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The SMH Good Food Guide Awards 2017: Cafe of the Year Finalists

Georgia Waters

Taste some Marrickville magic at Two Chaps.
Taste some Marrickville magic at Two Chaps. Edwina Pickles

The best coffee, baked treats, breakfast, brunch and lunch are no longer a bonus, but an expectation for Sydneysiders who have more choice than ever before.

And the finalists for Cafe of the Year are...

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Brickfields
Its breads and pastries might attract a queue on their own but the cafe attached to this Chippendale bakery is a destination in itself. Expect seasonal plates such as fig and walnut toast with house-made ricotta or soft-boiled eggs with charred corn, avocado, coriander and hot sauce. In a rush? Get an excellent Mecca coffee to go and the famed Persian love cake. 206 Cleveland St, Chippendale. 02 9698 7880. Brickfields.com.au

King salmon smorrebrod at Edition Coffee Roasters.
King salmon smorrebrod at Edition Coffee Roasters.Dominic Lorrimer

Edition Coffee Roasters
Sydney is almost unfairly spoiled when it comes to both specialty coffee and exceptional cafe dining, and Edition exemplifies the best of both. Order a Porco Rollo – braised Berkshire pork and Japanese omelette with miso BBQ sauce in brioche – or maybe just a little cake from the front counter with a pot of exquisite Chung Feng Jasmine tea or its golden, whisky-like Elixir cold brew coffee. 265 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst. editioncoffeeroasters.com

Buffalo mozzarella, peaches, purple basil, prosciutto and traditional balsamic vinegar dish at L'Americano Espresso Bar.
Buffalo mozzarella, peaches, purple basil, prosciutto and traditional balsamic vinegar dish at L'Americano Espresso Bar. Daniel Munoz

L'Americano Espresso Bar
Yes, it's a cafe inside a furniture store (the glitzy Coco Republic). But rare is the in-store cafe as chic as this. An Italianate menu offers salads and sandwiches but it's more fun to put together a little plate from the crostini bar – try the ricotta and prosciutto with agrodolce onions, and pancetta with soft egg and avocado. And Champagne by the glass is a relative bargain at $16.50. 34 O'Riordan St, Alexandria. 0475 838 106. Lamericano.com.au

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Photo: Edwina Pickles

Paramount Coffee Project
Housed in a high-ceilinged, stylish space in the Paramount House building, this specialty-coffee destination draws as much as a crowd for its playful menu as its coffee sourced from an ever-changing list of suppliers. Get a ginger and turmeric latte or caramel popcorn milkshake to go with your buttermilk-fried chicken waffle or chorizo and adobo mushroom breakfast burrito. And if you've never tried a coffee tonic, now's the time. 80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills. 02 9211 1122 paramountcoffeeproject.com.au

Photo: Edwina Pickles

Two Chaps
An open warehouse space in industrial Marrickville is home to the Two Chaps bakery-cafe, where sourdough loaves and pastries (such as banana custard morning buns) are baked in-house. Ease sweetly into the day with blueberry sourdough crumpets with poached quince, sour cream and honey and a pot of Sticky Chai (the titular chaps are the cult chai's creators). Also open for dinner Thursday and Friday. 122 Chapel St, Marrickville. 02 9572 8858

Want more? Swing into Sydney's top 50 cafes

The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide award night, presented by Citi and Vittoria, is on September 5. The Guide will be on sale in newsagents and bookstores from September 6, with all book purchases receiving free access to the new Good Food app.

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