Have you heard of the term “coffice”? As in, coffee office. It’s totally a thing.
Freelancers of Adelaide, fly-by visitors, coffee fanciers, succulent aficionados (let’s be honest – what cafes don’t have them sitting on tabletops these days) and anyone who likes food done well, this post is for you.
Gone are the days of freelance life being a solitary existence, hunched over a desk squashed in the spare bedroom or your kitchen table. You can now do that work from a cosy cafe, while simultaneously people watching, mainlining caffeine when you need it, absorbing cafe tunes and generally spending your day in a more lively, sociable atmosphere. I was thrilled to arrive back to Adelaide to find plenty of ideal coffice spaces that have popped up during my extended absence, coaxing freelancers from their secret hideaways, with apple laptops and oversized headphones, to join in the fun.
I’ve lovingly coffee-hopped my way around town to sample coffee, suss the vibe, road test key tapping and wifi connectivity, to curate and now bring you this list of your must-know, go-to coffee spots.
I’ll be upfront from the get-go and say that wifi in cafes around Adelaide is NOT a strong point. I’ve also personally found the free Adelaide-wide wifi to also be largely unreliable. So, at least for the mean time, securing yourself with a decent data package for personal hot-spotting your own private net connection is pretty much a non-negotiable. For the handful of cafes below who DO offer their own, fast wifi, you have my heart. Thank you.
So, in no particular order, here’s my pick of the crop!
CAFE TROPPO :: 42 Whitmore Square, Adelaide SA 5000
This cafe is the treehouse you always wish you’d had as a kid. Made entirely from recycled materials, with exposed support beams, reclaimed timber, secret desks and hessian everything, the resulting vibe is quirky, rustic, friendly and sustainable. There’s a strong eco ethos, with a local and seasonally focused menu that changes daily. We’re talking.. coffee roasted on Magill Road kind of local. And, word on the street: if you take in a bag of fruit or local produce they can use in store, you’ll score yourself a free coffee.
In the words of the owners, Ethically sourced fair-trade and organic coffee, delicious and local natural wines, craft beers, musicians and complimentary west-side sunsets!
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: friendly, eco, local
+ COFFEE :: 4 stars
+ MENU :: right here
+ PARKING :: yes – ticket parking around Whitmore Square
+ WIFI :: NO – bring your own
+ POWER POINTS :: NO
+ WEBSITE :: http://cafetroppoadelaide.com/
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/CafeTroppo
PICKLE IN THE MIDDLE :: 134 Unley Road, Unley SA 5061
This happy little space is brand new and already one of my favourites. With a minimalist, scandinavian inspired interior, plant life and pops of bright yellow, it’s impossible to not smile from the inside as soon as you step inside. Pickle in the Middle boasts a plant-centric menu, features an all-day breakfast menu (WIN) and I am personally on a mission to eat my way through the entire menu. Yum.
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: scandi, minimalist, happy
+ COFFEE :: 5 stars
+ MENU :: right here
+ PARKING :: yes – on Unley Road and side streets
+ WIFI :: NO – bring your own
+ POWER POINTS :: NO
+ WEBSITE :: http://pickleinthemiddle.com.au
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/pickleinthemiddle
+ INSTAGRAM :: @pickleinthemiddle_
LOOSE CABOOSE :: 21 First Street, Hindmarsh SA 5007
Set up office inside a railway station converted cafe. Here you’ll find pops of neon, a green wall, sparkling water on tap, wood grain everywhere, cosy writing nooks and cobalt blue coffee cups. Oh, and sombreros and sunscreen is provided when it’s sunny and you want to sit outside. Winning on so many levels.
It’s always packed on weekends, so keep your cofficing to weekdays.
Just brilliant. Go.
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: happy, fresh, foodie
+ COFFEE :: 5 stars (they even ace coffee art with soy milk – a rare find)
+ MENU :: right here
+ PARKING :: ample street parking on site, and behind the railway line. Or just catch a train, and jump straight into the cafe
+ WIFI :: NO – bring your own
+ POWER POINTS :: NO
+ WEBSITE :: http://www.theloosecaboose.com.au
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Loose-Caboose-Cafe-Adelaide/246167352093073
MISTER SUNSHINE’S :: 32 George Street, Thebarton SA 5031
This place – it’s joy. It’s also kitschy cute retro quirk, with succulents in tea cups… and don’t get me started on the smashed avo.
And while I’m sure it’s been said by everyone who has ever visited, owner Edwin Comey is literally mister sunshine personified.
Never have I before experienced such a warm, loving, neighbourly welcome in a cafe. It’s your home away from home – and you won’t even have to do the dishes.
The backstory: owners Edwin Comey and Prue Olsen traipsed around Australia by van, with their young daughter Edith to suss out the coolest cafes around, note their best features and bring all of the best bits into this cafe. And that, they have.
Look for the bright yellow door.
