Barrel One Coffee Roasters has been producing top-tier coffee in Sydney’s northern beaches for years now, and their flagship cafe (in the front of their dispatch warehouse) sits in an innocuous street in Brookvale’s industrial area. If it weren’t for the burgeoning crowds, fairy lights and the words “Fresh Coffee + Bagels” hand-painted on the front wall, you’d hardly know it was there.

For the menu, the team plays with the classic flavours of New York deli-style cuisine. King of the bagel range is the Rueben, packed with generous amounts of locally smoked pastrami (from Pastrami Kings, which operates out of The Nook in Manly), plenty of pickles, dill and mustard.

There are also bulky sangas including a pork-belly Cubano and the Italian BMT, layered with salami and mortadella by LP’s Quality Meats, olive tapenade, marinated vege and provolone cheese.

The cafe has also worked with renowned cheesemonger Anthony Femia of Melbourne’s Maker & Monger to create an array of American-style grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s one of the only venues outside of Femia’s own food cart in Prahran Market to serve these luxurious melts.

These sandwiches have the tendency to send a hush over the table, so as you sit back with your oozy pimento cheese sanga, take the opportunity to admire the space, featuring a garage-style roller-door entrance and industrial fixtures that recall the car repair shops Brookvale is known for.