Espresso Engine

Great coffee, good place for ride stop, lots of bike parking early in the morning. Also good place to admire other people’s expensive bikes. Had a soy cappuccino and it was just the right level of sweetness, in an orange mug.

Friendly busy staff run by John who loves his work.  The homegrown Merlo coffee is served here and never disappoints.  this is very much a working cafe and services the coffee drinkers and net workers of the area.  A pleasing feature is not having to give your name - they find you and it is very welcome and edifying! thanks mate.  Good work lad!

Almost hidden as a corner right in the CBD, ironically right in view of the busy highway, the Santos building on Turbot Street is housing a good little find. Going across from Kuripla Bridge, it is just a quick stop off - a bit like the hidden back entrance for cyclists - and for the customers going in via Turbot, it is a small detour off George near the highway turnoff. Walk into the foyer, and if it is your first time (as it was for me) finding the coffee place is a little disorienting. Go all the way to the other side, and there it is. Why would some sweat-under-the-armpits type be in this area?

Well, some place close by (at least in a walk-able distance) wanted me back on board for employment. One morning I just needed to get in there for some initiation (i.e. paperwork), and for old time's sake I searched immediately when I found out for a new place I hadn't done for coffee and get a couple of sweets to split up in the office.

In spite of the number of clientele waiting around for orders and getting items, the service is really quick and your name is being called out before you know it. The place felt alive with hard-working baristas, and that did not stop them from being friendly. It basically goes that you walk up to the counter, place the order, pay and then they ask you for your name. What might have helped is that the coffee I ordered was black, and the items were in the cabinet just ready to be put in the bag. All up, five minutes at most. Kill me if you wish, but it can't be helped - this was really working like a little engine.

What they sell here is basic. The name is "espresso", and that it their bread-and-butter. All the expected coffees, plus the "harder" stuff (e.g. ristrettos, mezzos etc.) are there along with teas and a number of pre-packed drinks. Anything else is really stuff that commonly goes on the side to coffee, such as a range of sandwiches, sweets and breakfasts on the go.

The whole look of the place is just gorgeous. Corporate types frequent here, but this has anything but that dull grey look of a corporate place. This alley uses a lot of stone, has a considerably cooler temperature and there are stools and such to sit and wait. The whole little establishment is off to the side, so it feels more like a coffee shop and less like a stand to grab it and go. I will give props to it, for combining looks and creating a character that will draw people continuously back to it.

The coffee that they use comes from Merlo, which is really a hit and miss affair. It is not on recommended to be used by novice baristas, and a less than stellar one can really ruin the drink. However, some more talented baristas that I have found (which include one or more of my favourite places) can do really well with it. I have tried better places than this one, but I have definitely experienced it worse as well. As usual, the doppio. It was less sweet, a tad fruity and it could have been a little stronger (usual aspect with Merlo) and was the right temperature.

Looking in cabinet, the sweets I went for were an orange-almond cake, and an Afghan. The orange-almond cake should be self-explanatory, and the Afghan is an unleavened biscuit orginiating from New Zealand. The latter is made from cocoa, butter, and cornflakes (or some other cereal) topped with a layer of chocolate and walnuts. Both of them were good. The orange-almond cake was moist, certainly had the taste of orange - real orange - in it almond with the nuttiness of almonds complimenting it, plus the texture was feather-soft. That one was a pleasant and light sweet. For those preferring a bit more in their cake, often like I am, the Afghan was the one I tended towards. It had a good, thick amount of chocolate coating the cookie and it had more of a crunchy texture. I especially liked the walnut finish on it.

Perhaps it is more on the aesthetics of the place and the efficiency focused more than other places, those are aspects I would highlight before the product. This is not saying anything bad about the coffee or the sweets - I quite liked them in fact - but the aforementioned aspects were way ahead of the curve than many coffee places that I have visited recently; credit must be given where it is the most due. If I were to be working in one of the nearby buildings, even if there was a good coffee place in there I would cross the street and walk a while more just to come here - good coffee, lightning-quick service and the aesthetic of it is quite distinctive.

This cafe is on the ground floor of my work building, the coffee is the best in the area and service is always excellent.  The prepaid coffee cards are a good deal and as a bonus they save me always searching for change.  Definitely recommend.

Espresso Engine is a pleasant lively café, which serves first-rate coffee and breakfast food from an early hour. My wife and I call early and encounter groups of early cyclists having a rest after a ride. The queues start forming from 7.30am, but amazingly, no one seems to wait more than 2 minutes for their take-away order. The table service is pleasant and promptly served, without the use of table signs. My wife and I are regular customers.

Busy around smoko time (unsurprisingly)but the staff are on top of things and get the coffee to u pretty quickly. I’ve been coming here for years and they’ve only managed to stuff up my order 2 or 3 times but came good with an apology and a free coffee. Life’s too short to get cranky over a missed cafe order 😁. Thanks team BTW it’s a mystery to me how they get the coffee to tables without a table number ????

Great coffee, quick and friendly service

My new favourite coffee place! Always quick and friendly service. I've been there heaps of times now and they never disappoint.

Tops for your morning brew. Friendly and efficient in a handy location. Great coffee and good inside seating.