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The Best Cafes in Paddington for an Instant Caffeine Hit
Get your coffee fix with a side of brunch bites and stylish interiors as we round up the best cafes in Paddington.
Be lured by the smell of freshly brewed coffee and delicious gourmet goodies, because these Paddington cafes are a treat for the senses. The best cafes in Paddington range from Padre on Glenmore Road for serious specialty coffee to Bake Bar for bread and pastries baked in-house, and Lox In A Box’s Oxford Street HQ for traditional Polish bagels. F
Whether you want to grab-and-go or stay for brunch, we’ve handpicked the very best for your next morning, lunchtime or afternoon coffee fix.
In This Guide:
Editor’s Pick:
VIE Market + Wellness Bar
VIE Market + Wellness Bar’s flagship location in Paddington is proof that the venue is more than just a pretty smoothie. The Erewhon-style smoothies are the big draw, with colourful, naturopath-formulated blends made from organic fruit and functional add-ins like sea moss, turmeric and charcoal. You can also add protein or collagen depending on what you’re prioritising, and at under $15.50, they’re dangerously easy to make a habit of. Beyond the smoothies, there’s specialty coffee and ceremonial-grade matcha, plus a handy lineup of toasties, salads and house-made chia pods for something more substantial. Out front, the grocer side stocks organic produce, clean-label pantry staples and natural beauty and supplement picks, so it’s an easy one to duck into for more than just a drink.
Sitchu Tip: There’s also a longer-running Manly outpost if you’re on that side of the bridge.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Juice bar
Best For: Quick bite, Solo dining, Locals
Need To Know: Grocer on-site stocking organic produce, pantry staples and natural beauty products.
Best Specialty Coffee in Paddington
Adelaide’s Kitchen
Paddington has scored an adorable new coffee and cafe spot, housed behind a bright red door. Adelaide’s Kitchen fast become a local favourite and is all about all about the good stuff; quality, connection, good food, and great coffee. The venue pours Lay Day Coffee which is thoughtfully sourced through direct relationships with farmers, and has a focus on seasonality. Coffee and pastries are served from 7am and breakfast service starts at 8am. This is definitely one to work into the weekend schedule.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cafe
Best For: Breakfast, Locals, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Coffee and pastries from 7am, breakfast service from 8am.
Padre
Padre serves some of the best coffee in the game. Be sure to set aside some time on your first visit, with the concept store home to a brew bar, a retail section to make your brew at home, and pastries from the best bakeries around Sydney to accompany your latte.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Coffee bar
Best For: Quick bite, Solo dining, Locals
Need To Know: Retail section on-site for brewing at home.
Best Cafes in Paddington for Brunch and All-Day Breakfast
Juniper Cafe
We love a cafe that does an all-day breakfast (think organic acai bowl, overnight oats and truffle salmon scramble) and Juniper does just that. If you’re in the mood for something off their lunch offering, check out their epic burger and burritos menu – you won’t be disappointed.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Brunch
Best For: Breakfast, Brunch, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Breakfast served all day.
Sonder
The cafes we go back to time and time again are the ones that feel like home. And that’s exactly why we like Sonder. The team took over a terrace house to make it their own, with colourful floor-to-ceiling murals, mismatched furniture, flowers, mellow music, and sun-soaked outdoor areas.
Go regularly, and the staff will lead you to your favourite nook. Once you’re settled, feast on the corn fritters or try the savoury French toast.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Brunch
Best For: Brunch, Outdoor dining, Locals
Jackies Cafe
If you score a seat in Jackie’s sunny courtyard, you’re off to a stellar start. Sitting on the stylish strip of Glenmore Road, the cafe is a Paddington institution.
Jackies serves a mix of Australian and Japanese dishes and locals love the parmesan scrambled eggs, green nourish bowl packed with veggies and crusty sourdough sandwiches.
Sitchu Tip: Inside, the sushi bar serves fresh rolls and sashimi and is the place to see-and-be-seen after dark.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Modern Australian, Japanese
Best For: Brunch, Outdoor dining, Locals
Need To Know: Sushi bar inside serving rolls and sashimi.
Barbetta
Opened by the brothers behind Cipri Italian, Barbetta is an all-day hotspot serving Italian cuisine and hospitality. Whether it’s a casual breakfast, mid-morning coffee, afternoon bite or a delectable dinner, there is always something tasty to be devoured.
Start your day on a delicious note and order the blueberry ricotta pancakes with maple syrup and almond flakes. Come lunchtime, stick to the cafe’s signatures: the lasagne and bombe (Italian doughnut) and enjoy the laidback vibes.
Sitchu Tip: Swing by Barbetta Monday to Friday between 2pm and 3:30pm and you can score your takeaway coffee for a v. cool $3.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Italian
Best For: Breakfast, Brunch, Locals
Need To Know: Open all day, from breakfast through to dinner.
Best Bakeries and Grab-and-Go Cafes in Paddington
Bake Bar
As per their name, Bake Bar are the pros of bread and pastry.
Baking everything in-house, you’ll be spoiled for choice with their huge menu that covers all the classics like bread, pastries, croissants, pies, cakes and gluten-free options.
They also serve a seasonal menu that heroes European and Mediterranean-influenced dishes like shakshuka, brekkie rolls, pasta, sandwiches, salads and soups. As for the coffee, they use Gusto Espresso Bar, so you know it’s going to be oh-so-satisfying.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Bakery
Best For: Quick bite, Breakfast, Locals
Need To Know: Gluten-free options available.
