Review John Smith Cafe

Ibrahim Saada

I definitely want to go back to enjoy that perfectly rounded experience. Upon arriving John Smith was full of patrons but it didn't take long for the staff to seat us at a booth. The staff were very pleasant and took our drink orders immediately allowing us time to pick our food choices from the menu. Hot and cold drinks came out in a few minutes and we happily placed.our order. After chatting and taking the obligatory group photos our food came out. Someone got the wrong variation of their food and it was taken back to the kitchen - what I'm amazed at was that the dish that came back was not a scraped off version and was brand new. The food was extremely vivid and tasted great. There was no single dish that stood out for me as they all tasted great. I was a big fan of my mushrooms. Poached eggs were cooked perfectly.

Bojan Kovacevic

Amazing local cafe that really knows their stuff and serves up very delicious coffee. Good amount of space but does get busy on weekends and it is easy to see why! Friendly staff and good food as well make it a great place.

Ken C

John Smith menu was quite traditional offering very normal brunch and lunch options. The traditional eggs Benedict and other dishes were done well but lacked the extra element to keep it interesting. The coffee was quite a disappointment for a cafe that names themselves as a speciality coffee what they have was a weak and bland coffee devoid of depth.

Saad Humaid

Loved the atmosphere in there.. ordered eggs Benedict, the toast wasn't very easy to cut (either because they had 2 toasts or the knife wasnt that sharp)... I would give it another try :)

saudifooodie سعودي فودي

We truly appreciate the coffee and loved the nice simple yet rich setting of western industrial with green natural infusion under the harmonious natural sun light. The service is more than you asked for and the barista is a professional

Jin Chen

Great food and friendly staff. Very patient and recommend what’s on the menu. Good coffee and food.

Zach L

Great cold brew - smooth and has a hint of a chocolate. Great atmosphere and polite staff. The feel is very rustic.

Jassen Rose

Outstanding coffee and food. I came, drank ate, bought beans, brought friends back, ate, drank and bought more beans! Their house roasted Columbian coffee is superb. Comfortable, great vibe, feels like a secret haunt, Frank the pug really wanted to come in!

Hayley

Although the menu is limited (focused), they are pretty good at what they do. The coffee is easy to drink yet strong and the service is very friendly. Food wise, the options they offer is quite standard, comprise of all day breakfast items and burgers. They are generous in serving and cheap. We are very satisfied with the experience.

Dominic Svensson

The menus on the tables only had drinks so I got in the queue to order, which was short but moved extremely slowly, and eventually saw that they did have full menus but the big ham and cheese croissant with a coffee deal looked good. The coffee was hot and creamy and served in a big cup, not much distinguishing but I liked it. However, the croissant had been only briefly warmed over before serving and the lack of toasting highlighted how dense the croissant was - I don't think it was fresh.

Mzlanah

To be honest, I’m not really sure what the fuss is about and how this cafe is so highly rated. They have a variety of eggs Benedict’s, which makes their menu diverse; however the food is practically what you can get at any other cafe. My experience at John Smith was a bit disappointing, with simple things like poached eggs being overdone and a sour dough bread stack without a simple condiment (butter).

Helen Suhalim

This cafe serves simple everyday brunch food which tastes surprisingly DELICIOUS. Try their Eggs Beni and you will not regret it. I would definitely come back here again!

Sarah D

Cute place. Good food (I got the avo and goats cheese and particularly liked the added pomegranate, chilli wasn’t too spicy either) and good ambience to study in. However there were no PowerPoints.

La Paraja

Great food, fantastic coffees, friendly attitude-free services. The location wasn’t the best as it’s facing busy road, however they compensate it with nice music and overlooking some greenery next door. I have been here before maybe last year for takeaway coffee and brunch but nothing overly outstanding. However, on my recent visit I left with a good impression. I had brunch and coffee here in 2 days in a row, it was that good! Highly recommended, will happily come back, over and over!

