Two Black Sheep

There's a special kind of delight when you find a good coffee in a place you didn't really expect to, such as country cafes staffed by wonderfully doddery elderly folk, suburban milk bars or food courts. Food courts are not always places of disappointment, greyish curries and slowly deflating dreams (look at the posh new Westfield, for example).

The food court at 580 George Street is not especially inspiring, though it's frenetic with people eating colourful and vibrant-looking food. In a little nook downstairs, close to the dry cleaner and a newsagent, is Two Black Sheep, the winner of last year's cafe of the year in the City of Sydney business awards. It's a sleek takeaway hole-in-the-wall-type set-up with a loyal following - several customers are addressed by name by the super-speedy, calm and pleasant staff.

There is a wooden bench on which to sit and flick through the papers but it's a little odd to be perching there as streams of office workers pick up takeaway coffees and sourdough sandwiches to eat alfresco or, more likely, aldesko. It's a very efficient set-up for the early-morning rush, with the two coffee machines at full steam and customers directed to wait on either the left or the right of the counter. It's rather cute, though, with sweet sheep cutouts on the counter and adorning the takeaway cups.

A glass display cabinet at the front has treats such as fruit and nut bread, decadent muffins and a range of good-looking sandwiches such as the Mighty Waikato roast beef and the Wairarapa Bush chargrilled eggplant.

The coffee ($3-$3.50) is good. It's Two Black Sheep's own blend and is nicely well rounded with a lovely mellow taste. You can buy a bag of beans to take home. They have a single origin of the week and on this particular week it's Los Volcanes, Guatemala. Iced coffees, chai lattes and Honest Charlie smoothies and Phoenix organic juices are also on the menu.

The lemon and herb chicken sandwich with a tangy sauce, fresh ingredients and a couple of plump sun-dried tomatoes is tasty but the chicken hasn't been warmed through during toasting. However, it's exceedingly heartening to know good coffee isn't an anomaly in a food court, even if it is made by Two Black Sheep.

Two Black Sheep Address Shop LG6, 580 George Street, city Open Mon-Fri, 6.45am-5pm