Restaurant in Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
Single O Surry Hills
Award-winning Sydney roastery and cafe with exceptional single-origin coffee. Minimalist design with expertly crafted espresso and filter coffee.
Single O — formerly known as Single Origin Roasters — is one of Sydney's pioneering specialty coffee roasters and operates its flagship roastery café on Reservoir Street in Surry Hills, where it has been based since 2003. The business helped establish Surry Hills as Sydney's primary hub for specialty coffee and has maintained its reputation over two decades by prioritising direct relationships with coffee farmers, transparent sourcing, and high-level roasting consistency.
The Surry Hills café functions as both a retail roastery and a sit-down café, and the roasting operations are visible from parts of the space, giving the venue an industrial warmth that distinguishes it from smaller neighbourhood espresso bars. The fit-out is spare and functional — exposed materials, natural light, and a counter designed for watching trained baristas work through an espresso and filter menu that rotates with seasonal crop availability.
Signature blends include Killerbee, a Brazilian-dominant blend suited to milk-based drinks, and Collider, a lighter roast aimed at espresso with clarity across the cup. Filter options change regularly and are drawn from the seasonal green coffee inventory, which spans Central America, East Africa, and parts of Asia-Pacific. Matcha and other alternative drink options are also on the menu for non-coffee drinkers.
Food is minimal and café-standard — breakfast bowls, toasted items, and baked goods from local suppliers — but the space is primarily visited for its coffee programme. The café draws a weekday working crowd from nearby offices as well as deliberate coffee seekers from across Sydney. Single O also operates a second Sydney location at Carriageworks in Eveleigh, and has cafés in Brisbane's Newstead and in Tokyo. The online shop at singleo.com.au enables visitors to continue ordering beans after visiting the Surry Hills roastery.
Signature dishes
- Flat white — $5
- Breakfast bowl — $18
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM; Saturday-Sunday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Reservations: Walk-in
Visit / Book / Contact
- Official website
- Phone: +61 2 9211 0665
Location
60-64 Reservoir St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
-33.8850, 151.2094 — View on map
Highlights
- Pioneer of the Sydney specialty coffee scene, roasting on Reservoir Street in Surry Hills since 2003
- Visible on-site roasting operation — roasting takes place within the café and can be observed by visitors
- Seasonal rotating filter menu drawn from direct-trade farms across Central America, East Africa, and Asia-Pacific
- Flagship blends Killerbee and Collider available as espresso and filter, with retail bags at the counter
- Transparent direct-trade sourcing with published relationships with coffee farming partners worldwide
Tips
- Ordering a filter coffee alongside an espresso shows how the same beans perform in different brew methods — worth doing on a first visit.
- Weekday mornings between 8 AM and 10 AM are the busiest period; arriving slightly before or after avoids the longest waits.
- Retail bags of Single O coffee are available at the counter and make a compact, easy take-home purchase.
- Food expectations should be kept at café-standard level — the space is primarily a coffee destination.
- Staff are generally knowledgeable about the current filter offerings and happy to describe the origins on the menu.
FAQ
What is Single O known for in Sydney's coffee scene?
Single O is one of Sydney's oldest specialty coffee roasters, operating from Surry Hills since 2003. It is credited with helping establish the suburb as a specialty coffee destination and with introducing transparent, direct-trade sourcing to a broad Sydney audience.
What are Single O's signature coffee blends?
Killerbee is the house blend designed for milk-based drinks, drawing primarily on Brazilian coffees. Collider is a lighter espresso blend built for clarity and bright flavour. Both are available as café drinks and as retail bags.
Does Single O Surry Hills take reservations?
No. Single O Surry Hills is a walk-in café and does not take table reservations. Seating is first-come, first-served.
Are there other Single O locations in Sydney?
Single O also operates a café at Carriageworks in Eveleigh, NSW. Further locations exist in Newstead (Brisbane) and Tokyo. The Surry Hills roastery is the original site and the primary destination for coffee-focused visitors.
Accessibility
The Single O Surry Hills café is on the ground floor of its Reservoir Street premises. The entrance and main counter area are accessible to wheelchair users. Interior seating is compact, and space between tables may be limited during busy periods.