Cutiefoodie_au 🤙🏽

When you’re after a heartfelt breakfast with a massive flavour punch.... You need to check out the Texan style slow cooked beef with pickles & bbq sauce plus of course 2 poached eggs. Super tender, juicy beef and little pickle surprises in every mouthful. The pop of the little poached eggs are, to me, like a white ball of happiness. Especially when you see that gooey, soft yolk run all over the beautiful beef and change the flavour of the whole meal. Double tap if you love a good yolk pop 😏 For more Vlogs check out my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8CQlEE62GLokH8jGtAEajg For more blogs check out my Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cutiefoodie_au/

Yukko

Don’t know why the score is so high, I think it is just a very normal cafe. I like Henry lee and single o much better than this. It is a cozy neighborhood cafe but very expensive. I think I will not come back again

Jessica S

Mushroom toast was absolutely on point!- sauteed mushrooms paired with poached eggs, bit of goats cheese and well toasted sourdough- everything was well balanced. I’ll definitely be coming back to try the other dishes! :)

Eats With Marie

Back in 2015, I stumbled across John Smith and fell in love with a certain avocado on toast with goats cheese, chilli jam and a snowstorm of rainbow coloured edible flowers. Fast forward a few years and I’ve rediscovered this glorious little corner cafe, which is full of character and really (really) great food.

Abby

Excellent flavours, amazing food, great customer service! the prices are reasonable too! you guys should definitely advertise the truffle oil when you use it in your dishes!

Sydney Food Lover

Weekends mean breakfast and brunch catch ups! The green bowl is a healthy brunch option, makes you feel good on the inside. “Dukkah Eggs” - poached eggs, dukkah, burnt butter, caramelised onions, labneh, pomegranate, fresh herbs on toast. Such a pretty dish. John Smith is also known for the variety of “eggs benny” dishes, they did look pretty delicious, will need to order one for myself next time.

Eat For Your Life

so disappointed when a self called coffee specialist dont do pour over on request. just not good enough..........i could see there was filter on the menu but instead stuff asked you to have batch. If you are after real filter coffee, dont bother coming.

FrancesX

Service is fine. However food is plain and coffee is average. Also there is no side in my Benny eggs dish. An overrated cafe. Maybe a good choice for local but not a must try for others.

Tulika Kabra

This was a bit of an emotional breakkie as it was my last one before I say goodbye to this lovely country. Went for breakkie all by myself - ordered for my favourite avo on toast and treated myself with a cinnamon pastry and a hot chocolate as always. The food was great and I loved it! Service - 4/5 Food - 4.5/5 Ambience - 4/5 Value for Money - 4/5

Althea Marie Alvaro

I can easily rank this by 5 however there was a worm/ caterpillar found in my plate. I know a bit gross right. Good thing I was taking lots of photos then saw the creature moving in my gorge plate. They instantly gave me a new one and I got my meal for free. Despite of this, I will still come back because the food was really good and the service was excellent!

Katw

Great place if you love your egg bennys! We had the smoke salmon and truffle mushroom and it was delicious, they are generous on the serving. The cafe is nice and cozy and the service was great, very accommodating! Definitely will be back.

Gem

Cute little cafe with friendly staff. The meals aren't anything to write home about but they are hearty and reasonably healthy and tasted pretty good!

Panda Lover

Staff recommended the famous Benny and it wAS so so so good! And a very big portion! Had to take away for the extra bacon. The Cappuccino was very nice too. Wanna try the pudding next time!

Carissa Tandjung

Coffee was amazing. We had the famous egg benedict with bacon candy and egg dukkah. The egg benedict was top notch but the egg dukkah was deliciously out of this world. Would definitely come back for more...

Evelyn Chen

The cafe was satisfying with full-sized brunches offered to guests. I chose the pork eggs benny that day. The taste was good, the pork was soft and eggs benny were great. The bread was a bit hard though. However, the staff made a mistake on my drink order, I supposed to get a cup of pineapple juice but still ok for that anyway.

