Circa, Parramatta

Circa Espresso is a little hole in the wall cafe located in the western suburbs of Parramatta. It's extremely easy to just walk by and completely miss this cafe! Located in what probably used to be a garage, the interior size of the room itself is very long and narrow so it can't quite fit that many people. We arrived just past noon on a hot Wednesday afternoon and there was a ten minute wait for a table.

At least they had menus for us to look through and couches outside for us to sit on while we waited!

Blood orange juice, $5.00 each

We were really tempted by the chai on their menu but to cool ourselves down from the heat, Ms Dentist-In-Training and I ordered a blood orange juice which was nice and fruity with a slight tang of bitterness that is distinctive of blood orange. We were hankering for those cool pastel striped straws we saw other tables have with their juices but unfortunately they didn't give us any :( The ice was served on the side and the juice itself was served at room temperature. We threw in every last ice-cube into our juice.

French toast, $14.00

I've had many bad French toasts in my day so I was hoping for something exceptional like the one I had at Kazbah. And thank goodness I was not let down. Lashings of cinnamon, fresh mixed berries and pistachio nuts on top of a thick fluffy brioche loaf made it super delicious. I loved eating it with the dollop of yogurt which made it feel a lot less heavier than if it were cream. Hopefully this special will still be there if I return :D

Baked eggs, $17.00

I've heard great things about the baked eggs here and with all three of us being avid baked egg lovers, we had to order this one. This version is a lot less saucier than ones I've had at other cafes and to be honest, I prefer it with more sauce to pack a bigger flavour punch. The overall dish was a lot fresher and more mild, but still went down a treat because woo for eggs! They were still perfectly cooked and the yolk oozed as we cut into it.

Ottoman eggs, $16.00

Look at those beautifully shaped poached eggs! I loved this twist on traditional poached eggs as it was served on top of crumbed eggplant, garlic labne, burnt chili and sage. The eggplant was still beautifully soft and the subtle aroma of sage wafted through all the elements of this dish.

Service was wonderful and they filled up our water bottle continuously all afternoon as we chatted without us having to ask! We must've drank at least a litre of water each :P If they mention the french toast as a special, don't hesitate to order it!

Circa Espresso
21 Wentworth Street
Parramatta, NSW

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday: 7:00am - 4:00pm

Reuben Hills, Surry Hills

Welcome to Surry Hills - the suburb of coffee, cafes, and hipsters who permanently drink coffee and almost live at these said cafes! One particular cafe that has been on my list for a long time running is Reuben Hills. Salted caramel milkshake anyone?

Lychee, coconut & lime milkshake, $8.50

Unfortunately, I did not order the salted caramel milkshake (you will be mine next time) as my eyes automatically zoned in on the word coconut. Oh how my heart beats for you, coconut. I hate it when milkshakes are too thin, and thank goodness this one wasn't the case! It definitely could be thicker, but alas it wasn't a thickshake so this was pretty darn good :D I couldn't particularly taste the lychee or lime, but there was a strong hit of coconut so no complaining here!

Soft baked eggs, $17.00

We were curious what the jamon (pronounced ha-mon) was, and it turned out to be a form of cured meat. Always pairs well with eggs! The soft baked eggs came and were perfectly runny, oozing out as soon as they were poked with the knife. Bread was promptly dipped into this concoction - perfect base to soak up all that sauce! Top it with the spinach, jamon and ranchero, and you're set. There was a subtle kick from spices, which had me coming back for more.

Baleada, $14.00

Who sees pulled pork on the menu yet not order it? Definitely not me. Pulled pork please! The flavours instantly reminded me of Mexican nachos - so good! There was a pleasant tingle in my mouth from chilli and the pork was wonderfully soft. Loved the addition of salsa just to give the dish a little bit of freshness.

Salmon ceviche, $19.00

The witlof leaves acted like spoons for the salmon ceviche. The small pieces of salmon melted in the mouth and the salad of roasted corn, sweet potato, fennel and jalepenos was balanced just right - not too much fennel or jalepenos so that it overpowered the delicate flavour of the salmon.

The NOT reuben sandwich, $16.00

I've never had a Reuben sandwich before but this not-Reuben sandwich was absolutely divine! I was a bit wary that the manchego and horseradish cream would be too strong, but it melded in really well with every other element. The pickled slaw and wagyu salt brisket really shone in this sandwich.

Food may not be the cheapest, but it sure as hell was tasty and service was super friendly - despite being busy, no one forced us to leave as my friends sat around and caught up. I would definitely come back here if I was nearby in the area, and maybe try one of the coffees - heard that they are good!

Reuben Hills
61 Albion St
Surry Hills, NSW, 2010
9211 5556

Opening Hours
Monday-Satuday: 7:00am - 4:00pm 
Sunday: 7:30am - 4:00pm