It’s Saturday morning and you need your caffeine fix. We don’t blame you. Something local would be ideal but you’re also tossing up a weekend pilgrimage to the Inner West (it’s no secret that many of Sydney’s top-quality brewers live here) – in which case, take a look a little further beyond your usual digs to Burwood, where you’ll find a new and unassuming specialty coffee spot.
Pillar is one of the only cafés in the Inner West that pours cult-followed boutique roaster Skittle Lane for their house-batch brews. They share the spotlight with a revolving catalogue of reserve filters from guest micro-roasters across Australia. Think big names like Market Lane and Stitch Coffee, alongside Melbourne roasters Bredda Coffee, Newav Coffee and Path. For coffee snobs, there’s even Sudan Rume, an exceptionally rare single-origin blend that once took a seat among the Coffee Review gods’ top-three picks worldwide.
The café’s grey hygge-meets-wabi-sabi interiors are so minimalistic that at first glance, the space appears unfurnished. However, it was intentionally designed like this to create a zen zone where guests can fully focus on their chosen brew. Tables are limited inside, but you’ll want to snag a low stool bathed in sunlight out front.
You can choose from a tidy selection of toasts and treats. Once again, Pillar’s food menu is intentionally simplistic, ensuring it never outshines the specialty line-up of single-origin coffee. A thick slice of shokupan toast with Pepe Saya butter will set you back only $6 and can be jazzed up with chilli oil, yuzu marmalade, kaya coconut jam or a 63-degree onsen egg. You can also trust the chefs with their savoury Miso Beaucoup (miso French shokupan toast) topped with adzuki red bean, vanilla ice cream and condensed milk; or go savoury with a wagyu Reuben or spring sous vide Hainan chicken salad. End it on a sweet note with a Shoebox Canteen black sesame sourdough cookie or 15 Cenchi basque cheesecake.
The trio of coffee connoisseurs behind Pillar is making specialty coffee into a hobby for both rookies and snobs alike. If you’re feeling lost in the sea of options, just ask one of the seasoned baristas and co-founders – including Uel Lim, Edwin Luo and Nate Tong – to be your guide in this caffeinated adventure.