The Engineer Eats

Had the pulled pork burger and the prawn and crab burger at John Smith. They ran out of milk bun, got it with sourdough instead so technically not a burger 😜 Food is ok in taste, sauce is slightly bland though. Coffee is good! Go early or they may ran out of some items on the menu

Quel

Popular cafe, had to wait to be seated. Service was a bit slow but they were very busy. Food was cooked very well and presented well. I had the American style pulled pork eggs benny and my partner had the peri peri chicken burger. My eggs benny was delicious, sauce they put with the pulled pork was a bit spicy. My partner loved his burger. Would definitely go back, the wait is definitely worth it. And food is decently priced!

Tim Nyahwa

Been here a few times now. Can’t fault the food one bit. Eggs Benny variations are just to die for. Coffee impressive as always. However the service or lack of it, is the only disappointing factor.

JaQua

Definitely one of my favourite cafes in Sydney! Hit the spot everytime. Convenient location and friendly staff. Food are fresh and flavoursome. So... the only thing left for me to pick on is the coffee. No no, it's not bad coffee at all! It's just quite smooth while I like a kick in mine. 👞

MiffyEats

This place has really friendly and genuine service. The menu has a whole page of Eggs Benny that all sound amazeballs! We went the Candied Bacon Eggs Benny and the Chorizo Eggs Benny. My God!! I'm drooling while typing this. They make your mouth water! They're not stingyon quality or quantity as both were packed with bacon chorizo goodness! That egg yolk moneyshot hits the spot visually and them again on your tongue. The coffees are spot on and the mixed berry soda is delish! We'll be back with more bunnies next time!

Lisa Arez

Great little cafe tucked away in the streets of Alexandria. I got the smashed avo with a poached egg and the flavours were great. Nothing too overpowering but all the elements complemented each other so well. Would definitely recommend for a good breaky if you're in the area.

William Wu

This is a cafe which is quite popular in the neighbourhood. It's very stand out because there's no shop nearby. 4.5 is a little bit high, but it is good anyway. [Food] #American Style benny# The waiter says it may take some time to cook it. However we didn't wait for a long time. It was ready 10 minutes after I placed my order. The meat on top is really nice. Besides, it also has two poached eggs, and some salad. So it's a really healthy dish with both vegetables and meat. #Cakes# $5.5, very simple, definitely not what they are good at. #Rose Water Soda# , fresh drink. #Relaxing herbs tea# is also a good choice for light tea. The staff are nice. He helped me to take a photo of me in front of the cafe.

Bananabread.com.au

|Pulled Pork Burger| Succulent pulled pork! Customer service was excellent. Presentation was amazing and the servings are very generous. The avocado salsa tastes good, as was the garlic aioli. John Smith is an excellent cafe. |Avocado Salsa & Goats Cheese on Sourdough| Best try

1900.

Went on Sun for brunch, they ran out of pork that day, so didn't try their slow cooked pork(which should be delicious). Staff was very friendly, the food was good, but I think 4.5 is a bit overrated. Also, they have very limited choice of meat dishes(on the other hand good for vegans), you'll have to add-on bacon, salmon... and dishes with add-ons are a little bit expensive.

Saudifooodie

We truly appreciate the coffee and loved the nice simple yet rich setting of western industrial with green natural infusion under the harmonious natural sun light. The service is more than you asked for and the barista is a professional

Ciara Mc Donnell

Ordered the mushroom breakfast, I was so excited for the combinations of flavour but what I got was cold mushrooms on a burnt slice of rye toast covered in balsamic vinegar with hard poached eggs. My partner ordered poached eggs on toast with avocado on the side - he got hard poached eggs that were cooked but cold inside and 2 slices of bread, not toast and smashed avo with heaps of raw red onion in it. Who serves raw onion for breakfast?? There saving grace was the chai tea that I got...best I ever had

Tummymon

Went on a sunny day and sat near the windows. The atmosphere was really relaxing and ordered their weekly special, snow crab salad it was absolutely amazing with just the right amount of creaminess and fresh taste to cool down. Definitely added to a brunch regular roster for us.

Jason

Fantastic food and drinks. Beautiful attention to detail in the presentation of the food, very tasty and good portioning. Definitely worthy of the high rating. Will absolutely be coming back again!

