You could spot Circa Espresso from a mile away - this eclectic cafe is always packed to the brim, with customers spilling out onto the sun-drenched outdoor seating, to the back deck-area and still there is a line. It is not a stressful, unpleasant line, however - the lovely owners create such a chilled-out, relaxed vibe that you think waiting in line is just part of this pleasant experience. In fact, you rather feel like you're waiting at the entrance of some kind of garage sale, and you'd be perfectly happy to chat with your neighbours while waiting your turn.
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| Cold Brew, $5 |
How do you know Circa means business when it comes to coffee? Its coffees are labelled with origin, variety and process. For exmple, the cold brew is labelled "tatu, kenya (sl-34 & sl-28, natural)", which means it is an Arabica coffee, typically lighter in taste than robusta, and therefore perfectly suited to the delicate extraction process of cold brew. Served like an Old-Fashioned, the coffee is light and refreshing, just what one needed on a hot Australian summer day.
Watching the baristas at work also fills one with confidence - they definitely know what they're doing, and they weigh the coffee grind, which makes for consistently good coffee cup after cup. There is a coffee flight on the menu for a tenner - I was very tempted by this, but the weather was simply too hot on that particular day. With the flight you get three coffees: filter, espresso & white. Sufficient to satisfy the most devoted of coffee fiends.
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| Iced Chocolate, $6 |
The iced chocolate at Circa is not your usual Swiss miss business - oh no. They serve African red chocolate. It is supposedly one of the purest and most delicious drinking chocolates in the world.
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| Smoked Mackerel Salad, $20 |
The blue mackerel in the smoked mackerel salad is house-smoked by Circa, and it is accompanied by a fluffy cloud of goats curd, butternut and summer squash and zucchini cubes, topped with a pickled onion dressing and finally, sprinkled with pine nuts. A light yet highly satisfying dish.
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| Wild ferment whole wheat pancake, $18 |
This pancake is part of the reason why Circa is deemed one of the most instagrammable cafes in Sydney - just look at it! So pretty. The wild ferment whole wheat has a distinctly sour taste - a little bit like buttermilk. Eating fermented food is rather trendy, as it is supposed to support gut health. I have no objection to it, certainly, but what makes this pancake wonderful is everything that comes on top: glazed banana, seasonal fruits (in this case, berries), a generous dollop of mascarpone, rose and pistachio dukkah for that fragrant touch, and Canadian maple syrup. Heaven on a plate for those of us with a sweet tooth.
Score: 4.5//5
Price: Approximately $25pp
Address: 21 Wentworth St, Parramatta
Website: https://www.circaespresso.com.au/
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