The Best Cafes In Sydney’s CBD
Every good morning in Sydney starts with a great cafe.
Find Italian pastries and spritzes on York Street, a 1920s coffeehouse on George Street and a terrace under the Opera House sails where the coffee comes with a Harbour Bridge view.
Sydney’s top cafes do far more than just pour a good flat white. They give you a reason to stop. Spend ten minutes to yourself between meetings with a fresh coffee. Catch up with a friend for or a long breakfast before the day gets away from you.
This guide rounds up the cafes in Sydney that we keep coming back to, and the ones we send friends to when they ask.
Every cafe here earns its place on flavour, atmosphere and the kind of service that makes you want to return.
Hester’s is a polished weekday cafe opposite Wynyard Park, tucked into an office lobby on Carrington Street. Gabriel coffee and pastries baked in house start the day, then the kitchen turns to Mediterranean flavours at lunch. Take the time for a sit down breakfast here and the whole city feels a little slower for it.
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Winnie’s sits on the Lower Concourse beneath the Opera House sails, with Harbour Bridge views and a coffee program to match. It opens early and keeps going through the day, so a morning flat white, a long lunch or sunset drinks all work. Pastries and share plates showcase NSW produce, and nothing beats the setting.
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Fine dining and casual cafe eats collide at Devon Cafe’s Barangaroo outpost. Come for an indulgent brunch or lavish lunch, with standouts including wagyu hash browns and truffle pasta. Book ahead for the seasonal truffle menu. Open daily until 3pm.
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Tucked into the lobby of a Clarence Street office tower, Cross Eatery is much more than grab-and-go. This airy, light-filled cafe serves specialty coffee and fresh, seasonal salads, breakfast bowls and sandwiches, with plenty of timber tables and bench seating for client meetings. Open weekdays.
Think you’ve stepped into a Manhattan coffee shop? Bowery Lane feels more restaurant than daytime cafe, making it a smart pick for an important client meeting. This New York-inspired spot serves single-origin coffee, fresh juices and elevated breakfast and lunch, with table service. Open weekdays.
For old-school charm in the heart of the city, The Grounds of the City delivers, with coffee, tea and pastry carts roaming past landmark window displays and coffee sommeliers on hand. Enjoy brunch by day, and dinner and drinks by night. Open daily.
Bringing a slice of Melbourne coffee culture to the CBD, Industry Beans’ York Street cafe is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle. Set inside a heritage building, it pairs house-roasted coffee with creative takes on classic brunch dishes. Open daily.
Skittle Lane has nailed the formula for a great CBD coffee experience. Set in a restored heritage building on King Street, this minimalist, industrial-style space has floor-to-ceiling windows, strong espresso and a menu of pastries, sandwiches and avo toast. Grab a window seat. Open weekdays.
In a luxe marble foyer on Martin Place, Hills Bros is a small but flavourful sibling of Reuben Hills, serving Reuben Hills coffee alongside a health-minded menu influenced by Latin America and Asia. Expect brown rice congee, nasi goreng and a mushroom toastie. Open weekdays.
