Side Story Cafe

ABSOLUTE GEM! ☀️📚☕️ This café is tucked into the corner of the library, and it’s honestly one of the nicest places to relax in the area. The setup is brilliant - you can access it from both inside the library and externally, which makes it perfect whether you’re popping in for a quick coffee, meeting friends for brunch, or settling in with a book for a couple of hours (hopefully longer). The food is genuinely excellent. Everything feels fresh, generously portioned and made with care. Even simple dishes are done really well, and the cabinet treats are very tempting, for those with a sweet tooth. 👏🏻 The staff are another standout - always welcoming, patient (particularly with toddlers) and genuinely lovely. It gives the whole place a relaxed community feel that’s becoming more difficult to find (though Marrickville has a few). What I really love is how amazing it is, in all weathers. On a sunny day, the outdoor seating is such a great spot to sit back with a tea and watch the world go by. If the weather turns, there are plenty of covered spaces inside (and a few outside, if you don’t mind the cold) where you can still enjoy the atmosphere without feeling cramped or noisy. It’s also one of those rare cafés where nobody seems to rush you. You can comfortably sit with a tea, read a few chapters, get some work done, or just unwind for a while - while people watching. A fantastic little community space with great food, lovely people and a genuinely relaxing atmosphere. I go here often, and will definitely keep coming back. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Every time I come to the library, I would buy a coffee from here from the inside counter to jump the outside queue. Their coffee has been very consistently good. But the one time I tried an almond croissant, it was a bit soggy and it would have been great if the reheat option was offered.

I had an unpleasant experience a pigeon on my table. Staff were very accommodating, and did not hesitate to offer a replacement. I wanted to bring this up directly because this is a hallmark of excellent customer service and the cafe deserves to be recognised for it. Well done side story cafe Marrickville.👏

My favourite coffee place for th morning coffee. My partner always love the marshmallow with the hot chocolate

Been a regular here for years. Pump the coffee out quickly and consistently. Great food, excellent service. All the 1 star reviews are trash, ignore the haters.