Haven Specialty Coffee, Surry Hills

You look at your timetable and realize your only class for the day starts at 2PM, you decide to go and get lunch before class but once you get on the train, you realize that you’re late and have left your wallet at home. All you have is $40 you dug out of your jacket pockets. Your phone rings, letting you know your favorite hockey team is in overtime and it just seems like your day is getting worse. Determined to see through your day, you step into Haven Specialty Coffee and think to yourself “maybe today won’t be so bad”.

It’s a hipster-industrial crossbreed of a space with smiling baristas who greet you as soon as you enter. The menu is simple but the star is the ‘tailored coffee’. How many of us have been so desperate for a caffeine hit that we’ve put up with a brew we know we’ll hate? At Haven, you can customize your coffee! Let the baristas know everything from your desired aftertaste to the acidity and they’ll make sure the final cup is enjoyable.

Cold brew ($6)

Cold brew is made when coffee grounds are steeped in cold water for an extended period of time in those complicated-looking glass contraptions (which line a shelf at Haven), filtered, and often served over ice. Here, you can narrow down the flavor profile to fruity, nutty, or chocolatey. By eating one of the almonds provided and sipping your coffee, you are meant to taste the enhanced fruit tones. It feels nice to enjoy coffee at your own rate instead of having diluted if you don’t drink fast enough.

Roasted plum parfait ($16)

The menu is filled with healthy dishes like organic black quinoa salad and some more decadent desserts involving a 73% Madagascan brownie. Its roasted plum parfait is on a bed of kiwi, orange, and grapefruit and the whole thing sprinkled with toasted coconut and currants. All the sour fruits and offset by a creamy parfait and what do you know! There’s actually pieces of plum inside.

Haven should be a stop for all those curious about coffee. The staff will take care of your brew needs and you’re encouraged to try out different combinations every time you come back to find your favorite. If coffee isn’t exactly your thing, Haven also has an array of premium loose leaf teas and cacao for you. It’s not just about the drinks, pick a plate (or two) from the small but carefully designed menu to fill you up for the morning or afternoon. Maybe your day will get a little bit better.

Edit (19/03/16): You can read my latest review of Haven here.

Haven Specialty Coffee
30-34 Chalmers St
Surry Hills NSW
Website