Hedwig'97

Had bookmarked this place for quite a while. This place is nice and packed with people. You can always see people coming in and out. The service was brilliant! People were nice and the food & drink come out really quick. We don't have to wait that long. I have the cous cous, it was a bit too sour for me because of the pomegreanate dressing. But I guess if you like sour of salaf, this can definitely be ur dish. The broccolinia taste amazing! With the chicken breast, John Smith got your healthy brunch sorted. The turmeric latte was nice as well😋

Debooo

What a perfect gloomy day to spend our day off!! Decided to visit top 15 infamous brunch place in Sydney. Surprisingly it was worth to wait approx. 15-30 mins to get a table for two. I am telling you its worth to wait :) Sacrifice your time for something good. The coffee was extremely good, excellent service and price was reasonable!! Definitely come back for the coffee; extremely best coffee.

Fussyfoodie

I really wanted to give this place a 5, they only just missed the mark for me. The place has a great rustic feel to it, just as you would expect in Alexandria. The service was prompt and attentive, our table was regularly checked on. However, I feel the food could go from good to amazing with the smallest changes. I ordered the breakfast bowl, everything was fresh and cooked and seasoned well, I just felt together the elements did not all work, particularly the avocado being mashed (for me if there's no toast, it doesn't work). Changing the texture of the avocado and crisping the kale would have made the dish a knockout. Coffee was good and the juices were amazing, very refreshing (I ordered the apple)

Leon

Ice coffee was bitter (I like) but the eggs Benedict was rather average and not special. I don't think the cafe deserves the hype and rating in Zomato

Jessenia Jauw

I ordered egg benedict with braised pulled pork since many people said that its good. But somehow, I dont really like the dish. My friend ordered chicken burger and Its quite nice

Fooooood Lover

We dropped in here cause it had great reviews- no disappointment at all! Good prices for the burgers, had the mushroom burger and the chicken burger... Also a Persian love cake which was tasty... Didn't try the coffee but we chatted with the dude about their awesome filtration system for pure water and are very interested to try so we will be back!

Nicole

Went here for brunch and absolutely loved it. The coffee (roasted in house) is incredible and the food is fresh and delicious. Service is also attentive and friendly. Will definitely be back!

Marius Yapi

I came here to have lunch, and ordered the pulled pork burger, it was nice, big, and very juicy pork* if you look at the photo carefully there is pork juice on the plate. Yes it is that juicy. The coffee was nice and appealing. The only let down for me is there are no unique taste from the coffee. very simple, smooth and full bodied. Overall a nice place, atmosphere and food :)

Joe Thamrin

Great coffee with great breakfast. The ambiance is very welcoming and decorated nicely with the tiny succulents alongside the bar table. Cappuccino was tasty and done right. Breakfast was delicious, however my poached egg was a little on the overcooked side.

G

Recently visited John Smith again and had the mushroom, a few coffees and a juice. Service was really really friendly. Food was super tasty. And coffee was fantastic! Love this place.

Olivia

I came here for lunch and i try the burger. The burger is so good. Its different from other burger. I will difinetly come back here again to try the breakfast menu.

Constructively Critical

Food, service, ambience, all fantastic. Visited on a busy weekend and the place was packed but all staff were extremely efficient and we only waited for 5mins or so to be seated. Coffee was good quality too. Looking forward to coming back to try other meals on the menu!

Manz

Small cafe along the busy Botany Road. It was weekday lunch & the place was busy. Not particularly inspired by their menu which is mostly variations of the same items in burger or salad or breakfast formats. I ordered a green juice & the mushroom burger with smoked bacon. Didn't really notice it at first, because I was really hungry & excited from all the glowing reviews, but something wasn't right.... the milk bun was missing, replaced with 2 slices of toasts, with no explanation. Looking around I saw a staff explain to someone else ordering, they ran out of buns. Would've been nice to have been told too when I ordered or when they delivered the food. Overall the "sandwich" tasted nice, the bacon had a good glaze of sweet & salty. The mayo was thick & sweet like the Japanese mayo. Nice, but not nice enough to battle either the traffic weekdays or the queues on the weekend.

