Specialty coffee without the attitude

This trendy Newtown venue has the finest baristas and an innovative chef to match.

Deep in the hipster heartland of Newtown, cafe felix Sydney is a sun-drenched haven for those who take their caffeine fix seriously – without the side of attitude.

Cafe felix Sydney’s specialist baristas, working their magic behind the coffee machines, are passionate about what they do and are happy to share their extensive knowledge.

‘‘The culture we have in this cafe is, it’s a place to come in and have fun,’’ says Felix Bastajian, owner of cafe felix Sydney.

‘‘I tell my staff to chat to the customers if the customers want to chat. Talk to them about coffee if they want to talk about coffee.

‘‘We have specialist baristas who enter competitions so we have people who know a lot about coffee. They’re more than happy to talk your ears off about coffee if you have the time!

‘‘We’re serious about our coffee,’’ says Bastijian. ‘‘We’re serious about the quality and consistency of our coffee. There’s no point in getting a good cup of coffee once and the next time you come in it tastes like dishwater!

‘‘What you want is a very consistent coffee and teas brewed correctly. Getting it right for the customer is very important.’’

Located at 191 Missenden Road, just around the corner from Newtown’s King Street, cafe felix Sydney is a warm, cosy retreat on cold winter days.

‘‘The cafe is north-facing so we catch the morning sun. It streams right into the shop and sunshine floods the balcony terrace,’’ says Bastajian.

‘‘Our outside tables are the perfect warm place to sit and enjoy your morning coffee or enjoy your breakfasts.’’

Although cafe felix wears the ‘‘specialty coffee shop’’ tag with pride, offering Toby’s Estate blends, single origin and filter coffee, it serves staggeringly good food as well, with its breakfast and lunch menus focusing on creativity with simple, fresh ingredients.

‘‘We have a young, innovative chef coming up with some amazing creations. We do four seasonal menus a year.

‘‘We’ll be swapping to our spring menu soon,’’ says Bastajian.

‘‘Our most popular dishes right now are eggs florentine with poached eggs, hollandaise, coffee-smoked serrano ham, spinach and beetroot puree on muffins, and avo on toast with wasabi, feta cream, radish pickles and fried quinoa.

‘‘We also do a pretty mean grilled cheese toastie with Portuguese-style grilled cheese. Our Felix burger and Cuban sandwich are hard to go past, too.’’

Bastajian says he caters for hipsters and families alike.

‘‘We cater for everyone who wants a delicious breakfast! For the people who have been out partying, which is what Newtown is also famous for, get out of bed and let us do the cooking for you!’’ he says.

‘‘We have funky dishes so we appeal to the hipster, but we’ve got food-savvy families coming in too.

‘‘Hipsters don’t get out and about until after 10am and families are in here at 8am. It’s like a family here.

‘‘You’re coming in to eat, but you’re also coming here to have fun and talk to people.’’