Ashfield tipped as next cafe hotspot

Anthony Svilicich is punting on Ashfield as the next Surry Hills for cafe culture. He's certainly in at the ground floor.

''There's nothing around here, everyone just thinks of Asian restaurants when they think of Ashfield,'' he says.

Svilicich, the former owner of busy Surry Hills cafe Le Monde, has teamed up with former colleague James Naylor to open Excelsior Jones. Taking up residence in the former site of a convenience store at 139A Queen Street, the cafe serves a custom blend from Five Senses Coffee and tea from Tea Craft.

''I live in the area and the great thing about Ashfield is its diversity,'' Svilicich says.

''There are lots of Greeks, and my neighbours are Lebanese, Portuguese and Indian.''