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: happy, retro, casual
+ COFFEE :: 4 stars, DeGroot Coffee
+ MENU :: not available online (but don’t look past the the smashed avocado)
+ PARKING :: ample street parking
+ WIFI :: NO – bring your own
+ POWER POINTS :: NO
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/MisterSunshines
JARMER’S KITCHEN :: 18 Park Terrace, Bowden SA 5007
When you step into Chris Jarmer’s latest eatery, you feel a bit like you’ve been teleported from inner west Adelaide to a trendy + effortlessly stylish pop up restaurant in downtown New York. There’s dark, matte floorboards, crisp white subway tiles, industrial feature lights draped across the ceiling, sizeable buckets of citrus fruits and shelves of preserved vegetables. Chris, a third generation chef, was previously the owner + head chef of Air in David Jones (now home to Adelaide’s flagship Tiffany & Co).
In the words of Chris: Produce and flavours should be simple but presented with passion and flair. A meal is best celebrated with your loved ones and true flavour is true love. From my family to yours, happy eating.
Jarmer’s Kitchen has a casual, family vibe about it. While the service can be a bit fickle, the coffee is decent and when you’re busy at work, that’s really what matters. On weekday mornings, there’s soft music, loads of space and flooded light making for the perfect freelancing possie.
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: stylish, light-filled, casual
+ COFFEE :: 3 stars
+ MENU :: right here
+ PARKING :: restaurant carpark
+ WIFI :: NO – bring your own
+ POWER POINTS :: NO
+ WEBSITE :: http://jarmerskitchen.com.au
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jarmers-Kitchen/232579766937265
HELLO, YES :: 12 Eliza Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Holy hipster. The name of this cafe pretty much sums up how you feel when you walk in for the first time. Oh, hello, yes! I would love a coffee, and I might just move in. The vibe is unquestionably grunge meets hipster, but unassuming and effortless hipster, not try-hard hipster, if you know what I mean.
The good type.
There’s couches you’ll sink into, stacked pallet coffee tables for perfect makeshift desks, and retro tables from your grandparent’s house. This space was made for laptop time.
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: hipster, creative, cosy
+ COFFEE :: 4 stars, DeGroot
+ MENU :: right here
+ PARKING :: ticket parking on Waymouth street – or you might be lucky to nab a free 30 min park out the front (not that it will be long enough)
+ WIFI :: Adelaide City free wifi
+ POWER POINTS :: NO
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/HelloYesCoffee
SAD CAFE :: Shop 4 Ebenezer Place, Adelaide SA 5000
Don’t be put off by the name – this indie cool eatery will make you anything but sad (and just to spell it out, SAD cafe is an anagram neighbouring DAS hair boutique).
The mission of this cafe is: as fresh as possible, as local as possible and as simple as possible. Pretty good, right?
The arthropod wall art makes you feel like you’ve stepped inside a biologist’s living room, but the spinning vinyl, stack of Wallpaper city guides and the big, rickety communal table will make you feel totally comfortable with this.
The coffee is en pointe.
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: hipster, casual, friendly
+ COFFEE :: 5 stars, Dawn Patrol (Kangarilla, SA)
+ MENU :: not online
+ PARKING :: Rundle Street ticket parking + Bent Street carpark building
+ WIFI :: YES
+ POWER POINTS :: YES
+ WEBSITE :: http://www.sadcafe.com.au
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sadcafe/325236237516323
POLLEN 185 :: 4/185 King William Road, Unley SA 5061
This gorgeously styled cafe is one of the newest vegetarian/raw/vegan focused cafes to hit Adelaide. The gorgeous owner Jyoti traveled the world for a year, and now tells travel stories through the food she prepares. “Welcome to our living room!” she says.
There’s turkish coffee cups for brewing chai, bee pollen infused bliss balls, zucchini pasta ribbons and… a pineapple plant. Wanderlusted + wayfarer spirits of Adelaide, you’ll fit right in.
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: vegetarian, spirited, fresh
+ COFFEE :: 4 stars
+ MENU :: not online
+ PARKING :: street parking + carpark out the back
+ WIFI :: YES (ask the staff for logins)
+ POWER POINTS :: NO
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/Pollen185
+ INSTAGRAM :: http://instagram.com/Pollen185
EXCHANGE SPECIALTY COFFEE :: Shops 1 & 2, 12 – 18 Vardon Avenue Adelaide SA 5000
This little nook has a certain je ne sais quoi specialty about it. Owner Thomas Roden returned from the UK (where he worked at Workshop Coffee Co. – only one of London’s best) to bring a little taste of London home, and he’s executed this plan brilliantly.
In Thomas’s words, “We have two simple goals: to serve exceptional espresso, filter coffee and tea, and to provide genuine hospitality and rewarding experiences.”
What more could you want in a cafe? I love this place because it is clean, simple, stylish and no fuss. There’s also a perfect curation of artsy magazines suspended on string. And the location – nestled in quaint Ebenezer Place – makes it the perfect spot to tap keys from.
