Bay Ten Espresso Video Review:
Hidden away under the railway under-bridge that takes trains over the Sydney Harbour Bridge is Bay Ten Espresso. While the official address is Lavender Bay, it’s just a stone’s throw from the high rise buildings of North Sydney. The café has been fashioned out of an old industrial bay, amongst a row of them which are home to car workshops and an ultra high end car showroom.
Bay Ten Espresso will appeal to coffee lovers and that other great past time associated with coffee drinking – cycling! The huge warehouse-style layout is split up into the café up front and a bike fit service and workshop out back. Cyclists will love this café as you can take in the bike porn. I have a particular soft spot for the Eddy Merckx that has been beautifully restored and kitted out in Shimano Dura Ace. For the history buffs, the actual prep area housing the coffee machine, and where the food is cooked and prepared, is actually a converted shipping container that was originally intercepted by police and contained illicit drugs.
In keeping with the industrial roots, I take a seat on the brentwood styled “Good Luck” metal chairs and wait for my 16 hour cold brew at the long communal galvanised steel tables. There is also the more intimate and comfortable leather couches as well to chill out on. The 16 hour cold brew is smooth, yet with smoky notes to it. It’s 30 degrees outside and the cold brew is the perfect balance of strong coffee flavours while tasting cool and refreshing.
The first of the food offerings is a banana bread house specialty with ricotta and honey. Now banana bread is quite ubiquitous in many cafes around Sydney but the one here at Bay 10 Espresso is quite awesome!
The banana bread is moist and not too sweet. It has a crusty exterior and you can taste a caramelised banana flavour. The ricotta cheese is rich like a cheesecake. The consistency reminds me of English pudding and if you do need to add sweetness, there’s a honey for you.
Next up is the home-made granola with Greek yoghurt and seasonal fruit. The granola is rustic and full-bodied, with a generous dusting of cinnamon and topped with Greek yoghurt. Roasted nuts, pears, figs, sultanas, and cranberries ensure that all the energy you may have burned getting here, is replenished in a healthy kind of way. The yoghurt is tangy and cuts through the richness of the granola. The cinnamon adds its distinct, pungent, and aromatic touch.
Finally, I round off my visit to Bay Ten Espresso with a cappuccino. The coffee is a White Horse Blend. It’s full bodied coffee with beautifully textured milk and hits the palate at a perfect temperature. With each mouthful I was transported to that happy coffee place.
Bay Ten Espresso is a hidden gem, with its bright lights and a comfortable layout, it truly is a great space to escape to if you are in North Sydney. Come in for a little while, or stay longer, you will not be disappointed.
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