Dose Espresso

Not only is it hard to get a seat in this beautifully fitted-out hidden treasure of bare brick, open windows and hanging bulbs, it's even harder to tear yourself away. Working mums here, dads with bubs there, all bonding over the fabulous, well-rounded, bright-as-a-button Di Gabriel coffee ($3.50). No wonder it's good - owner Sam Gabrielian owns Di Gabriel coffee, and there's a Toper roaster at the back that roasts batches of single origin beans such as Ethiopian Sidamo. Brunch could be sour cherry toast with ricotta, but don't miss Hippie Lane's amazing high-fibre wholegrain date, walnut and bran loaf - wowzers! The small-batch on-site roaster is used solely for single-estate beans for the filter coffees and cold-drip at Sam Gabrielian's north shore coffee nirvana, its walls lined with home barista gear. Sam Gabrielian's little show-stopper of a cafe features soaring roof-lines, graffiti art, a Toper roaster, Di Gabriel coffee and Hippie Lane's divinely high-fibre cakes.