Hills Bros – Martin Place, Sydney

The crack coffee team behind Reuben Hills have opened up a sleek cafe in the lobby of 5 Martin Place. So say good-bye to bland work lunches and crap coffee.

Food

On the all day menu, you have typical cafe items like Avocado on Toast ($14) as well as the more creative dishes such as the Miso Braised Pork Bowl ($18). Favourites from Reuben Hills also make an appearance in the form of The Not Reuben and the Banana, Peanut & Espresso bread. The Brown Rice Porridge ($14) with poached chicken, shiitake mushrooms, bacon jam, gingered carrot and egg is the perfect way to start the day, especially as the weather starts becoming chilly. For something with a bit more kick, go with the Achiote Chicken Tacos ($14) it’s fully loaded with smoked jalapeño, slaw, chipotle aioli and salsa verde. Just a word of warning it’s a very messy taco to eat. I had to resort to using cutlery (I know, how blasphemous of me).

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, make sure you cast your eyes on the treats and pastries sitting behind the glass counter. The White Chocolate and Macadamia Cookie is heavenly and so rich that you’ll need a coffee to wash it down.

Drinks

Speaking of coffee, it should come as no surprise that Hills Bros uses Reuben Hills beans. There’s the standard options when it comes to coffee (black, white & filter). If you’re feeling more adventurous, grab the Espresso of the Day ($5) or a Salted Caramel Shake ($8.5). Non coffee drinkers have an option of tea and juices.

Service

For those who want to dine in, there’s table service from the extremely friendly staff. On both occasions when I visited, the staff were affable and professional.

If you’re short on time, takeaway coffee and food is served efficiently at the counter.

Atmosphere

Architect Alana Cooke has made creative use of the limited space available. The clean industrial decor complete with elongated concrete countertops melds the cafe seamlessly into the lobby. The speckled crockery and wooden stools adds a touch of colour and warmth to the cool monotone environment.

Verdict

Hills Bros is a culinary Godsend if you work near Martin Place (I’ve been three days in a row now). It’s the perfect backdrop for coffee meetings or work lunches.

This review was based on an independently paid for meal.

Hills Bros
5 Martin Place
Sydney
2000