Incredibly, this terrace space has been the site of a deli or food store since 1901. Present custodian Laraine Russo expertly brings the verve of Italy to Paddington, serving great coffee, cakes, sandwiches, soups and salads to an endless stream of locals. In the post-lockdown world, patrons dine out in front of the cafe (rather than inside), lending the area a cheerful, communal buzz from early morning to afternoon.
This astonishing bookstore/café spills over three levels, each one lined with a veritable library of second-hand books. Take your coffee and (excellent) breakfast or lunch on the Oxford St level before descending the rickety stairs to the cave-like basement with its sparkling chandelier and cavernous, book-lined atmosphere. Or head back up stairs to the level-one reading room with its little aspect over the street. Ampersand is completely charming.
This Italian-themed cafe is a big winner among the Boundary St faithful. Coffee or lunch at Apache feels decidedly European. Sit streetside or pull up a stool at the marble counter to eat pastas or salads while listening to staff speaking in Italian and customers quite often joining in. It’s a joyful experience.
Occupying a treasured corner at Five Ways, Bake Bar Paddington is part of the wider Bake Bar chain found across the Eastern Suburbs. Offering freshly baked artisan breads and Israeli-themed cafe fare, it is a bakery-focused take on a traditional cafe.
Slip into one of Barbetta’s buttery leather banquettes and try to imagine a more perfectly realised café than this. You would be hard pressed to find better. Everything about Barbetta exudes elegance and perfection, from the coffee to the Italian pastries in the cabinet to the hearty Italian lunches. It offers high glamour, yet is unpretentious and fun.
The freshly painted orange door and the distinctive black exterior have heralded a new era at this well-loved café space. For many years housing Infinity Bakery, the site has a new custodian in Leisa Colin’s Brilliant Food. Colin’s label is beloved by those who enjoy her smoked seafood brand and now she has expanded into the café space on Oxford St.
A cheerful corner outfit, Cafe Five Ways has one of the choicest aspects in Paddington. With its view over the famed Glenmore Rd intersection, it is a perfect place for people watching over good coffee and hearty cafe fare. The staff are always incredibly cheerful.
A charming café beautifully furnished with white marble and brass trims, Café Lautrec also doubles as a gallery and auction house. Go for traditional French fare and pastries for breakfast and lunch and all-day coffee. The auction house/gallery is connected to Smalls Auctions and the goods on offer commonly relate to memorabilia, including war medals and artefacts.
From the street, Chez Alex looks like any suburban bakery. But step inside and you’ll find incredible French pastries, breads and cakes. Berry tarts, citron tarts, pain au chocolate, croissants, danishes and extraordinarily lush lamingtons are the stars here and if you are lucky, you might find thick wedges of Saint Tropez cake. The baguettes are also spot on. A new extension offers room for dining in over coffee.
The Glenmore Rd frontage hardly gives away the secret lying beyond the doors at Daily Greens. Go past the counters to find a tree-top dining space that’s one of the most charming café spaces in Paddington (it even has a large tree growing through the floor). The food is health conscious — think salads and nutritious bowls — which is good for the spirit and the waistline.
Situated in a narrow terrace on wonderful William St, The Hood was immediately embraced by the Paddo community after opening in 2022. Jay Park and Yusuke Tajima do great coffee and offer an eclectic lunch menu that may include a roasted cauli salad or warming Japanese curries. The petite front balcony space is the cutest resting place in Paddington.
21 William St
Always reliable for a caffeine pitstop, Grind is a no-nonsense, coffee-forward café with an open view on to the world. Watch the passing parade of Oxford St over your flat white as you jostle for a seat with the cyclists who pull in early to prepare themselves for long rides ahead.
With origins dating back to the 90s, Jackies is one of Sydney’s original café-society haunts. But don’t think it has dated. Situated in a sunny, sandstone-lined wedge of Glenmore Rd, in the midst of the fashion precinct, it remains a force at once edgy and comfortable, with a menu that’s part café classics (ricotta pancakes/parmesan eggs) and part Japanese at lunchtime, when you can get an excellent sashimi plate or salmon tataki salad. Jackies has stood the test of time for a reason.
This buzzy café is a slice of life at the top of Oxford St. Beloved by both commuters who stop en route to the city or home, and by joggers and walkers on their way to Centennial Park across the road, Jozo always has a lively feel. A generous café menu is supplemented by a thoughtful lunch menu (veggie burgers, poke bowls) and a wine list.
Occupying a sunny spot on Glenmore Rd and always bustling with life and activity, this cafe is a Paddo favourite. Go for café standards including coffee, juices, eggs, pancakes, salads and more. There’s a bustling community feel on this corner so soak up the Paddo atmosphere over your morning tea.
Kaska opened in 2022, run by Daniel Blackman, one-time owner of Potts Point’s Room Ten. It has a strong coffee ethos and a really good lunchtime menu that includes dishes like a cracking ploughman’s lunch. The cafe has opened almost silently, without media, social media or fanfare. That doesn’t mean it’s not doing good things, and street-side seating has just been added to complement the charming dining room contained inside. Call in to check it out.
Everyone loves a surprise package and to find your way to Köket is to uncover a surprise of the most pleasant kind. Enter either via the Funkis store (try to resist buying something gloriously Scandi on the way in) or from the side entrance, to find this Swedish-themed mostly alfresco treasure. Enjoy the pretty garden setting as you eat Skagen-inspired smoked salmon and soft-boiled eggs on toast with pretzels.
Stumbling across cafes in unexpected locations is one of the great pleasures of wandering around Paddo. So finding Morris in this out-of-the-way spot is a genuine thrill, especially when you pull up a chair underneath the giant figs of Albion Ave for coffee and a Morris breakkie roll stuffed with bacon or haloumi, egg, provolone, pickled slaw and spicy aioli on a milk bun. Morris is a favourite with students from the nearby UNSW campus.
Omeio Artisanal Deli
If you could design your own neighbourhood cafe that’s a perfect blend of community spirit, excellent coffee and great food, you would probably come up with Omeio. Run by the personable Niko Giourgas, Omeio is Greek in origin, with fabulous spanakopita and other treats on offer but there’s also pies, cakes, sandwiches and plenty more. Mostly go for the charming back street vibe as people come together to catch up over coffee.
German-born baker Andreas Rost is a master craftsman in the tradition of bread making and the result is evident in his exceptional loaves. Go for arguably Sydney’s finest sourdough, beautifully textured and flavoured, and for his range of breads that include baguettes and gorgeously chewy, salty pretzels. Everything is handmade and baked onsite. There’s a second outlet on Boundary Rd.
Like its neighbour Juniper, Sonder is a cheerful alfresco cafe perfect for when the sun is shining. Go for great coffee, lunch and snacks served by a friendly team who love to help.
Famed for its George Raftopoulos paintings that take pride of place on the William St wall, Tuckerbox is a local institution. For decades the site of a dodgy corner store, it has been transformed into a convivial local corner where Paddo habitués line up particularly on weekends for hangover-curing coffee, green juice and more.
This streetside café is a popular hub for locals to meet, chat and kickstart their day with a very good coffee. Owner Rowena Marsh keeps a close eye on proceedings as customers buzz in and out of the tiny space. Take time to enjoy the nearby Oxford St vibe in the most relaxed of surrounds. Dogs, kids, locals, visitors — all are welcome at Wolf.