Michael Li

Indeed, I had only just returned from a holiday with some uni friends from Singapore/Malaysia, but my parents decided to take me to this cafe to try on the day I arrived from the airport. Liked the neat and cozy atmosphere of the cafe when i entered on the corner. Parking was relatively easy to find on the streets for a Tuesda midday. I was intrigued by the service of the waitress who was very friendly and took the initiative to offer taking pictures of me and my family. Tried the smoked candy bacon burger and personally, loved the presentation because it showed the effort put in the dish. The taste was very good, and I wished I had ordered the chips to go with it. The $14 was reasonable in my opinion for the quality. The cappuccino was decorated when served and tasted better than most coffees I've had, with the correct hot temperature and not too overpowering coffee taste. Overall, was a very positive experience, definitely encourage John Smith Cafe to keep up the quality of their food! :)

Saksonthemove

Great coffee & delicious food that is nicely presented. It's always busy on the weekends so I strongly recommend going early. They also have another cafe at 130 Pitt St in the CBD called Fossix Coffee.

Giz401

Good food, good people, nice ambiance! Highly recommended !

Sarahversuscarbs

Good food, decent coffee, tiny cafe. My only qualm is that sometimes you have to wait for a table. The eggs benedict I had recently were good, though I think next time I'd order them with a side because the serving was a bit small on its own.

Tom K

Excellent ambience and warm staff to greet you at the front door. John Smith has satisfying coffee and their meals provide value for money.

Mykim

Absolutely loved this place. The food was different but stillI in keeping with the whole brunch idea! There were regular breakfast ideas with a little twist and everything sounded sooo good! Brekky was cooked to perfection and with a little kick of flavour! Coffee was great and I would definitely come back here!!

Billy Lee

I ordered the pulled pork burger and the breakfast bowl. The burger was surprisingly good! Very succulent pulled pork and the presentation was spot on! Their coffee was also top class. Price is ok and although they charged extra 10% public holiday surcharge I still think it's well worth the price. Customer service was excellent as well: they sent the wrong coffee to the table next to us, and instead of pouring away the coffee they offered it for free to the table. Overall one of the best cafe I have been to so far in Sydney

Pacc

Grabbed the smoked candy bacon, egg, cheese, avocado salsa, tomato, greens and garlic aioli burger for $14. Presentation was spot on and i liked the touch of violets with the aioli sauce. Very generous with their servings and loved the candied bacon. Good service although location is a mission for me. Dont mind coming again.

Sloweats

The coffee here is fantastic. Backed up by their food, John Smith is a great neighborhood joint. The food is not the most creativie now but sometimes it doesn't have to be. The smokey candy bacon is a great additional to any dish, though slightly pricey overall considering what you get.

Lucyellaa

Talk about cafe food! Little corner cafe and no short site of dogs outside 😄 the menu has a variety of hard to choose food! Can't order brunch without a coffee, and sure enough they don't disappoint!

Cqljyk

Food is nice, light n fresh but no much surprise n a little bit pricey. And menu is ordinary salad n burger not much choices. Nice coffee though!

Vick Brar

Bring back the pigs can fly burger!!! That was epic! The new one is too small! Haha great food, shame about the long que!! If You bring back the burger the rating will be 5!

Sweet2it

My rating is solely on the food. Ordered the brekky Shiracha with avo salsa and added the candy bacon. My partner had the herb stuff mushroom and added candy bacon. Both had awesome presentation and full of flavour. Would come back for more. BUT.. To us their coffee was not to our taste.

🌊Pilates🐇Nurse🤸Nutrition🥑

Wow. My partner & I had a breakfast we'd definitely be back for! Staff were friendly & helpful to score us a table, eventhough the place was busy..but most importantly, the food was delicious. The portion of organic, fresh produce plated was generous & somewhat very creative. The ethos was comforting and chilled.

Anpangal

Delicious and wholesome food. Great coffee. Service was attentive and helpful. Definitely lived up to its hype and thoroughly enjoyable. Would be nice if children's high chairs are available though.

Vivian Huang

Even 5 is not high enough for this cafe...it is superb...ordered chicken burger and it was just a big wow~~~~~great presentation, friendly staff and service. Matcha brownie is also big tick. Strongly recommend and will definitely go back.

