Reviews

"In a charming shopping strip filled with authentic Italian food, you'd expect to find a specialty coffee spot such as this."

" 'You can really taste the coffee, it's got beautiful body and it's very smooth.' "

Click here to view this Good Living review from the Sydney Morning Herald

The key to a successful barista and a perfect espresso is consistency, and I can proudly vouch that in the two years I have been visiting Espresso Galleria I am yet to have a bad brew. Situated on a strip were competition is fierce, the likeable proprietor, Emmanuel Patniotis is able to draw a crowd based purely on his consistently good coffee.

No matter what time you drop in for a caffeine hit, Monday through Saturday, you will almost certainly see unhurried locals enjoying a chat, a flick through the local paper and a coffee, or someone running off, carefully balancing a take away tray with cups filled with Emmanuel's handiwork.

A choice of carefully selected, freshly roasted coffee can be ground to your liking so you can keep a supply on hand at home. As always, my espresso had a persistent, dark-reddish crema, releasing awoody aroma. The robust flavour also had some woody characteristics over a rounded body. The shot finished all too soon, leaving a clean aftertaste.

Coffee ... 20/25
Venue ... 21/25

the coffee guide...Sydney 2008
 

"Good Living wine writer Huon Hooke expressed surprise that we hadn't stumbled across his local coffee vendor, Emanuel Patniotis. 'He's my preferred coffee bean supplier and I am very picky,' says Hooke, who describes Patniotis as 'very coffee-sharp'. You can't ignore a tip like that.

Patniotis is not just coffee-smart after 21 years of pulling shots, he is also one of the only retailers of beans and brews who doesn't roast his own.

'I can't do it all and do it properly,' he says. Instead, he buys freshly roasted beans from two suppliers twice a week. Between them - and he won't reveal their names - they custom roast and blend five mixes and two straight varieties, including a decaf.

This small range is designed specifically for his customers. The Dolce Vita blend is a light to medium roast, slightly sweet, for a stove-top percolator. The Cosmopolitan is a medium roast with a chocolatey finish for plunger or percolator. The European blend is dark and heavy-duty, an espresso machine mix for his Italian customers.

Patniotis, who is Greek by background, was like 'a cat among the pigeons' when he arrived in heartily Italian Haberfield four years ago.

'A Greek making coffee didn't sit well,' he says. 'Cynics were reading me the last rites.'

It took him a year to win the respect of the ristretto crowd, despite serving coffee the classic Italian way. 'My short blacks are very short and there are no icebergs on my cappuccini.'

Patniotis learnt his barista skills while working on city coffee carts for seven years. The experience taught him speed and accuracy, how to grind, pack and get it right every time. But he wanted to work for himself. A Haberfield local, he saw a former alterations shop was up for lease.

He has fitted it out simply: white tiles, black chairs, mirrors and shelves with Verna stove-top percolators, Avanti plungers and a neat electric Gusto percolator. He has added biscotti and his mother's baklava, Serendipity ice-cream and toasted Turkish sandwiches. He will not entertain the thought of cooked breakfast or big lunches. He is a specialist. 'How can I do coffee properly if I do bacon and eggs?'

The espresso bar's house blend is made from three types of beans. He prefers to drink his coffee from ceramic cups rather than glass or paper (and never foam) but his macchiato arrives in the customary glass. Beautifully balanced, the sweet acid finish is bright and clean and neat. You can always trust a wine writer when it comes to coffee."
February 20, 2007
Helen Greenwood, Good Living
The Sydney Morning Herald  (read the original review)
 

"Espresso Galleria has become a landmark along Haberfield's 'cultural' Ramsay Street strip. Its established reputation as one of Sydney's leading cafés is based purely on the quality of the product. With a variety of coffee blends tended to by Emmanuel Patniotis, Espresso Galleria's proud owner, each blend offers a different coffee experience.

Choose from the six available mixtures: Metro, European, Cosmopolitan, Dolce, Vita, Classic or decaf. One is bound to suit your set of tastebuds. You don't even have to leave the house to experience Espresso Galleria. Log on to www.espressogalleria.com.au and order your beans online and they'll be delivered to your doorstep. While you're on the website, you can educate yourself in the philosophy of Espresso Galleria - a worthwhile experience.

Being a local in the area and with 12 years of history, Emmanuel is up to date with the needs of his clientele and instils focus and relaxed efficiency amongst all his staff. This ultimately give the café a consistency of product, something that promotes an assurance that as a customer, your expectation of the café is met, each and every time you visit. Whether it's the hectic morning trade of the weekdays or a relaxed Saturday morning coffee and breakfast, you can be assured that your coffee experience will be of the same quality time and time again.

The café has a simply styled interior: the tiled floor and stainless steel counters give the café a familiarity amongst visitors, even if it's your first visit. The atmosphere provides an opportunity for coffee lovers to gather and indulge in a great cup of coffee, with the option of buying your choice of a fresh roast, having it freshly ground and packed for your enjoyment at home.

My coffee was refreshingly sweet with a lingering aftertaste, the thick crema complementing a velvety smooth finish below. This medium-strength coffee hid an intensity of flavour that left a pleasant aftertaste that I just don't want to spoil with any other flavour."
the coffee guide...Sydney 2007
 

"Proprietor Emmanuel Patniotis has over fourteen years' experience as a barista. He perfected his trade working in coffee carts, where he mastered speed, accuracy and the art of the perfect espresso.

Before opening Espresso Galleria, Emmanuel probed a number of sites on Sydney's various cafè strips finally setting on this Haberfield location.

The design depicts the espresso theme - small, stylish, simplistic. Since opening three years ago, Emmanuel has been able to take on the established restaurants and cafès in the local area.

Very important to Emmanuel's coffee philosophy is freshness; the blends are served within days of being roasted. There are six blends and one decaf available. Not aligning himself with a coffee supplier means that customers can enter without any preconceived ideas of what coffee will be like, and most leave extremely pleased with what they have tasted.

The espresso blends are personally selected and available for purchase so that you can try to emulate Emmanuel's perfect cup at home. In addition to coffee, Espresso Galleria also sells a variety of teas, coffee percolators and accessories. A variety of sweets are on the menu including Emmanuel's mother's own homemade baklava.

The espresso produced by Emmanuel was perfect. It was short, sharp, intense and well balanced. It felt great on the palette and left me longing for more. Espresso Galleria is a unique Sydney cafè, and one that should not be overlooked. If you are a true coffee enthusiast, visit Espresso Galleria."
the coffee guide...Sydney 2006
  

"Baklava at Espresso Galleria
It's a simple space. Nothing more than a few tiles, several prams, their owners and inhabitants, and a glass cabinet containing a few Turkish breads and Greek sweets. And yes, this dish is simple too. But baklava fans will hardly believe their luck when they tuck into Dimitra Patniotis's fine little nubbins of pastry. Sweet, but not sticky, nutty but beautifully balanced, rich and yet light, they're made using hand-ground almonds. Another secret is the clove stuck into the top which gently perfumes the baklava (and cures a toothache if you forget to remove it before you eat)."
the (sydney) magazine Issue #15 July 04