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: relaxed, stylish, no fuss
+ COFFEE :: 5 stars, Market Lane
+ MENU :: not online
+ PARKING :: Rundle Street ticket parking + Bent Street carpark building
+ WIFI :: Adelaide City free wifi
+ POWER POINTS :: NO
+ WEBSITE :: http://exchangecoffee.com.au
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/ExchangeCoffee
+ INSTAGRAM :: http://instagram.com/exchangeadl
EXCHANGE SPECIALTY COFFEE :: Shops 1 & 2, 12 – 18 Vardon Avenue Adelaide SA 5000
This little nook has a certain je ne sais quoi specialty about it. Owner Thomas Roden returned from the UK (where he worked at Workshop Coffee Co. – only one of London’s best) to bring a little taste of London home, and he’s executed this plan brilliantly.
In Thomas’s words, “We have two simple goals: to serve exceptional espresso, filter coffee and tea, and to provide genuine hospitality and rewarding experiences.”
What more could you want in a cafe? I love this place because it is clean, simple, stylish and no fuss. There’s also a perfect curation of artsy magazines suspended on string. And the location – nestled in quaint Ebenezer Place – makes it the perfect spot to tap keys from.
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: relaxed, stylish, no fuss
+ COFFEE :: 5 stars, Market Lane
+ MENU :: not online
+ PARKING :: Rundle Street ticket parking + Bent Street carpark building
+ WIFI :: Adelaide City free wifi
+ POWER POINTS :: NO
+ WEBSITE :: http://exchangecoffee.com.au
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/ExchangeCoffee
+ INSTAGRAM :: http://instagram.com/exchangeadl
THE FLINDERS STREET PROJECT :: 276 Flinders Street, Adelaide SA 5000
As soon as you walk into this happy, light-flooded nook, you’ll look up to the ceiling and probably struggle to look away for the entire time you’re there. An undulating wave of ten thousand wooden spoons are suspended from the ceiling (not that I’ve counted, but I can guarantee this installation by artist Megan Roodenry will take your breath away).
This sets the scene in a beautiful way, and you’ll soon see, that just as much care goes into the menu, coffee and food as the interior styling.
Succulents sit happily on tables, of course.
Grab yourself a window seat for streaming light and people watching. I recommend the Clare Valley poached eggs, avocado and lime, halloumi and sourdough. Because, avocado.
It’s a small space – expect a lineup out the door on for brunch on weekends, so keep your laptop time to weekdays and business hours, when everyone else is in their non-coffice offices.
This place is a goodie. You’ll get friendly service always (and tell the lovely waitress Louise that I sent you!)
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: fresh, foodie, cosy
+ COFFEE :: 5 stars
+ MENU :: right here
+ PARKING :: limited free parking out the front + ticket parking along Flinders + Hutt Streets nearby
+ WIFI :: YES
+ POWER POINTS :: YES – there’s even a “charging station”. Happy days!
+ WEBSITE :: www.theflindersstreetproject.com.au
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/theflindersstreetproject
+ INSTAGRAM :: http://www.instagram.com/theflindersstreetproject
NATURES PROVIDORE :: 88 – 90 Duthy Street, Malven SA 5061
I visited this Duthy street institution with my kindred blogger + one half of The Food Curators, Jen. Sisters of the heart, we couldn’t decide between the bircher, and avocado toast, so shared both. Obviously.
Inside you’ll find big communal tables and fresh flowers and coffee served in Avocado green cups. Local South Aussie owner Kate is passionate about sourcing produce from locally certified organic growers wherever possible. There’s a mini wholefood market as you enter, so you can take fruit, veg, breads and sweet treats home with you.
Instagramers – beware, the down lights make snapping food photos quite a challenge (we got some strange looks as we shuffled around our plates, stood on our chairs, but anything in the name of a good photo, right?! Sitting by the window is your best shot.
I N S U M M A R Y:
+ VIBE :: healthy, local, cosy
+ COFFEE :: 4 stars
+ MENU :: not online
+ PARKING :: on Duthy Street and neighbouring side streets
+ WIFI :: NO – bring your own
+ POWER POINTS :: NO.
+ FACEBOOK :: https://www.facebook.com/naturesprovidore
+ INSTAGRAM :: http://www.instagram.com/naturesprovidore
//
So there you have it. MANY coffees road tested for you, and my top 12 final picks.
Thank you to some beautiful friends who have joined me on this adventure – namely Benjamin Liew (who helped me with some of the photos above), Jennifer Assels, Elise Thompson, Tania Debono and my gorgeous Dad, who even joined me for an early morning brekky.
If you haven’t already seen it, here’s another coffee shop shortlist by my friends over at The Advertiser (mostly different choices, so stay tuned for my review of these recommended spots in an upcoming post!)
Now, over to you! Where’s your favourite coffee in Adelaide? Anywhere else I should know about?
