out a good coffee spot, or vice versa end up finding a place to stay based on the local coffee, beer and wine bars. Websites such as beanhunter are a great starting place but reviews can be out of date and unfortunately some of the places have since shut down. With so many suburbs and areas to explore the same often applies with broadsheet, sitchu and concreteplayground, three Australia based city guide websites.
Tucked away behind the ever hectic spit junction on Myahgah Mews is a cluster of cafes and shops one of which is the unassuming Penny Royal. Like most of Australia the menu focuses on espresso based coffee and they do it very well. Their long black is shorter than many and comes with a rich crema hugging the sides of the cup. Alongside this there is a brilliant food selection varying from Vietnamese favourites with an Aussie twist to some great Sambos (Yep, it’s a word apparently). The drunken, an extravagant mix of ham, cheese and a whiskey relish really hits the spot. Lighter options such as their take on the classic pho, and BBQ chicken rice paper rolls are packed full of flavour and make a refreshing change to the ubiquitous Avo On toast fare (although you’ll get a cracking one here).
Taking a walk down Military Rd towards the Buena Vista, the hectic spit junction peters out to a steady hum of traffic and takes on a much more village feel. There are more coffee shops than you can shake a caffeinated stick at. Moving away from the larger scale roastery sponsorships found with many coffee shops, The Source has opted to roast their own beans on site allowing them to go their own way with flavour profiles and style. With a long black, hinting slightly more towards the chocolatey and nutty but maintaining a balanced acidity, and their fantastic gooey berry banana bread, they compliment each other brilliantly.
A short hop, skip and a jump from The Source is Avenue Rd café. You’ll find more dark wood tables and chairs with English tea shop vibes than plywood and moustaches here but that doesn’t stop them from pulling a great espresso with your standard choice of hot water, dairy, almond or oat milk mixer. When you’re feeling a bit coffee’d out (or you’ve already had 4 today and your heart is about to explode) they offer a homemade chai latte. Served in its own pourer, it’s perfectly sweet, heavily spiced with the subtle bitterness of black tea and steamed with your choice of milk to make a rich frothy hug.
