Reformatory Caffeine Lab

Surry Hills & Darlinghurst


Coffee is a serious business in Sydney, and this corridor's dark industrial decor and cell-block lighting cage combines with cartoon-noir wall illustrations to create a brooding atmosphere. The coffee is delicious, with lots of single origins and, though there's no seating, it's worth drinking inside for the exquisite presentation on wooden boards. The cold drip comes in chilled test tubes.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Surry Hills & Darlinghurst attractions

1. Central Station

0.23 MILES

Sydney’s main railway station was built in 1906 on top of an old convent and cemetery (watch out for ghosts). The 75m Gothic clock tower was added 15…

2. Surry Hills Library

0.24 MILES

This beautiful modern library and community centre is sustainably built and on a busy Surry Hills corner. Libraries are cool again and locals have taken…

3. Christ Church St Laurence

0.35 MILES

Step off Sydney’s main drag into this calming 1845 sandstone church. The rather charming neo-Gothic interior is atmospheric, with dark wooden fittings and…

4. Brett Whiteley Studio

0.4 MILES

Acclaimed local artist Brett Whiteley (1939–1992) lived fast and without restraint. Many of his multimillion-dollar paintings were created in this hard-to…

5. Rainbow Crossing

0.43 MILES

Unveiled just in time to celebrate 2019's Mardi Gras, Sydney’s proud arching rainbow crossing is the result of a six-year global campaign to reinstate the…

6. Golden Water Mouth

0.45 MILES

On Chinatown's Hay St, the surreal Golden Water Mouth sculpture drips with gilt and water. Formed from a eucalyptus trunk from Condobolin, the destination…

7. Australian Centre for Photography

0.46 MILES

The nonprofit ACP exhibits photographic gems from renowned Sydney and international photographers. It’s particularly passionate about photomedia, video…

8. Taylor Square

0.47 MILES

You know it’s been a rough night if you wake up in Taylor Sq – a vaguely defined paved area straddling the gay hub of Oxford St. The rainbow flag flies…