Jaehoon Lee

Food is amazing!! Feel like I experienced a miracle. Strongly recommend the burger with avocado, poached egg, and candy bacon. Friendly staff who claimed to be a Jedi. Excellent coffee

Nancy

4.4/5???? This place deserves a 5! Came here for brunch on a Thursday and left very very satisfied. I ordered the smoked candy bacon burger whilst my friend ordered the poached eggs with a side of smoked candy bacon. The bacon was definitely the best bacon I have ever had! It was cooked to perfection and tasted absolutely delicious. Same goes for my burger - one of the best I have had. Everything was perfect and worked tremendously together. The avocado salsa was just amazing, as was the garlic aioli and we both agreed that the eggs were poached perfectly. We also ordered the passionfruit and citrus juice which was incredible. It tasted mostly like passionfruit but it was so incredibly refreshing. Service was excellent - we were seated right away, attended to within a very reasonable time and we did not have to wait long for our meals at all. I thought price for what I ordered was very reasonable but I understand that some other options might be a little more pricey. John Smith is an excellent cafe that I would highly recommend!

Thewhereto

Went to John Smith café with a friend today for lunch. I’ve been here before and it’s a great café. Pretty popular and nicely styled with a range of benches, tables and stools at bars for seating. Nice and light inside and has the vibe of a coffee industry. We got seated and ordered our coffees which came out really fast. They had beautiful latte art and a really nice smooth taste. My friend ordered the breakfast salad that was a bowl of spinach, quinoa, beetroot and hummus, roasted roma tomatoes and a poached egg and an add on of smoked trout – a very healthy dish! Delicious and fresh! I got the mushrooms, which came on a slice of rye with goats cheese, spinach, salsa verde a poached egg (very nicely poached) and a side of grilled chicken. It was a large size and very filling and also seemed very healthy. There were some beautiful looking desserts, but we decided not to get them as we were satisfied and full…but possibly another time ; )

Phfat

Very tasty and quaint cafe. I ordered the chicken burger with avocado salsa which was SO delicious but seriously the most difficult burger I've ever had to eat. Ended up covered in avocado and aioli. Keen to go back!

I❤️food

This cafe has been on my list for ages so decided to go on a Friday morning hoping to avoid the long wait for a table. We were in luck! I judge a cafe on their Eggs Bennie as its one of my favourites. I was not disappointed, the smoked candy bacon was divine, hollandaise had the right amount of acidity, eggs cooked to perfection. My friend had the breakfast bowl, fantastic was the verdict. Looking forward to trying their lunch menu. Didn't have coffee this time, we both had different teas, both good.

Prawnyha

I think this place is a bit overrated. Service was pleasant. But a bit slow. Food was nice. But nothing too special and the avocado was brown. The sweet smoked bacon was good tho. Parking in the area is a nightmare.

Su Lwin

Came here on a very rainy Sunday at 12pm, the cafe was small and had diners seated at every table. When we entered, a staff member greeted us and told us it would be a 10 minute wait, and gave us copies of the menu to peruse in the meantime. After about 10-15 minutes, a few diners left, and some more came in, although we were next to be seated. What was annoying was that the staff member who had given us menus before and told us that it would be a 10 minute wait, seated some others who had come in before us, although he seated us right after that. The decor is minimal, and funky with striped walls. A waitress came over right after to take our coffee orders, and we had a few more minutes to choose our food orders. My friend decided to have the Eggs Benedict with Daily greens, while I decided on the smashed avocado with poached egg and coriander. Both dishes were served within 10 minutes, and despite being simple, were aesthetically pleasing, bold in flavour, and delicious. My friend also remarked that the coffee was very good, with a bold flavour and very little bitterness.

Tastingthecloud

i absolutely love the soda! It's so refreshing and so tasty, and very unique as well. Coffee is on the weak side, not too strong but prefect for weekend. To summarize this visit to John smith. If you come like us as a big group of 8, then come earlier than 10:30. It gets busy during peak morning hours and we waited at least 30 mins ( but hey who don't want sleep in during weekend...). Food here are very healthy but full of protein, also very unique style that you probably won't see in many brunch place. Pretty and practical. Guys in the group really liked the dish because this was a brunch they were full (...). Definitely recommend those pretty drinks! You have to try!

