1. Single O (Photograph: Avril Treasure for Time Out Sydney)
    Photograph: Avril Treasure for Time Out Sydney
  2. Single O (Photograph: Avril Treasure for Time Out Sydney)
    Photograph: Avril Treasure for Time Out Sydney
  3. Single O (Photograph: Avril Treasure for Time Out Sydney)
    Photograph: Avril Treasure for Time Out Sydney
  4. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  5. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  6. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  7. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  8. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  9. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  10. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  11. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  12. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  13. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  14. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  15. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  16. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  17. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  18. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  19. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  20. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  21. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford
  22. Photograph: Katje Ford
    Photograph: Katje Ford

Review

Single O Surry Hills

5 out of 5 stars
Banging coffee, slick design and ingredient-driven cooking collide at this pioneering specialty coffee house
  • Restaurants | Cafés
  • price 2 of 4
  • Surry Hills
  • Recommended
Avril Treasure
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Time Out says

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. 

The vibe

Purveyors of excellent specialty coffee and good times, Single O has been a pioneer of Sydney’s café scene since it opened with a bang in 2003. Found on a cool, industrial-style corner space on Reservoir Street in Surry Hills, this place pumps with both Sydneysiders and tourists from morning until it closes at 3pm. Sustainability has been at the heart of Single O since its inception, with the team committed to sourcing ethically and environmentally responsible beans. They also have a solar-powered roastery in Botany, co-created an innovative milk-on-tap system that swapped plastic milk bottles with 10L bladders – creating an 80 per cent reduction in plastic wares – and their current mission is to halve carbon emissions by 2026 and achieve Net Zero by 2030. How good’s that?

The food

Single O has an all-day menu, which is great news if you’ve had a big one and still feel like eggs and bacon at noon – just a note that the kitchen closes at 2.15pm. Expect jazzed-up café fare featuring Aussie ingredients and Asian flavours, like their take on eggs Benedict with smoked pork, yuzu hollandaise, cucumber, mint, coriander, pickled apple and chilli oil. Or try the crisp corn fritters, which come topped with romesco sauce, avo, guindilla and a coriander vinaigrette.

Lunch-wise, the mothership bowl – featuring brown rice, egg, pickled cauli, kraut, edamame, roasted mushroom, chard and a macadamia saltbush crumb – is a serious health hit. Our lemon pepperberry chicken toastie with olives and confit garlic came with a tonne of melted halloumi and mozzarella. But the olives tasted like the ones you get at Pizza Hut, and it needed more seasoning. Next time, we’re going for the tom yum salad with crisp rice, charred oyster and shimeji mushrooms, carrot, cucumber, heirloom tomatoes and a peanut crumb instead.

The drinks

Single-origin espressos, pour overs, cold brews – you name it – Single O has got it, and its coffee remains some of the very best you can sip in this town. Whether you’re after a long black made with their Reservoir house blend that has a vibrant acidity, or a filter made with ethically sourced Ethiopia Aricha beans, featuring notes of apricot, berries and guava, you’ll find your perfect brew here. Single O also has its own self-service batch brew bar, offering a choice of four single-origin coffees from a tap at the touch of a button.

Want something else? The non-coffee options include fruit juices, teas, sodas and a couple of 18+ offerings, such as ‘whatever beer we have’, a mimosa and the Filthy Mary – Single O's riff on a Bloody Mary made with filter coffee, vodka, tomato juice, lemon and a salt and pepperberry rim.

Time Out tip

Coffee fiend? Single O has daily coffee flights, including the filter flight, which comes with a taste of three of their feature origins from their taps. It’s a great way to find out what your jam is.

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RECOMMENDED READS:

These are the best cafés in Sydney right now.

Want more? Check out our guide to the best coffee in the Sydney CBD here.

Details

Address
60-64 Reservoir Street
Surry Hills
Sydney
2010
Opening hours:
Mon-Fri 7am-3.30pm; Sat & Sun 8am-3pm
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