Charlie Lovett, Crows Nest

Well, since I hadn’t eaten for a while, and this was the first place I discovered when I stepped onto Willoughby Road, I decided that I would check it out. Well, it actually wasn’t all that crash hot, especially since there wasn’t all that much on the menu that really appealed to me, so when you have to resort to a cheese and ham toastie there probably is something a little wrong. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t that bad (I have given it three stars) however it really isn’t a place that really inspires me all that much, at all. Mind you, given credit where credit is due, this place does make some pretty good, freshly squeezed orange juice, but when the only thing I really want is a cheese toastie, well, I’d probably go someplace else next time.

We called in late on a Sunday just before closing time they were only serving coffee in take away cups. The coffee was well made even in a take away cup.

Great view of the streets at the bar seats and tables by the side, excellent place for single diner :)
It’s not too busy on the weekends as its the end of the café street, perfectly chill and away from the hustle and bustle of the street.
Decent coffee and food.

Charlie Lovett is my regular working away from home haunt. With a great location looking out onto the street, through wide open windows, it has just enough hubbub to feel part of the world (compared to working at home). Plus they have free wi-​fi, with decent speeds! Usually I’m not the only one with my laptop out, taking advantage of it.
My standard drink is the Creamy Belgian Hot Chocolate — it’s one of the best hot chocolates I’ve came across in Sydney, without paying exorbitant prices. The pastry and cake selection is also fairly tempting. I’ve only eaten lunch once here; I had the corn fritters, which were very tasty, although couldn’t comment on the rest of the menu.

I go here regularly but just for their coffee. .for their coffee I would rate them an easy 3 or 4 stars (their coffee just depends on the day/​mood of barista)
However today I decided to have their breakfast and it was a lot below average… terribly dry and tasteless eggs benedicts with smoked salmon. .
My advice here is to just go for their coffee and nothing else…

Average coffee, average food all topped by average service.
Wife and I decided to try dinner here when we couldn’t decide on anything else, previously had coffee here and was totally underwhelmed but thought it was worth giving them another try. Ordered pizza which was average and obviously premade.
To top it off, had a glass of wine with the meal and on the way out saw a sign which advertised free glass of wine with the pizza but wasn’t informed by the staff when I ordered. Now that does leave a sour taste in the mouth.
Trust me many, many better options in Crows Nest.

Good coffee, but the food lets them down. A bacon and egg roll with hardly any bacon in it. It got sent back but returned with only marginally more bacon the second time. For $ 9 it isn’t exactly value for money.

Great coffee, great astomsphere and doesnt pretend to be anything other then what it is, a franchise that takes pride in its coffee. Worth a check in.

This is a regular Sunday-​after-​yoga-​brunch spot.
Coffee is generally good, food is tasty, a wide variety, and inside or outside seating.
My only concern is that as more of these places open the age of the staff seems to drop and the state of the place goes downhill.
Food can be a bit patchy — some weeks are better than others, I will grant you, but generally it is reasonably robust.
Close to two stars, but so far holding their own.

Who is this Charlie Lovett chap? I didn’t even realise it was a new coffee franchise until I read the other reviews. I probably could have guessed though, the fit out looked suspiciously well designed — very wannabe Melbourne with all the dark woods and canvas coffee bags.
I ducked in for an afternoon coffee and oooonly just managed to stop myself from ordering a sweet treat. The apple and cinnamon combs looked delightful and delicious. Then there was the bread peeping up from the back — Charlie considers himself a roaster, baker and sandwich maker (no candlestick?), so I might have to come back and try the breads.
As for my afternoon skim cap, well the milk was lovely and shiny, and the Kenyan single origin beans were delicious and well extracted. However the cap had too much chocolate and was served in one of those broad-​brimmed coffee cups — which is starting to become a pet peeve of mine as they cool the coffee so quickly.
It’s also a bit annoying not to have waiter service. It’s probably considered cool to have your name called out by the barista, but until I’ve actually consumed my coffee, my hands aren’t nearly still enough to be able to carry a brimming cappuccino without spilling it!

I’m a lover of Charlie, I really am. Even though there are a few of them now (in threat of becoming a chain store bore) I like it because there’s always a relaxed inviting feel to them. This includes the brand new store in Crows Nest. They have wifi and large open window and bench seats as well as sofa seats. They have friendly staff and tasty smooth mochas. But what they lack is oomph in their salad. A small detail I’ll admit. As they don’t have gluten free bread my menu options were limited. I went for a salad — a bowl of walnut, Parmesan and pear salad. But I wouldn’t call what I received as a bowl or meal — it was barely a side of salad. What I got was a handful of rocket and a few bits of the ‘feature’ ingredients. I was shocked but hungry so chowed it down fast. Lucky I had enough for mocha or it could have been one unfulfilling visit to Charlie’s.

I don’t know who Charlie Lovett is, but I don’t think much of his café. For weeks, we would walk past the site of this new café and talk about the bar that we were sure would open up here. It would be pretty cool and it would provide a welcome alternative to the St Leonards bars.
Then Charlie Lovett opened up and like the Zen masters we were, we embraced the change and stepped inside for lunch. The location here on Willoughby Road is fantastic, first and foremost, with the window seating allowing for great views of the intersection. OK, there’s really not that much going on at this intersection, but there’s fresh air and when I worked in the area, co-​workers would walk past. This would allow you to perfect your ambush insults from the comfort of your stool.
The majority of the food served is fairly routine café fare, with a focus on sandwiches, wraps and other bakery items. The portions are small for the price and the service is fairly average. The day we visited, there were plenty of staff members jockey around the counter and yet when the food was ready, we just heard our names hollered. It isn’t hard to carry a (tiny) sandwich on a plate across a small room, especially when the place is over-​staffed anyway.