Lox In A Box
Sydney’s cult-favourite bagel spot has opened their HQ right in the heart of Paddington and it might just be their best outpost yet. It’s a cafe, bakery, production kitchen, test kitchen and office all under one roof! Serving up their iconic traditional Polish bagels and coffee that we all know and love, it’s the newest addition to Paddington’s thriving foodie scene.
The fit-out of a Lox in a Box shop is part of what makes them so memorable and iconic. It comes down to all those little details – the coffee mugs, the original ceilings, the artwork that’s been hand-painted onto the front window. It’s these details that make somewhere feel cozy and community-led. Plus, all that on top of outstanding bagels, specialty coffees and handmade treats, it’s a one-stop-foodie shop that’s already a neighbourhood favourite.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Bakery
Best For: Quick bite, Breakfast, Locals
Cafe Fiveways
It doesn’t get more quintessentially Paddington than its iconic Five Ways intersection, and upon this well-known landmark, you’ll find the appropriately named Cafe Fiveways.
Grab a sun-drenched table out the front and people watch as you tuck into their homemade fare like muffins, sausage rolls, quiche, pastries, and top-shelf coffee.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cafe
Best For: Outdoor dining, Quick bite, Locals
Best Bookshop Cafes in Paddington
Berkelouw Cafe 1812
Nothing beats curling up with a book and a cuppa, and when you throw a delicious dish into the mix, that’s a win! Part of the beloved Berkelouw bookstore, Cafe 1812 is as cosy as it gets, particularly come winter.
This unique cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, inspired by the European salons where creatives would meet to chat, drink and workshop their ideas. Grab a book and a buddy, and do the same over a toastie or cheese platter.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cafe
Best For: Breakfast, Solo dining, Locals
Need To Know: Located inside the Berkelouw bookstore and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Ampersand
Housed inside a two-story cafe and bookshop sprawling onto an open terrace, Ampersand serves exceptional coffee and breakfast dishes that won’t disappoint.
Lunch is also notable with mouthwatering sambos, pies, and salad on offer while the book selection is varied with the opportunity to find a good read – a chance always worth taking.
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cafe
Best For: Breakfast, Outdoor dining, Solo dining
Need To Know: Bookshop on-site across two storeys.
Best Healthy and Dog-Friendly Cafes in Paddington
Morris Cafe
Morris Cafe is all about letting the ingredients speak for themselves. The menu of sandwiches, salads and smoothies is brimming with beautiful, wholesome ingredients: think fresh veggies, lean meats, nuts, seeds and herbs.
Start your day with coffee and the vegan breakfast bowl, then loop back for a green goddess sambo at lunch. Oh, and bring your furry friend along – Morris is dog-friendly!
Suburb: Paddington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cafe
Best For: Dog-friendly, Breakfast, Quick bite
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Cafes in Paddington
The best cafes in Paddington, Sydney, include Padre on Glenmore Road for specialty coffee, Bake Bar for bread, pastries and cakes baked in-house, and Lox In A Box on Oxford Street for traditional Polish bagels. For a sit-down brunch, Sonder occupies a terrace house with colourful murals and outdoor areas, while Jackies on Glenmore Road has a sunny courtyard and a menu mixing Australian and Japanese dishes. Barbetta, from the brothers behind Cipri Italian, runs from breakfast through to dinner on Elizabeth Street.
For brunch in Paddington, Juniper Cafe on Glenmore Road serves an all-day breakfast menu including an organic acai bowl, overnight oats and a truffle salmon scramble, with burgers and burritos at lunch. Sonder, a few doors along at 227 Glenmore Road, is known for its corn fritters and savoury French toast. Jackies is loved by locals for its parmesan scrambled eggs and green nourish bowl, while Barbetta on Elizabeth Street does blueberry ricotta pancakes with maple syrup and almond flakes. Bake Bar also runs a seasonal menu featuring shakshuka and brekkie rolls.
Padre on Glenmore Road is the go-to for serious coffee in Paddington, with a brew bar, a retail section for brewing at home, and pastries sourced from some of Sydney’s best bakeries. Adelaide’s Kitchen, behind its bright red door, pours Lay Day Coffee, which is sourced through direct relationships with farmers, from 7am. Bake Bar uses Gusto Espresso Bar coffee, VIE Market + Wellness Bar pours specialty coffee and ceremonial-grade matcha, and Barbetta offers $3 takeaway coffee on weekdays between 2pm and 3:30pm.
Morris Cafe at 33 Albion Avenue is the standout dog-friendly cafe in Paddington, so you can bring your furry friend along while you eat. The menu focuses on wholesome ingredients, with sandwiches, salads and smoothies built around fresh vegetables, lean meats, nuts, seeds and herbs. Start with a coffee and the vegan breakfast bowl, or visit at lunch for the green goddess sandwich. Several other Paddington cafes, including Cafe Fiveways and Sonder, have outdoor seating, but check with each venue directly before bringing a dog.
Two of Paddington’s best cafes are attached to bookshops. Berkelouw Cafe 1812 on Oxford Street is part of the Berkelouw bookstore and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, inspired by the European salons where creatives met to talk and share ideas, with toasties and cheese platters on the menu. Ampersand, further along at 78 Oxford Street, is a two-storey cafe and bookshop that spills onto an open terrace, serving coffee, breakfast dishes and a lunch menu of sandwiches, pies and salads alongside a varied book selection.
If you loved our round-up of the best cafes in Paddington, you need to check out our list of the best cafe openings of the year as well as the best cafes in Bondi.
