If you know me at all, you know that when I discover something, I want to share it with…EVERYBODY. I get excited about things easily and I think that other people would benefit from the knowledge of said things. My latest thing, however, probably won't benefit you unless you live in or regularly visit my hood (my apologies, in advance).
Bean Drinking in Crows Nest (North Sydney) is my new favourite coffee haunt. To say that it is out of my way and that I pass about a million (give or take) cafe's to get to it as regularly as I can would be…well, about correct. Okay, it's not quite a million but it is a LOT and sometimes minor exaggerations are necessary to prove a point because you probably wouldn't believe how many coffee providers are closer to my house and workplace than Bean Drinking. I don't care.
Where do I start? Um…the coffee, that seems like as a good place as any. The Bean Drinking blend has captured my attention the way Campos first did (big call) and has become a hot favourite in my book. It is smooth and rich and has a unique, yet somewhat familiar, taste. Frankly, it makes me happy.
The decor of the cafe is warehouse chic. Rustic and warm, with just a hint of coffee snobbery (my favourite). There are beans everywhere, hessian bags, tins of tea, shelves of coffee appliances that I've never seen before, a tasting bench for the adventurous, a cabinet of delicious looking baked goods and, ahem, a pretty spunky team of baristas (someone had to say it, and it was always going to be me).
I'm intrigued by the Rewards Card that is basically PREPAID COFFEE and I think this is possibly the greatest idea ever. Never go searching for loose change to get your coffee fix again, plus you get discounts and freebies too – win/win. And, yes, I signed up as soon as I discovered it (NB: this is NOT a sponsored post, I just get excited…)
The Bean Drinking-ers have adopted a sustainable, artisan approach, which I don't know a lot about but according to their site they use "specialty coffee that scores 80/100 or above and has traceability back to the estate or farmer from which it was grown". If that's what makes it taste so good, then I'm down with that. There is a lot of information here on the Bean Drinking site that will make sense to those better informed about the ways of roasting than me, so check it out if you feel so inclined!
They were also 3-Cup winners in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Cafe Awards and, again, while I don't really know what that means, it's better than being a 2-cup winner so if you don't trust me, go with those facts!
The funny thing is that, although Bean Drinking is in my hood (close to both my work and home), I've never actually sat in at the cafe to delight in the caffeine goodness. I do often stop by during my lunch break and dream wistfully that one day I will be sitting there with my Macbook Air, sipping my latte, writing, and remembering the days when I used to schelp on in from the office. Then I sigh, collect my takeaway, and mosey on back to the 'real world' (yes, I do a lot of schelpping and mosey-ing throughout the working week).
If you're ever in the Crows Nest area, do remember this here tale and hotfoot it to Bean Drinking. Don't forget to let me know and I'll come and have a coffee with you! Better yet, you might bump into me sitting there working on my laptop…
P.S I've borrowed a couple of Bean Drinking's photos because I'm shy and feel like a DORK taking photos of cafes when so many people are around!
