Bell Jar Coffee is just about to mark its first anniversary down on the leafy end of Alice Street in Newtown. It could safely be described as nanna chic – heavy on the nanna – with flying mallards on the walls, cross-stiched cushions and tea cosies to spare. The crowning glory is the turntable mounted in pride of place with a wooden crate of records on the floor nearby – think Muddy Waters, Creedence, Janis Joplin, and of course the ultimate road-trip accompaniment, Paul Simon’s Graceland.
They use Little Marionette beans and their coffee does those moustachioed Balmain boys proud. If the weather's too hot for espresso then grab a danger shake - a triple shot of coffee barely diluted with ice cream and milk – which is delicious and just a little risky if you were planning an afternoon of micro surgery or napping. The peach and lychee frappe is a sweet, frozen pick-me-up that is the colour of sunshine and if you fancy something weightier than coffee, it’s the perfect beverage for lingering over.