Sydney Coffee: Cupping Tables and Harbour Views

Melbourne gets the headlines, but Sydney’s coffee scene is deeper than its reputation — and it has the better backdrop. This day ran from a cupping table in the inner suburbs to the harbour at golden hour.

A coffee tasting flight in small glasses at a Sydney cafe

Small glasses of coffee lined up on a wooden table

Tasting flights lined up on the bench — the Sydney way of comparing coffees side by side. Small glasses, no milk, the differences between origins doing all the talking.

A public coffee cupping session in Sydney

Cupping glasses lined up for tasting

Public cuppings are one of the best free things in specialty coffee. Roasters open them up to anyone curious — you don’t need to know the vocabulary, just show up and taste.

The walk after

The Sydney Harbour Bridge at golden hour

Sunset over Sydney Harbour

And then the part Melbourne can’t compete with: an evening walk up to a lookout over the harbour, where the bridge fills the frame as the light goes soft over the water.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge in the evening

Coffee first, harbour second. In Sydney, that’s a complete afternoon.