Sw1 Espresso - South Brisbane. From more or less a single-roomed hole in the wall, to across the courtyard into where previous tenant's were, Sw1 Espresso proves to be a good find for those South Brisbane's Sw1 precinct, and various other visitors. Whereas at the prior location, its identity was a bit nebulous and it was not so sure what it wanted to be - yet still nice regardless - here they have formed an identity and an aesthetic efficiently.

Finding a lack of the American-style delicatessens in Brisbane, the main focus of Sw1 Espresso is on sandwiches, burgers and bagels plus let's not forget salads. Unlike the prior place, there is seating available here. The people here are simply lovely and accommodating. It is more of a long cafe than a deep one, akin to walking across a counter to see the options available; everything here is fresh and on display so there is absolutely no worries about the quality of the food. Most of the interior decor is very white.

I had something of a job interview at a workplace nearby, and the guy I was meeting had this place in mind and went for a beeline to it. What can be said is that this was a great choice; among a precinct that could well see a collection of potentially great eateries, Sw! Espresso is a crash course for how to provide that for the residents. First and foremost is the quality of the coffee - making a location for the local watering hole - but it also extends to service - often done with a smile and efficient - but the characteristic design in service and presentation is what really helps with place and took my eyes.

The order I got was a double shot cappuccino cappuccino, which was very strong and tasty. It had the thick layer of foam and chocolate on top - so the style is really Australian. Instead of coming on a saucer as usual, each cup of dine-in coffee comes on its own rectangular tray, complete with a couple of sugars - if you so wish (I have mine without sugar) and a couple of lots of cutlery. Again though, it all helps with a good quality cup of coffee - made from their own roasted beans - that has well textured milk, and a properly extracted shot of espresso. This is yet another addition to the coffee scene around the city that has well and truly arrived.

To test this place out further, before heading off home I decided to see what sweets they had to share with my dining buddy. Sweets are not fully abundant at Sw1 Espresso, but nevertheless there are a few different muffins to select from. As seemingly usual I went for the chocolate chip variety (hey! it well and truly works most of the time); they size of it was massive.While it was not the most choc-filled chocolate muffin I have had, the chocolate parts melted through a fair way giving it all sorts of flavour in its soft, cake-like mixture. With this idea in mind, some fresh-made sweets will do brilliantly at this place.

With luck, the Sw1 living precinct could interconnect with the northern end of West End and the stretch of South Brisbane outside of South Bank as a massive dining area. Sw1 Espresso is not the flashiest of the places around, but it does stick out with characteristic aspects focusing straight onto fine produce for diners and residents. As a place for a meeting, it certainly worked well.