Glutenfree_sydney

Visited twice in the past 6 months and both meals have been absolutely beautiful. This time round I tried the Breakfast Bowl however I did have to add an extra egg and bacon to make it a substantial meal (reason for the miss on a perfect score). The candied bacon was up there with the best I've ever had. Service was excellent, extremely attentive and friendly. We got in early to avoid the morning rush with appeared just after 8am. Coffee was notable too, only complaint was that is wasn't warm enough. Overall highly recommended and should be added to every brekky bucket list.

Janika Armanno

John Smith was A++ for taste and visual appeal for their food. The coffee was wonderful too! The only downfall was the fact that a waiter took our coffee order whilst we waited for a table but that coffee never came and we had to re order once we sat down.

Joe Jiang

Finally I got here. In a quite Thursday afternoon. Staff is very friendly! Order pulled pork burger and B&E burger. The taste is amazing. I really love the avo salsa and the smoky bacon! Back for sure!

Laura B

John Smith Cafe is a fantastic spot for breakfast. The ambiance of the little corner cafe is warm and welcoming, simple yet edgy. We were greeted immediately with water and menus. The staff are cool but not pretentious. The food was played perfection! Very good looking dishes. The flavour combinations work well together. It is quite sophisticated for a breakfast menu, so not the place to go to if you're after something simple. We loved it and will definitely be back.

Lunch Pie

Came here today for breakfast today. Waited about 20 minutes for a table but it was worth it. Gourmet menu at very reasonable prices. I opted for the homemade granola with coconut yoghurt and fruit compote. They added a poached pear which was a lovely addition. The granola wasn't too sweet which was a good thing. My partner got the toasted mushrooms with goats cheese, poached egg and a side of chicken. It came on a bed of sourdough and watercress. The presentation was spot on and it tasted DIVINE! I had major food envy. I'd come back here again just to order this dish! Coffee was good but not Baffi and Mo level good. Excellent service with super friendly staff. Will be back here to try out more of their menu

OnePointFive

We visited John Smith Cafe due to really high rating on Zomato and because their food looked yummy on Instagram. We ordered below dishes (with honest opinion): * Eggs Benedict with Smoke Cured Trout: OK * Avocado Salsa & Goats Cheese on Sourdough: BEST * Herb Roasted Mushroom Burger with extra Smoke Cured Trout: OK * Braised Pulled Pork Burger: OK * Single Origin Latte: OK * Watermelon Cold Pressed Juice: OK (too sweet) In summary, all dishes were ok but nothing extraordinary. Not sure why they get such high rating from but at least we can say we'd been to John Smith Cafe.

The Chubby Food Critics

Great place and great food! All of our meals were beautifully presented and tasted delicious, and the coffees were great. The avocado salsa with a poached egg dish brought a great kick to the morning - highly recommended. A must do for breakfast if ever in Waterloo. Just beware of minimal parking...

Nicole Hu

Totally get what all the hype is about. The smashed avocado was my favorite out of the two that I tried. Well presented. All the flavors are beautifully balanced and there is substance, beauty and quality produce. A place I would go back to

Postcards From Peta

Pulled pork

Oksolike

A cafe that looks cool both inside and outside with the well designed style. It has a great menu with some tasty choices but unfortunately the coffee is not up to scratch. Friendly staff and chilled but a cafe without good coffee is a real shame.

Samuel

Very good friendly service. Food and coffee was great. Apart from being very busy (on weekend's) this place is perfect if you're in the area

Clarkez

Amazing restraint with absolutely scrumptious Dishes I loved they desserts Anyone who's is wanting to got To John Smith cafe go now

Tarni

Great morning place. Love the buzz and energy. The food was great too. There is a friendly, entertaining guy at the door and waiting tables that provided great, personable service. I ordered the eggs benedict with a side salad - OMG it was delicious. It was a bit on the small side but I enjoyed it. I love the small cafe vibe. The only downside was the wait and the small seating arrangements. Besides that - all good. I will be back fr sure!

