Coffee after dark: Sydney’s best spots for a caffeine fix after 5pm

If New York is the city that never sleeps, Sydney is the city that gets a full eight hours. We’re known for our early-to-bed, early-to-rise culture, and it manifests in our cafe scene.

Unlike major capital cities such as New York, Mexico City and London, most cafes in Sydney close at 2 or 3pm. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find a decent coffee after closing time.

From longstanding late-night icons such as York Lane and Maisy’s, to relative newcomers GW Barista and Pillar at Night, a growing number of Sydney venues are serving caffeine hits after dark. Here’s our pick.

York Lane, Sydney

Open Tue-Sat until midnight

York Lane is a lived-in laneway cafe full of unpretentious charm, where you’ll find vinyl records playing, coffee brewing and brekkie burgers served until midnight most nights. Owner-operator Dieter Steinbusch has been here since 2011, building a diverse community through regular poetry, cycling and DJ events.

Pillar Brewers, Burwood

Open Sat until 10pm

This brutalist Burwood cafe launched a weekly after-dark service in July, serving experimental desserts by creator Dae Bar and speciality coffee from Block Coffee Company. Dishes like the Clair (cheesecake mousse and nashi pear compote) are delicate and visually striking.

Tokyo Lamington co-owners Eddie Stewart (left) and Min Chai at the Newtown cafe.

Tokyo Lamington, Newtown

Open Thu-Sun until 8pm

Since December, Tokyo Lamington’s original Australia Street cafe has become the go-to for inner-west locals seeking Ona specialty coffee, matcha lattes and lamingtons after dark. “At first people were a bit slow to get into it, but now we’ve got lots of neighbours coming down, hanging out on the deck with a hot coffee,” says co-owner Eddie Stewart. “It’s a really nice vibe.”

TNB, Rooty Hill in the light of day.

TNB, Rooty Hill

Open Thu-Fri until 9.30pm

This popular Western Sydney cafe serves specialty coffee alongside signature drinks such as koji latte (miso caramel, coffee and sea salt foam) and iced oat hazelnut brew, during their twice-weekly dinner service. Keen on a feed? Try their Filipino-ish rice bowls such as pork katsu kare-kare and chicken inasal don.

Maisy’s, Neutral Bay.

Maisy’s, Neutral Bay

Open daily until 3am

Fuss-free, diner-style fare has kept locals coming back to Maisy’s since 1972. Order your 2am espresso with some hotcakes, served with mascarpone and maple syrup.

Edition Roasters, Haymarket

Open Thu-Sat until 10pm, and Sun until 8pm

Working late? Edition Roasters, within walking distance of the Sydney CBD, is your best bet for a quality cup of coffee after 5pm. This acclaimed cafe and roastery precisely curates and lightly roasts its range of single-origin coffee, served alongside a selection of desserts.

Gerome Creencia shows the set-up inside the GW Barista coffee van.

GW Barista, various

Open daily until 3am

Former ICU nurse Gerome Creencia has taken on the night shift, opening an after-hours food truck to serve Brew Ha Ha specialty coffee, matcha and Hearthe cafe pastries to emergency workers across Sydney. Keep an eye on Instagram for his opening hours and location.

Koofe Coffee & Tea, Bankstown

Open Sun-Thu until 9pm, and Fri-Sat until 9.30pm

Salted Vietnamese iced coffee is the speciality at this bright, contemporary cafe on the Bankstown main strip. The drinks menu is part cafe, part bubble tea shop, with dozens of (potentially caffeinated) concoctions to try. Since expanding into the space next door recently, it’s far easier to score a table to eat in.

Homer, Cronulla.

Homer, Cronulla

Open Tue-Sat until 10pm, and Sun until 8pm

OK, technically, Homer is a wine bar and taverna. And yeah, you might struggle to sit down without loading your table with all manner of delicious mezze. But you can also order a Greek coffee or freddo (frothy Greek iced coffee), with an optional shot of Metaxa to spice things up.