Ashfield Apothecary is neatly housed inside a tiny heritage shop on the leafy, suburban side of the Ashfield train station. Its classic green-and-red tiled facade looks so lovingly polished it might as well be new. Light pours into the clean, white-walled space through the front window, which looks out over Charlotte Street.

Owner Mandeep Bhusal has been a fixture of the inner west’s cafe circuit for more than a decade. He’s worked and managed names such as Brewtown , Three Williams , and The Pig & Pastry , and he’s brought his wealth of coffee knowledge here.

Apothecary’s edge is its rotating line-up of international roasters. Locals Proud Mary, Market Lane and Sample keep the list sharp. But every two months, internationals such as La Cabra (Denmark), The Barn (Germany), and Square Mile (UK) grace the grinders. Bhusal roasts the cafe’s house blend as Maia Specialty, also showcased at his Lewisham cafe of the same name.

And though the kitchen is small, all of Apothecary’s seasonal dishes are made in-house and will complement your coffee. Tricked-up classics include a staple brekkie roll with a fried egg, pastrami, kale, bush-tomato relish and sriracha mayo. On the sweet side, options range from a knockout Persian love cake to a Japanese-style baked chocolate cheesecake.