Room Ten

Room Ten is hidden down one of Darlinghurst Road’s side streets, and there’s a good chance you’ll walk past it on the first go.

But even though it’s nothing more than a tiny opening crammed with tables that flow out onto Llankelly Place, this cosy cafe serves some of the best coffee in the Kings Cross area. Owner Andrew Hardjasudarma has used Mecca since opening in 2010. There’s a house blend for milk coffee and a weekly rotating single-origin option for black.

The menu offers all-day breakfast and lunch with many of the usual suspects, but the Brekkie Rice is a local favourite. That’s creamed red rice, quinoa, walnuts, pepitas, stewed rhubarb and dukkah. A popular lunch option is the slow-cooked brisket sandwich with slaw, pickles, mustard and a sprinkling of chilli.

It’s common to see dedicated regulars in conversation out the front. With the uncomplicated menu and an intimate ambience, it’s an ideal place to have a casual brunch with a friend, or to shelter from the madness of The Cross.