Gusto Espresso Bar Coogee, Sydney

User Reviews of Gusto Espresso Bar, Coogee

Displaying: 1 - 2 of 2 reviews

3 Below Average

Food 1 Ambience 8 Service 2 Value 1

Once I would have agreed with the 'best coffee in Coogee Bay Road' reviews, but boy has this place gone downhill. We were once regular morning walkers and appreciated the great coffee. Service has always been indifferent but they open early and the baristas knew what they were doing.

No more! This morning we went for the first time in a while. My coffee was weak, from the grainy last drops of the shot, which means the extraction is being allowed to go on far too long, and lukewarm. Surely this is as bad as espresso can get, a fail on every level. I politely asked the waitress to put another shot in it. (Quite) a few minutes she came back, after asking the barista if "this is the strong one", with another slightly hotter but still weak, from the last desperate bitter, bitter drops of the pull. The barista's obviously trying to get ten cups from each draw instead of four. It wasn't busy. They weren't under pressure. There's no excuse for simply not knowing how make even mediocre coffee.

Not being one to make a scene, I handed it back at the counter, said thanks for trying, and put a pot on the stove at home. We'll be sticking with the north Coogee beach cafes from now on, which have come along nicely in the past 12 months, thanks very much. There was a notice on the cafe wall saying that a new full-time barista was urgently needed. Got that right.

Feb 15, 2011

albyrw
1

6.5 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 6 Service 6 Value 6

Good ol' Gusto. Depending on the barista on duty, you can receive a pretty good coffee. The Coogee outlet has a great vibe, is always busy and opens early.

Dec 06, 2010