The Thousands

Sydney’s biggest coffee nerds have branched out to create another haven for lovers of cosy, well-concepted spaces with extras. In Balmain they have the little rugs you can take across the road to the park, and now in the ‘Dale there’s a faux book shelf that’s actually a door to a secret room. Yes, I kid you not. A SECRET ROOM. The pinnacle of my girlish Agatha Christie fantasies. It’s not so secret that the barista won’t tell you about it within five minutes of you sitting down, but still, 10 points for novelty. And there’s a respectable amount of taxidermy in there too.**While you’re prowling about, looking for additional Poirot-esque intrigues, you’ll probably notice a giant coffee roasting machine out the back. This isn’t just for show – the Marionette’s famous beans are made right here, and if you timed it right you could probably watch the magic happen.

The decor’s dark wood, green leather and casually strewn loaves of bread, and the Black Star Pastry menu and fierce coffee will truly have you dancing like a wee marionette.