Mei Ying Lee

Yum, had a lovely brunch at John Smith's today. There wasn't a queue when we went during lunch time and service was quick. Hollandaise on eggs ben was good but would have ordered it on the side instead.

JZY

（English review below） why它的评价那么高？？why?why?why?!!! 食物太一般，吃不出「爱」和「用心」的味道。 一个人去吃所以就点了店家推荐的most popular dish，结果好失望。 eggs benedict with braised pulled pork: 本来第一口吃了块桃子还蛮开心的，想说是甜蜜的开始，然后第二口就跌到坑里了，面包太硬，pulled pork根本没有pulled开，油腻腻的还没味道，hollandaises sauce没别的就一个字「油」！鸡蛋质量不好很腥，而且under-cooked，一切开就像水一样流完了，应该有一点适当的稠度才对！配的沙拉叶子不新鲜，dressing只是醋而已也太不用心了！！ 差评！ Sometimes I don’t know if I could trust reviews on zomato. I was here by myself ordered the recommended dish eggs benedict with braised pulled pork. My first bite was the peach and yes it was a sweet start. BUT, from the second bite, my heart was broken into pieces. The pulled pork was not ‘pulled’ apart and tasteless. Hollandaises sauce was like a whipped egg soaked in oil. Eggs are undercooked not creamy at all. The toast was hard to chew. The salad was definitely NOT fresh, with only vinegar as dressing. WILL NEVER EVER COME BACK AGAIN.

JeanPierre

Went there for brunch on a Sunday. Was lucky and found parking next to the cafe. The wait for 2 was barely 10 minutes close to 11.30am. I had one of their milk bun which came with candied bacon, egg, cheese, tomato slice, rocket, avo and garlic aioli. I saw someone recommend it on fbas and I thought it'd give it a try. The candied bacon was a let down as I was hoping for bar luca blame canada style bacon. The avocado salsa was superb. Friend had one of their salad and added avocado salsa to it. She said it was good. So next time, I'll make sure to go for their greener offerings.

Jin Hyung Lee

I found a hair in my food (egg benedict with sourdough), and i call the waiting person and told him about this. He asked me to get new (even he didn't say sorry) and i answered yes. And i had new dish. But, too strong vinegar smell in egg benedict and bread. That was fine for me as i left almost of them. Unfortunately, i don't wanna go john smith cafe again. (Coffee was good.)

Lee

Went to John Smith on a Sunday afternoon, tried their coffee, it was nice and smooth. Tried one of their cakes, coconut and lime(?) and it tasted nice as well. Will go back to try their meals. Seems like they have lots of dishes with goat cheese in it.

MerryJ

My first meal in Sydney after a long trip oversea. Felt like something clean so ordered this salad with chickpea, shaved fennel, wild rocket w salsa verde and pomegranate reduction. I added avocado salsa which was absolutely delicious and paired really well with the rest of the ingredients. My friend had the burger with smoked candy bacon which he was a tad disappointed after reading reviews on how good they are. Nice little cafe, will be back.

Baz Juan Pablo Sanchez

Wonderfully presented is this little go getter cafe in the heart of the industrial part of Alexandria. Although parking can be an issue, it's worth the trouble Coffee is brewed to perfection, food is on point and desserts are just plane scrumptious

Anmol Grewal

Hey guys! If you're in the mood for a decent breakfast burger then I've found one for you! Everything about this burger was delicious. It has has candied bacon, egg, cheese, tomato slice, rocket, avo, garlic aioli, all on a milk bun. I hate going to places and all they have on offer is three ingredients on a bun; bacon, egg and relish - I need more!! This burger was the perfect size, had great ratio of ingredients, the bun was soft and tasted fresh, and that bacon was delicious-you could taste the candy but it wasn't overpowering/over whelming. I don't know what else to say, it was honestly so delicious and I am having another this weekend. Also for $14 bucks this burger is a steal.

Review John Smith Cafe - Sydney