As a kid, my friend and I used to head to our local milk bar, our pockets jingling with our pocket money – a couple of $2 coins – and return home with what felt like a mountain of lollies (Pythons, Warheads, red frogs) – plus change. These days, $2 won’t get you much in Sydney, except maybe a Woolies paper bag. This is all to say, sh*t's expensive – and this includes our favourite morning friend: coffee.
But there’s one Sydney café where you can get your hands on a $2 coffee – and the best bit? The price isn’t going anywhere. Phew.
Family-owned Genovese Coffee House, housed in a light-filled warehouse on Alexandria’s Lawrence Street, sells $2 espressos and macchiatos – about half the price of most other Sydney spots. The piping-hot shot of perfectly bitter coffee is served to guests standing up, just like in Italy, and arrives on a silver platter with water and cold milk. As well as being affordable, it helps on an environmental level too, cutting back on takeaway cups and waste. If you want to sit down, it’ll set you back $3.
Over the last few years, global coffee prices have been steadily increasing, thanks to a myriad of reasons – including higher-than-usual rainfall followed by drought in places like Brazil, which has driven up the cost of coffee beans, as well as rising production costs like rent, wages and takeaway cups. A few years ago, you could snag a cappuccino for $3 in Sydney, whereas these days, most coffees start at $5, with some hitting $7+ if you opt for alternative milks (that’s you, delicious oat milk). So this news is as welcome as a hot water bottle on a chilly night.
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The cafe-roastery, which first opened its first shop in Melbourne in 1970, also sells food with Italian flair if you'd like a bite to eat with your morning brew. Choose from things such as frittata with artichoke, parmesan and olive salsa verde; and poached eggs with pecorino cream, prosciutto, truffle and toasted ciabatta. For lunch, get around the panini, including one layered with mortadella, pickled green tomatoes, olives and provolone.
Grazie, Genovese Coffee House. So, see you in Alexandria?
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