Four Lattes and a Noodle Sandwich in Sydney

I didn’t wake up in Sydney planning to drink four lattes.

My original plan was a quick Sydney coffee crawl, visiting Sample and Beta, two coffee shops near my Airbnb in Surry Hills. I figured I’d grab a latte at each and spend the rest of the morning walking around.

Sydney’s coffee culture had already impressed me, and I wanted to explore more of it without planning every hour of the day.

Then a barista gave me a hot tip.

What started as two nearby stops turned into four coffee shops, a bag of beans to bring home and a sandwich stuffed with noodles.

Latte #1: Sample Coffee

I started at Sample Coffee in Surry Hills, a short walk from where I was staying.

Sample has a simple storefront, a handful of outdoor tables and a cool mural on the wall. It felt like the kind of neighborhood spot where you can grab a coffee, watch the morning go by and get on with your day.

I ordered a latte, enjoyed it and wandered off toward my second stop. It was a nice way to ease into the morning.

Nothing complicated. At this point, I was still following the original plan.

No, I wasn’t pouring out the latte. Just proof of another SHLAY. ☺️

Latte #2: Beta Coffee

Beta Coffee was next, and it ended up being my favorite coffee shop in Sydney.

I ordered another latte and spent some time browsing the beans. I picked up a bag from Legend Coffee Roasters, featuring Ethiopian coffee from Ayla Bombe in the Sidama region, with tasting notes of tropical juice, mango and rose.

I like bringing coffee home from my travels. Unlike a souvenir that ends up sitting on a shelf, it’s something I can enjoy over the following weeks, one cup at a time.

While I was there, I started talking to the barista about coffee shops around Sydney. He told me that Diggy Doo’s was his favorite coffee place in the entire city.

Now that was a recommendation worth following.

I’d already visited both places on my list, but if someone making coffee I really enjoyed had a personal favorite, I wanted to check it out. I had the rest of the morning free, so I decided to keep going.

Latte #3: Diggy Doo’s Coffee

I hopped on the light rail from Beta to Diggy Doo’s. What began as a short walk to two nearby shops had turned into a coffee crawl across Sydney.

Diggy Doo’s was tucked away inside an arcade in the CBD, and the place had personality.

There was colorful artwork, a sign pointing toward “CAWFEE,” stickers everywhere and even a red seat labeled “THE NAUGHTY STOOL.” It was playful, a little chaotic and different from the first two shops.

I ordered latte number three, and it was excellent. I spent some time taking in the details, enjoying the coffee and seeing why the barista at Beta spoke so highly of it.

I love that kind of discovery. You can research places before a trip, but a conversation with someone who knows the local scene can send you somewhere you might otherwise miss.

Three lattes down. I could have called it a morning, but I had one more coffee shop in mind.

Latte #4: Dutch Smuggler

My final stop was Dutch Smuggler, tucked into a courtyard among the office buildings of Sydney’s CBD.

By this point, I was ready to eat something. I was looking over the menu when the barista recommended the Magic Mie Goreng toastie.

Another recommendation? I was listening.

The sandwich came with mie goreng noodles, fried egg, cheddar, mozzarella, Smuggler’s aioli and fried shallots, all packed between two slices of toasted bread.

Noodles in a grilled cheese sandwich. How could I not?

I ordered my fourth latte and the toastie, then grabbed a table outside. When the food arrived, the bread was golden, the cheese was melted and noodles were spilling from the sides. It was a ridiculous combination of carbs, cheese and more carbs, and I loved it.

Four lattes in one morning probably wasn’t my most sensible decision, but the noodle sandwich was exactly what I needed by then.

SHLAYED.

Four Lattes Later

If I had to rank the lattes, I’d go Beta, Diggy Doo’s, Dutch Smuggler and Sample, in that order. But that’s me being picky. They were all good, and I’d happily visit any of the four again.

Beta was the standout. In fact, I returned two more times during my stay in Sydney, even with plenty of other coffee shops left to try. It reminded me of Gustos Coffee in Puerto Rico, another coffee shop I enjoyed enough to keep coming back.

What made the morning special wasn’t picking a winner. I set out to visit two spots near my Airbnb and ended up riding the light rail across town because a barista wanted me to try his favorite place.

Then, at the last stop, another barista pointed me toward a sandwich I never would have thought to put together myself.

Two conversations made the morning more interesting than anything I could have planned. That’s one of my favorite things about traveling: having enough of a plan to get out the door, but leaving room for people and places to surprise you.

Four lattes, four coffee shops and one ridiculous sandwich.

Not a bad morning in Sydney.

NRDLIFE.