80 Bay

The Toby’s Estate empire, with its humble beginnings in a shed, has reached not just across Sydney and other parts of Australia, but to the Northern Hemisphere with a Brooklyn venture up and running. But a mere 500 metres from their Chippendale roasting headquarters is 80 Bay, a Toby’s Estate espresso bar with less emphasis on a full-blown cafe experience and more of a chance to highlight different beans and methods of brewing. That said, they do have a select menu of simple, seasonal dishes well worth trying with your cup of choice.

Of course, since coffee is the focus rather than an addition here, all of your typical espresso-based drinks make for welcome orders, but for anyone looking for a more immersive coffee experience, the coffee ‘degustation’ – three different varieties of beans, served on the Chemex or syphon – is a must. It’s an opportune time for aficionados and amateurs alike to contrast the flavour nuances found from different origins.

The 80 Bay space is notable in itself, materialising as a kind of quasi-speakeasy and café. Booth seating, an aged mirror, a heavy wooden bar with laboratory-like syphons mark the space, which doesn’t skimp on the signature of all Toby’s Estate cafes: framed photographs of plantation workers to remind you of your coffee’s origins in far flung fields.