Does Potts Point have the best cafe scene in Sydney right now?

Potts Point’s effervescent village vibe sets the perfect scene for Sydney’s best cafes to rally local community and experiment with bold flavours. Though Macleay Street is its main artery, the increasingly affluent suburb’s best bits are scattered all over the shop.

When Room 10 owner Andrew Hardjasudarma opened his class-leading cafe on the north end of Llankelly Place in 2010, he started a movement that shifted Potts Point’s image away from late-night hedonism and upped the demand for more daytime dining rooms. Room 10 became a flashpoint for the local community, and it has remained integral to Potts Point’s day-to-day since.

But while the tiny cafe is still sitting at the centre of Potts Point’s leafy lifestyle, it’s far from the only daytime kitchens that’s really turning this corner of Sydney into a battalion of brunch favourites that could stand toe-to-toe with any satellite food scene in Sydney.

Now that Marrickville’s Algorithm has opened just a stone’s throw from Llankelly Place, it’s no longer a matter of opinion that Potts Point has the best cafes in Sydney. The following Potts Point cafes prove that this corner of Sydney has that kind of outsized brunch swagger that puts any outdated talk of Melbourne’s cafe dominance to rest.

1. PINA

Pina is that rare frenzied-yet-friendly cafe that understands how to provide an experience. Eating breakfast at Pina doesn’t just feel like rocking up to your local cafe and going through the motions. It’s an event. You managed get a table at Pina. Essentially that means you’re just more patient than anyone else, but it opens you up to a mammoth menu of fine produce whipped into refined breakfast and brunch classics.

Andrew Hardjasudarma opened Pina as a pop-up, opposite Room 10, assumedly to move away from his original venue’s definitive breakfast sandwiches. Pina went full-scale instead; operating to the highest standards with farm-to-plate produce driving everything from standard scrambled eggs on toast ($21) to fresh prawn rolls ($17) and thick-cut caponata ($23) dripping with stracciatella.ma

Many would call this out as the best spot for breakfast in Sydney, hands down. Who am I to disagree? I doubt any regular would either. This is the best cafe in Sydney, and anyone who has explored the vast menu of breakfast and brunch classics will know exactly why: richer produce, cleaner flavours and the kind of attention to detail that makes all the difference.

You’ll just have to pay accordingly.

Editor’s tips: I don’t know what kind of deal Andrew made with his supplier, but Pina is spoiled with the best burger buns in the city. These soft, fluffy potato rolls are perfect for Pina’s classic bacon and egg roll ($14), which comes with cheddar, harissa and aioli. Although my number one order is the wagyu pastrami roll ($25), with the beef’s full-flavoured juices soaking perfectly into the dense potato bun. The real cost comes when you start stacking add-on sides like bacon, haloumi, smoked trout and gypsy ham.

Address: 4/29 Orwell St, Potts Point NSW 2011
Contact: 0432 445 342
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday (7am – 3pm)

pinapottspoint.com.au
instagram.com/pinapottspoint

2. Truffles

The cafe that Truffles replaced when it opened in 2022 was great, but Pina’s show-stealing popularity may have been too much to keep up with. Between Room 10 and Pina, it would have been hard to muscle through Hardjasudarma’s mighty two-handed breakfast empire. Yet Truffles has successfully carved its own identity on the bustling foodie lane, pitched more towards Asian fusion with many breakfast and brunch dishes inspired by South-East Asian flavours.

This was a great way to spread the crowd that stuffs into this small laneway each day. Pina’s queue began to thin, and suddenly being slapped with a 30-40 minute wait wasn’t as painful as it used to be; miss out on a seat at Pina? Go to Truffles. It doesn’t feel like a compromise when the food can be just as good, from a bowl of moreish chilli oil noodles with your choice of protein, to roti canai ($25) with slow cooked beef rendang. The kitchen also does an exceptional cheeseburger ($22) that’s every bit as good as the one you’ll get metres away.

Editor’s tips: Truffles’ homely vibe is part of the appeal. Most of the seating is outdoors but there are blankets and heaters available to keep you warm. The roti canai is my usual order here but the kitchen also puts together some really satisfying salads. Get the roast pumpkin salad ($18) with your choice of chicken, beef or salmon for a guilt-free lunch. I’m yet to try the pasta here, but given everything else is top-notch, I imagine at least the signature cacio e pepe is well worth a shot.

Address: 36 Llankelly Pl, Potts Point NSW 2011
Contact: 0402 310 189
Opening Hours: Sunday – Tuesday (6:30am – 3pm); Wednesday – Saturday (6:30am – 9pm)

truffles.com.au
instagram.com/truffles_pp

3. Algorithm

Bright, clean and minimalist. Algorithm’s new Potts Point outpost doesn’t break the mould when it comes to typical cafe design. The open space is clearly committed to scooping out the area’s sense of community, with a vinyl station tucked into the corner for a rainy day. It really hasn’t been long since owners Beryl Leomongga and Baby Angelina Kartiko propped up their Marrickville original and started building a strong following there, but it looks like an expansion was already on the cards. I couldn’t be more grateful.

