Cafe And Cucina

"Got a takeaway breakfast order from here, and while it was really nice, the front of house people left a lot to be desired hygiene wise. The first thing I noticed was the barista coughing and then touching her nose, all while making everyone's coffees. The second thing was the man that served me. He switched from the register to preparing a catering order without so much as washing his hands, let alone using gloves. He touched every single piece of cake with his care hands and the proceeded to snack on whatever he was cutting up. Absolutely disgusting and a major health hazard. I had to say no to toast because I knew he would be making it. The only positive is that the cooks out the back wear gloves. I won't be coming here again, though."

"Franco, Vito, and Priya run a wonderful cafe. Always welcoming with exceptional coffee and food (one of the only reliable sources of properly cooked scrambled eggs!), we love coming here. Additionally the team are truly lovely to our 3.5 year old daughter who is absolutely thrilled - and always wants - to come here post swimming lesson. Nice outside tables too, to enjoy the ambience of Surry Hills. Highly recommend dropping in!"

"I am not sure why I was charged $16.2 for a bacon and egg roll plus a Small coffee but I am sure the taste is not satisfying at all. Even if they charge $1 card surcharge the price is still way too high"

"To be fair, I have only quickly dropped in for a coffee and snack which were both excellent. Francesco and staff were very accommodating. Am certain I will be returning again and sampling the fare. So far so good."

"(3.5 stars) Café & Cucina injects a bit of homey charm into an otherwise light industrial corner of Surry Hills. Against a backdrop of whining drill noises, passing men with hard hats, and anonymous white rag trade vans vying for limited parking, I pull up at a distressed red, white and green painted wooden table in a stiff black metal chair. Inside you’ll find a handsome, smiling barista manning a red La Marzocco coffee machine, and a steady flow of acolytes there to receive his blessings. Behind his head, a chalkboard menu divides the food offerings into panini, burgers, pastas and salads, each category inflected with an Italianate leaning. Fresh figs lure me into a Pizza ($13) that teams them with prosciutto, plentiful rocket and dribbles of melted Gorgonzola cheese. The thin, biscuit-like base isn’t particularly pizza-like, but in this instance, it works against the seasonally appropriate, fresh topping. On this visit, I forgo life giving caffeine for a Hh Helping Humans Living Ginger Beer ($4.80). With a scientific looking label, it’s an almost savoury ginger beer made with fermented ginger - strong without being aggressive - sweetened with monk fruit concentrate (a natural, no calorie sweetener) rather than sugar. “I’m not being creepy, or maybe I am?” A personable waitress entertains me by expressing her internal monologue as she ducks under my outdoor table to retrieve an errant spoon. On my second visit a few days later, when I’ve settled myself in the darkened interior space, she greets me with the warmth of recognition. This time I’m eating Cannelloni ($12.50) stuffed with spinach and ricotta. It strikes me as a bit boring at first, but it improves with seasoning. Dusted with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves, this simple dish grew on me as the fat stuffed pasta tubes were toothsome rather than sloppy, and the tomato sauce was bright. The source of the café’s popularity with local workers however, is undoubtedly the coffee. A cluster of brown bags tell me it's their own house blend, roasted by Merlo Coffee Roasters who have been in the industry since 1992. My Latte ($3.80) is served hot, with good round flavour and not a hint of burn. It’s satisfyingly uncomplicated... and, did I mention the handsome barista?"