Sydney’s north side coffee scene is unlike anywhere else in the city. From hidden cafes in bike shops to cafes housed in old nail salons, we’ve searched high and low for North Sydney’s best coffee. Satisfy your caffeine cravings at these hot spots:

The Roots & Next Door  | Shop 7/2 Elizabeth Plaza, 83 Mount Street, North Sydney

Come for the coffee. Stay for the food. North of the bridge and under the Pacific Highway you’ll find every hipster’s wet dream. With a 90s hiphop soundtrack  and Single Origin coffee, the Roots is a regular haunt for us, Urban crew.  The cafe has a science lab feel to it with glass vessels of coffee brewing on the bench , matched with an industrial chic fit-out. The coffee beans are rotated each month and you’ll regularly find them brewing their batch from some of from the best roasters in the country. There’s four single origins in the siphon and pour-overs at any given time! For coffee options, choose from a flat white, pour overs, or cold-drip.

If your tummy is rumbling, The Roots also offers delicious comfort foods such as  the Yeezus Burger, Reuben sandwiches or the Legendary 12 Hour Brisket Roll for lunch. Healthy options are also available with Cauliflower Salads and Health Bowl Salads.

Cavalier Specialty Coffee | 34 Oxley St, St Leonards

Their coffee is amazing. Their food is next level. Cavalier Specialty Coffee is a North Sydney cafe worth diverting for. Housed in an old nail salon, there’s only limited seating but it’s worth the wait. Their breakfast dishes are the most Instagrammable items in we dare say all of Sydney and if you have to choose only one dish on the menu, we recommend the Oldskool Newskool Salmon. The dish features ‘caviar-topped salmon skirted by an intricate arrangement of poached eggs, beetroot yoghurt, black-garlic mayonnaise and shards of toasted rye.’ Now that’s a mouthful! The cafe has an open plan where you can see into the kitchen and chat away with the baristas about how you’ve just discovered Sydney’s best kept secret.

Northside Bunker | 99 Mount Street,  North Sydney

Tucked away just below street level, Northside Bunker is keeping  Sydney’s Northsiders well caffeinated with coffee from The Grounds.  Their food menu offers a varied selection of pastas, salads, sandwiches and wraps until 4pm on weekdays. Perfect for that lunch when you need to skip the office. Bring a lunch date or two. For all the vino lovers, they also stay open late on Fridays nights with a short wine list to go with their burgers and simple Italian food.

Home Espresso | 107 Mount Street, North Sydney

Home Espresso serves up good quality coffee without the pretension. The baristas are passionate about their coffee and they also do $12 lunch specials on weekdays and $5 juices. Sitting under one of the high-rise office buildings, you can choose to sit outdoors or indoors on one of the communal tables.  It’s a great spot to go to when you need to chill from your stressful work of the day.

La Cantina | 6-16 Atchison Street, St Leonards

Walking into La Cantina, you can’t help but fall in love with the design of the cafe. The interiors are clean and have a modern Scandinavian feel to it. Drawing inspiration from Melbourne, the airy space is filled with hanging greenery and a mural across the back wall inspired by their coffee provider, Bondi’s Will & Co. The baristas know their coffee and use 100 percent Arabica beans from Guatemalan and Brazilian origins. If you’re after a quick takeaway coffee, you can order your brew from the coffee window or if you’re in need of a decent feed, they have a considerable sized menu with all the usual breakfast and lunch fare. Take your time to chat to the baristas, they’re a delightful bunch.

Bay Ten Espresso | Bay 10, Middlemiss Street, Lavenday Bay 

A hot spot for cyclists, you’ll find Bay Ten Espresso on the bike path to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Behind the roller doors, Bay Ten Espresso is located in a giant warehouse-sized space with The Bike Mechanic located at the back of the cafe. They have an extensive coffee list and do their own in-house cold drip coffee. While their food menu is small, all the flavours pack a punch. Breakfast is served until 12pm on weekdays and all day on weekends and lunch is served from 12pm daily. We recommend ordering the poached eggs for breakfast or the avocado and roast beetroot hummus on Sourdough – their hummus is made on site.

Sign up to our mailing list here and discover all of our favourite spots around Sydney!