With barely room to swing a cat, this tiny cafe is a great addition to the East Brunswick cafe line-up. While it’s a nod to the music industry (a feature of the background of the team) that this mostly recycled diminutive space is named after the 1985 Hüsker Dü album, but it’s more laid-back lounge-room than angst-ridden punk.

Co-owners Nadia Mizner and Tom McGuigan turn out Five Senses coffees under the green tile splashback, and with no counter to speak of, they’re pretty much in amongst the casual groups of cafe-goers grabbing a toast feast or house granola from the compact but satisfying vego-heavy menu while poring over the papers.

Distinct for its cosy, homemade charm, New Day Rising is an inviting atmosphere in which to grab a table for one or more. It just goes to show; with a bit of enthusiasm and the right kind of attitude, you don’t need much else to make a little space the coffee haunt of choice.