The mission to find Sydney’s best cafes

I love my morning coffee. On a cold July morning, the prospect of its warm, earthy goodness is one of the things that gets me out of bed. A good cuppa is a joy; a bad one can ruin a morning, less because of the taste than the disappointment.

The ritual of buying a coffee can become part of the pleasure, particularly at a cafe with a sense of community. I still remember the jolt of delight I felt the first time a barista at the new-ish spot near the office remembered my order. The Herald’s eating out and restaurant editor Bianca Hrovat has visited more cafes than most, and for her, it’s this kind of warmth that makes a cafe stand out.

“My most memorable experiences when dining out at cafes or restaurants is when someone goes to the ends of the Earth to make you feel comfortable, and clearly wants to be there and is having a nice time,” she tells me. “I feel like it makes such a difference.”

Sydney has one of the best, and most interesting, cafe scenes in the world. Amid so many excellent places, it can be hard to find the best; happily, the Good Food team has done the work for you, and is this week publishing its annual list of Sydney’s 100 Essential Cafes and Bakeries.

The guides include venues that are best for food, coffee, tea and matcha (I’ll never understand the matcha craze, but each to their own) as well as where to get the city’s best sweets, sandwiches, bread and baked goods, and institutions that continue to make our cities great.

We’ll have liftouts in our print publications today, Sunday, and on Friday and Sunday of next week. Our Good Food app will allow readers to search for cafes via an interactive map, browse custom collections, and filter down to the desired cuisine, dietary need, dining style or suburb. The app is available as a standalone subscription and is included in premium subscriptions to the Herald.

Bianca began compiling this year’s guide almost immediately after finishing last year’s, and has been slowly eating and drinking her way across the city. The past few weeks have been a rush to visit new cafes; last Sunday she had four breakfasts, starting with one in Bondi at 7am and finishing at Guildford at 11.

She is passionate about the important role cafes play in our lives, particularly during a cost-of-living crunch. “I don’t know if you’ve heard about the concept of little treat culture,” she says. “We don’t have much money to go out for dinner and things like that, but we still like to splurge on ourselves. So rather than spending $30 on a meal, we’ll spend a ridiculous amount of money on a croissant. It’s comparatively less, and it makes us feel good.”

It’s not just about the food and drink, though. As Bianca has reported, contemporary cafes are working hard to build a sense of community. Some host run clubs, or artisan markets, or coffee raves (a sober, daytime dance party). “The vibe is really important; they put a lot of effort into nurturing that,” says Bianca. “I think it’s almost as important as the food. They need each other.”

Bianca began her career as a news reporter in Queensland, and now combines her news background and food expertise for the Herald. She has won a Walkley award, alongside colleagues Eryk Bagshaw and Clare Sibthorpe, for her investigations into the sinister side of Sydney’s hospitality scene, and is nominated for a Logie for her work with Herald and 60 Minutes colleagues on a program about misconduct in the sector.

While news reporting can be as challenging as it is rewarding, and isn’t for everyone, visiting cafes on the company dime sounds like a dream gig. “I really enjoy it,” she says. “I think the best part was getting to talk to people. Especially with cafes, the operators are usually independent, and they pour their hearts and souls into it.”

The Good Food app is available as a standalone subscription and is included in premium digital Sydney Morning Herald subscriptions. Download it from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.