I live and work in the area so I’m counting my lucky stars that one of Sydney’s best modern cafes moved so close. Kartiko is ex-Quay and runs the kitchen with an exacting, playful approach that pulls on mostly Indonesian, Malaysian and Japanese flavours. Algorithm has added an essential flavour to the Potts Point cafe scene as a result, bringing to the area a beautiful salmon bagel ($20) with nori cream cheese, algo folded eggs ($23) and the very surprising spam and egg burger ($15.5). Those algo folded eggs are a revelation; taking a silky truffled folded egg and serving it with grana padano on a thick piece of sourdough.

Editor’s tips: Algorithm has only been open for about a week at the time of publishing, and I’ve already been four times. Not just because it’s the “shiny new thing” in Potts Point but because this cafe does everything exceptionally well. Get the iced raspberry early grey with wildflower honey ($6.50), it pairs surprisingly well with the three cheese and ham toastie ($16). Or, even better, the yakiniki chicken burger; it’s got that perfect crunch and nails the balance of sweet and meaty.

Address: 36-38 Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point NSW 2011
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday (6am – 2:30pm); Saturday – Sunday (7am – 3pm)

algorithmaustralia.com
instagram.com/algorithmsydney

4. Primary Coffee Roasters

Primary is for anyone who is serious about their coffee. The pared back community gets by beautifully with a clean, Scandi-style interior that’s all blonde oak set against cold white concrete, a backdrop that only enhances the high-polish brewing equipment that’s scattered around the space. Most of the crowd are just here for a quick coffee and catch-up, so you’ll find a sizeable crowd all sipping their morning-starters on coffee crates outside.

Food is less of a concern at Primary. Specialty coffees, milky iced lattes and studious cold drips take pride of place, but anyone wanting some sugary treats to pair with their coffee. can get a housemade madeleine or some plain pastries.

Editor’s tips: There’s really not much to Primary Coffee Roasters that falls outside of its main purpose. This is a coffee operation entirely dedicated to the craft, feeling like the “one that got away” for Melbourne’s supposed superiority when it comes to taking the art of coffee and really thinking about how to lift flavours while muting others and staying true to the terroir. If you’re looking to really refine your coffee order and educate yourself on different beans, this is the best place to do it.

Address: 1/9 Ward Ave, Potts Point NSW 2011
Contact: 0404 124 153
Opening Hours: Monday (6am – 12pm); Tuesday – Friday (6am – 2pm); Saturday – Sunday (7am – 2pm)

primarycoffeeroasters.com
instagram.com/primarycoffee_

5. Room 10

Room 10 has revealed a full redesign recently, moving away from its old-fashioned interiors towards something cleaner and more contemporary. Though still small, with not many seats outside, the affable team make the diminutive size seem much larger with its abundant sense of community.

I think the reason Room 10 really resonated with the Sydney crowd is because it arrived at a time when Melbourne’s laneway cafe culture was putting the harbour city to shame. Excellent coffee served out of a simple, unpretentious hole-in-the-wall in a trendy back alley. That’s the formula that worked so well for Melbourne and Room 10’s mastery of such an archetype represented shifted how people spoke about Sydney cafes.

Room 10 is still about the size of a walk-in wardrobe but it’s now feels more sophisticated, aligning with PINA’s contemporary cool but holding onto its own identity. There’s even a completely separate food the menu, still focusing on those big salads and even bigger sandwiches that made this place such a staple, with a following that stretches well beyond Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay and Darlinghurst.

Editor’s tips: Yes, Room 10 still makes one of the best, most indulgent ham and cheese croissants in Sydney, but if you want a bite without committing to one of those ginormous sandwiches then go for the pastries. The olive oil cake is the same as what they serve over at Pina and is so beautifully dense and rich that I’m confident in saying it’s my favourite sweet treat in Sydney, bar none.

Address: 10 Llankelly Pl, Potts Point NSW 2011
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday (7am – 3pm)

roomtenpottspoint.com.au
instagram.com/newroomten

6. Ken’s Continental

Let’s not forget what the Farmhouse and Bones Ramen team has done on their side of Bayswater Road. The team opened Ken’s Continental right next to Farmhouse just a few years ago, pitching this hole-in-the-wall as the type of produce-driven deli-style cafe you’ll find in any European Old Town.

Tiny tables scattered outside help build up the Euro-chic vibe, satiated by dishes like yellow pea pancakes ($20) with herb salad, avocado, jamon and soft boiled egg, and a simple black pudding and fried egg produce plate ($18). Grazing is the style here, perfect for those slow weekend mornings where only good coffee and strong deli meats can wash away the week.

Editor’s tips: Most Potts Point locals will make a beeline straight for Room 10 or Small’s Deli when they want a well-made sandwich, but don’t count out Ken’s when it comes to handhelds. When afternoon hits, you’re best off exploring the small but well-selected sandwich menu with the signature, and best, being a jamon, persimmon and mozarella baguette ($20).

Address: Shop 3/40 Bayswater Rd, Rushcutters Bay NSW 2011
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday (7am – 3pm); Saturday – Sunday (8am – 3pm)

kenscontinental.com
instagram.com/kenscontinental