Sydney is an amazing place on so many levels. One thing that amazes me in particular is that city’s neighbourhoods are very different and its fun trying to figure which other parts of the world they resemble. Sydney CBD appears like a small Manhattan, Manly could be a place right in the Florida Keys or the Caribbean whereas when in Paddington you’d feel like in London’s Nottinghill or similar. Equally significant is the change when entering Oxford Street from Hyde Park, it is like getting transported to another city all together. Coming from CBD, Oxford street first passes by Darlinghurst and Surry Hills and continues into Paddington. Why am I making that point? Because with that step out of the business district suddenly the type of restaurants, ice cream shops and coffee shops changes totally. Instead of global fashion outlets you’d find small boutiques, bars and restaurants would serve organic fare and instead of global coffee chains you would find small artisan/craft coffee places only brewing locally and freshly roasted beans. Greenhouse Coffee on 68 Oxford Street is such a place. Only open for a few weeks, the Greenhouse Coffee shop is the result of a guy’s passion for that brewed drink. Housed in a heritage stairwell with its original tiles still on the wall, the place is not more than 20sqm however offers a small and casual seating area in front of the actual coffee kitchen. Well equipped to percolate a range of coffee varieties, a big La Marzocco coffee machine is the obvious centre piece on the counter. Complemented by a brewer for filter coffee, a Chemex and a cold-brew coffee maker there is all in place for different customers’ preferences.

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When it comes to the beans we learn that they only use freshly and locally roasted beans. Currently, for the espresso machine, fair-trade Kenyan coffee from Reuben Hills Coffee Roasters is being ground, which is in line with what we got to know earlier this week, that coffee is a very seasonal product and local roasters are embracing global harvesting seasons. For filter coffee and the Chemex Marcus uses beans from another local roaster, which he praises for its smooth taste and we totally agree with him! Listing to him on how he chooses beans, knows his suppliers and asses the right coffee to water ratio for each roast, you are in good hands when visiting his coffee bar in Darlinghurst. Enjoy!