Sly

There's a certain kind of rhythm to a sleepy Saturday morning in Surry Hills. The traffic, that inner city constant, has longer pauses in between. Foot traffic is even more sporadic, save for apartment-dwelling dog owners taking their furry charges for an urgent pit stop. Or the occasional retiree en route to the local shop for milk. And, of course, the fitness types. It's the calm before the storm, before the hustle and bustle of weekend socialising, errands and family commitments kicks into gear.

Fast forward to 10am and this inner city 'burb awakens from its adventures the night before in search of caffeine and sustenance. It's almost like a switch has been flipped, and as the foot traffic picks up, so does patronage at Sly cafe, with the tables going from one-third occupied to full in the space of half an hour. It's a diverse lot. Passionate young teachers share notes on lesson plans, a bunch of older blokes in blunnies and collared T-shirts debate the state of NSW politics, and a family of five perches on stools near the large open window as they tuck into the cafe's hot ticket item: jaffles.

Sly is heaven for toastie lovers. Not only does the compact menu offer a trio of jaffles, it also represents the jaffle's unsealed relative, the toasted sandwich. Arguments about which is best are irrelevant when the fillings are so fine - think duck and chestnut or jamon and manchego (there are vego options too).

In a pork-off between a bacon, egg and barbecue sauce jaffle and a porchetta, fennel and apple sauce toastie, the latter gets my vote. A thick slice of melt-in-the-mouth roast pork with a satisfying border of lovely crispy bits is paired with sweet fennel shavings and a chunky apple sauce, perfect sweet-savoury balance. Which is not to deride the jaffle, a good brekkie on the run. But ours had spent a little too much time in the frying pan, then the jaffle iron, and the bacon in particular veered towards the wrong side of crisp.

Non-toastie options on the short and sweet menu include muffins and a mushroom stack served with sorrel, a small dollop of labna, overly spiced tomato chutney and balsamic. The excellent coffee is a more likely drawcard for the Saturday morning take-away crowd. Back in the day, a different kind of drop was on offer, when this address was one of Kate Leigh's sly grog shops in the six o'clock swill era. Now a portrait of Leigh takes pride of place on one wall and crystal whisky decanters have been converted into light shades. It's a small space and the tables are close together, but it's cosy rather than claustrophobic.

Sly's owner, Dean Wilkinson, has worked at The Bathers' Pavilion and Glass Brasserie. His brew of choice is the custom-made Snow Queen Blend from Roastworks Coffee Co. It's available in the usual espresso, macchiato and latte varieties, as well as speciality brews. There are single origin beans too. A top-notch flat white ($3.50) packs a punch, strong with an edge of bitterness plus sweetness from the treacle and chocolate notes. There's a good range of teas plus hot chocolates with a twist (think peanut butter or strawberry).

Coffees and toasties consumed, scarves are wound around the neck ready for departure. It's Saturday mid-morning and the to-do list is beckoning.

THE LOW-DOWN
THE PICKS PORCHETTA, FENNEL AND APPLECRACK SAUCE TOASTED SANDWICH
THE COFFEE ROASTWORKS COFFEE CO
THE LOOK HANDSOMELY STYLISH
THE SERVICE EXCELLENT - ATTENTIVE AND FRIENDLY