The Lab Cafe

It seems there's never a dull moment at The Lab Cafe, so you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd stepped into a little Italian bar, with good vibes flowing as easily as the coffee.

The Lab Cafe opened their Hunter Connection take-away coffee bar a few years ago to service the time-poor city slickers in need of caffeine, so speedy service is key here owing to the queue that regularly spills out into the arcade.

The Lab Coffee have this down to a fine art, which means you’re never waiting long, leaving just enough time to partake in some banter or brush up on your Italian. The guys here are as food- conscious as they are passionate about their coffee (Di Lorenzo), with a selection of delicious sweets from Sydney locals such as Swiss Bakerz and Farmer Jo to be washed down with a Chinotto.

Although tiny, the space has been designed to display coffee accessories for sale, such as Bialetti espresso makers from Italy. Coffee is served in cute white and red striped cups, seen in the hands of Lab customers as they filter out into the arcade and scoot back to work.