Guide to Best Cafes in Sydney From Circular Quay

Navigating you through the best cafe areas in the city like CBD, The Rocks, Marrickville and Newtown from Circular Quay

Whether you want to have a quick brekkie with your sibling or friend, or want to grab a bite with your date or want to share the recent updates of your life with your childhood best friend over a coffee, then nothing is better than a casual but peaceful cafe with good ambiance. And cafes in Sydney offer the best cafe experience you can have. 

You might also be someone who is new in Sydney, or is on a holiday with friends or family. Then you should know what are the good cafes in the city, in which area are they located with a proper guide to the best cafes in Sydney. 

Sydney has around 7000 independent cafes located in the city. Let’s first start with figuring out which parts of Sydney these cafes are densely located in.

Areas With Densely Located Cafes in Sydney

• Central Business District
• The Rocks
• Marrickville
• Newton

Central Business District (CBD)

Extending from Circular Quay in the North to Haymarket in the sSouth, the CBD of Sydney offers a wide range of cafes with specialities of their own. 

• Pablo and Rusty’s Sydney CBD
• Skittle Lanes
• Cafe Sydney
• The Grounds of The City
• Diggy Doos Coffee
• Bean Sisters Cafe
• Joe Black Cafe
• Dutch Smuggler 

The Rocks

The Rocks in Sydney is home to several notable cafes offering diverse culinary experiences. Here are some you might consider:

• The Rocks Cafe
• ASLAN Coffee Roasters
• MCA Cafe at Tallawoladah
• Black and White Espresso Bar
• Starbucks The Rocks
• Pancakes On The Rocks

Marrickville

Marrickville, located in Sydney's Inner West, boasts a vibrant café scene. Here are some notable establishments

• Double Tap
• Superfreak
• Ona Sydney
• Deluca
• Algorithm Cafe
• Coffee Alchemy.
• Valentinas
• Roastville Coffee Roasters

Newtown

Newtown, a vibrant suburb in Sydney's inner west, is renowned for its eclectic café culture. Here are some notable cafés you might consider visiting. These establishments contribute to Newtown's reputation as a hub for diverse and high-quality café experiences.

• Cafe Newtown
• Brewtown Newtown
• Campos Coffee Newtown
• Rolling Penny Cafe
• The Front Room Newtown
• Shenkin Newtown Espresso Bar
• SOUL BREW

How to Get there

For someone who is new to Sydney, it might be difficult for them to navigate their way through the different suburbs of the city to reach these cafes. As this article aims to be a guide to the best cafes in sydney for its readers, we intend to provide you a literal roadmap through the city to reach the cafe you are interested in. 

As this article is targeted to serve a mass audience, it is impossible to plan a guide from every place of stay in Sydney. However, to make your trip easier and for guidance purposes, we are going to use one of the central points in the city to plan a road map from this point to the areas that have densely located cafes (mentioned above). This will help you get a better understanding of what your travel to these areas would look like. 

The central area we are going to use is Circular Quay, which is home to Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, the two major landmarks of Sydney. So let’s start with how you can get to CBD, The Rocks, Marrickville and Newton to enjoy the top rated cafes in these areas. 

Central Business District

Distance from the Circular Quay: 1.5 Km

Time: 8 minutes (depends on the commute you are taking and the traffic in between the two destinations)  

Commute: Taxi, Tram, Train 

• Taxi: Takes 6 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. And you can expect to pay $15 – $19
• Tram: With the tram ride you will reach the CBD in 2 minutes by paying something between $2-$4 only.
• Train: This is a bit lengthy but the fastest and cheapest commute that drops you off at your destination within 2 minutes with charges of only $1- $4. 

The Rocks 

Distance from the Circular Quay: 1.3 Km

Time: 6 minutes (depends on the commute you are taking and the traffic in between the two destinations)  

Commute: Taxi, Walk

• Taxi: Takes 7 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. And you can expect to pay $15 – $19
• Walk: Takes 4 minutes with no cost 

Marrickville 

Distance from the Circular Quay: 12.3 Km

Time: 26 minutes (depends on the commute you are taking and the traffic in between the two destinations)  

Commute: Taxi, Bus, Train 

• Taxi: Takes 16 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. And you can expect to pay $30 – $40
• Bus: Line 423 Bus. It is a bit lengthy but the cheapest commute that drops you off at your destination in 48 minutes by paying something between $2-$4 only.
• Train: Reaches within 18 minutes with charges of only $1- $4. 

Newtown 

Distance from the Circular Quay: 7 Km

Time: 23 minutes (depends on the commute you are taking and the traffic in between the two destinations)  

Commute: Taxi, Bus, Train 

• Taxi: Takes 12 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. And you can expect to pay $26 – $31
• Bus: Line 423 Bus. It is a bit lengthy but the cheapest commute that drops you off at your destination in 36 minutes by paying something between $2-$3 only.
• Train: Reaches within 16 minutes with charges of only $1- $4. 

A Guide Offering Something For Everyone

Sydney’s vibrant café culture offers something for everyone, whether you're a local or just visiting. With this guide, finding your way to the best spots in the CBD, The Rocks, Marrickville, and Newtown becomes effortless, ensuring you savor the finest coffee and ambiance Sydney has to offer