John Smith Specialty Coffee

John Smith Specialty Coffee is located on a dry stretch of John Street, at the corner of Botany Road in Waterloo. The warehouse-like space is a 15-minute walk from Redfern and a great alternative if you can’t get a table at one of the bustling cafes in Alexandria.

John Smith is run by Josh Folden, Levi Mostyn (Two Black Sheep in the CBD and Sourdough Panini Bakery on York Street) and Daniel McNeill, who’s in charge of the food. Folden also runs Rebel Roasters which supplies John Smith with its coffee. The beans are changed seasonally but maintain the same profile – a heavy chocolate for the milk blend and a lot of fruit, blueberries and currents for black.

Food is no afterthought. The menu is filled with typical cafe fare, executed in not-so-typical ways, such as eggs benedict with pulled pork; pumpkin and cumin soup with goat’s cheese dumplings; and lemon-pepper chicken with lime and chilli aioli and greens, all served with a seasonal side salad which changes every two days.

Don’t be shy when it comes to your coffee preferences here, talking to the baristas might lead to the coffee you never knew you wanted.