'The Window Spotter ' - Sydney

Umbrellas with attitude

This wasn't my 'spot' but was passed on to me by a friend.

I raced into the Soul Pattison Pharmacy,MLC Centre, Martin Place to check out these umbrellas.

They're gorgeous, conjuring up visions of My Fair Lady elopes with the burlesque Deta Von Teese. All rhinestones, baubles, beads, and frivilous lace. Don't look at the price tag, just make an impulse purchase and worry about ithe damage later (you won't). Get in fast while the sun still shines because once it rains they'll be floating out the door.

                                            Colour in the  Kitchen

These 'happy' aprons will add a splash of colour to any kitchen and brighten up the wearer. Priced on the right side of $30 they're great to keep in the pressie's'drawer. Much better to give something that will be appreciated and used than to come up with an 11th hour, bought in a panic, gift. Make sure you get one for yourself while you're there. So where were they spotted?  King of Knives, Shop 1043, Westfield Shopping Centre, Bondi Junction.

                                                         In the Rear Vision Mirror

Where: at Bondi Bikes, cnr Oxford and Nelson Street, Bondi Junction. Dare to be different . Pick up a sporty handle bars mirror for your bike. It will lend a great colour accent and provide you with generous rear vision at the same time. There's a touch of European nostalgia here, they remind me of the chequered flags used at the Grand Prix in Monaco. A steal at $35.

Coffee Cantata - Sydney, Australia

Introducing my local coffee haunts within 2kms of my home in Paddington.

Red Leaf Cafe - Kiosk, Red Leaf Pool (down the steps from the Woollahra Council Building)

What a way to spend a lazy Sunday, or any other day, if you're able to take time out. This is a no decorating frills, plain and simple kiosk. Who needs style and flair when you can sit under the shade of the big black umbrellas looking out at the harbour, with Double Bay in one direction and Point Piper in the other. And guess what? the coffee is oh so very good. The wickedly decadent chocolate brownies, bulging with crunchy walnuts, are worth dieting for, and the price is right. A word of warning....a parking spot is usually hard to find on New South Head Road - hang in there as the coffee is worth the frustration.

Alimentari, 2 Hopetoun Street, Paddington
This is the locals local tucked in at the bottom of William Street where is turns the corner into Hopetoun Street. Pram and pushchair territory in the mornings and a sophisticated coffee stop on weekends. Worth popping in you want to soak up an Italian atmosphere and good coffee, in trendy Paddington. 

The Falconer Bar Cafe Restaurant, 31 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
It's not what you would expect to find at the Hyde Park end of Oxford Street. There's nothing especially glamorous or groovy about this place. It has the look and feel of a 1950's Milk bar style cafe and would be quite at home in a European neighbourhood. I've seen similar in cafes in Venice. It's one of those little locals that comes up with food and coffee that really speaks the language.The mood is welcoming and comfortable, with no pressure on the  'just coffee please' types to drink up and move on.The coffee is for real and the choice of decadent Continental cakes, an exercise in self indulgence. They're open from dawn till dark so feel free to stay on for lunch and return for dinner to enjoy the Italian themed menu. Mains come in under $27.

The Goods, 253 Crown Street, Darlinghurst
Just off Oxford Street, down from Taylor Square there's a gem of a cafe.  Everything about it hits the right note. The food is brilliant, especially the organic salads, the mood relaxed, the coffee spot on, and the choice of  little something sweet to accompany your coffee is irresistible. Think  ginger, date and walnut biscuit, with a generous layer of lemony icing.

Further up Oxford Street, not far away from the weekend Paddington Market site you'll come across Paddington Blend at 339 Oxford Street. The pavement tables here are occupied from early morning with hobby cyclists rewarding themselves with an after ride breakfast. Mid morning brings Mum's in need of a break from the house, and well heeled suburban women planning the rest of their day. Then there's the lunch crowd and the afternoon shoppers looking to inspect their purchases over a coffee. This is the most expensive coffee on my local run but the amiable Barista does a superb job. He gets an eight out of ten from me.

Coffee Cantata - the Darlinghurst Road strip.  Spoilt for choice here I keep going back to an oldie, but still a goodie, Bar Coluzzi. The coffee is consistent and there's always an eclectic mix of pavement dwellers throughout the day propped up on tiny stools, unpretentiously sipping their lattes,

Coffee Cantata - Queen Street, Woollahra. There are six plus cafes in this small area serving coffee 'to go' or 'to have here' ?.

Based on the taste test, considering price, and cup size (which varies greatly),  Kuk Thai                 is my winner. Their mainstay is Thai food, and fab mixed fruit and vegetable juices.  It's well worth dropping in for a shot of caffeine., you won't be disappointed

and at Bondi Junction - a small hole-in -the-wall sandwich bar, Monty's Sandwich Shop,  Spring Street, puts an emphasis on  drop dead gorgeous sandwiches, to eat there, take out, or make a call from your office to have them delivered. So what's good about the coffee, have here or takeaway? Simple - the in-residence, Barista! who pulls a 'mean' coffee, and all for $3 a cup.

Encasa Deli, 135 Bathurst Street, Sydney

Is this a deli, a cafe or a deli/cafe? Whatever, it's a real hit. The ham is to die for and the coffee, my main objective, is a real and generous winner.

Indigo Transvaal Ave, Double Bay

This is the perfect place for a Sunday morning coffee. Either outside beneath the awnings on a sunny day or inside when a Sydney summer isn't behaving. At $4.00 it's a good cup.

Coffee Cantata- Rovinj, Croatia

After a ten minute walk early morning wheeling my over stuffed suitcase (I never learn) over the beautiful cobble stones of a near deserted Rovinj, I arrived at the bus stop. Most travellers will concur when I point out that a good cup of coffee and a bus station just don't go together.
But coffee was what I needed before the three hour bus trip to Trieste. I played the 'spot the local game', it works every time, and watched where they were headed for their morning fix.
Delighted to see that it was just over the road from the bus stop, I scored a perfect Espresso. Now I'm asking for help to name this cafe.This shot, although a little grainy, should trigger some one's memory?

Coffee Cantata - Prague

For your morning constitutional I suggest that you  take a walk, or run (the locals are very fitness friendly) over the river to the Mala Strana side, to explore the lovely old apartment buildings, stately homes, Baroque Palaces, and in contrast, the cosy neighbourhood cafes that embrace the role of social hubs during the long winter months.
For a truly wonderful experience that will take you back a couple of centuries head for the  Savoy Café - on Vitenza, just across the Most Legii (Bridge).The Savoy oozes lashings of old world charm, sophistication, and atmosphere – take special note of the beautifully embossed and painted ceilings with their elegant Chandeliers, and impeccable waiter service to match. Morning coffee and a pastry are served on a silver tray accompanied with a glass of sparkling mineral water (a nice touch). Lunch here can be as simple as three frankfurters served floating sedately in an elegant lidded bowl and served with a choice of three different types of mustard, three slices of bread and a small bowl of grated cheese. Excellent local wine compliment the food.

In the same street, just up the road, there’s a great bakery, Paneria, where you can enjoy your first of the morning sweet or savoury pastry with a particularly good blend of strong black coffee.

Cafe Edel-Ungel in the lane on the left hand side of the Tyn Church is the perfect place for a sightseers mid morning caffeine fix.

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Coffee Cantata - Singapore

Forty years of globe trotting on at least one cup of coffee a day represents a minimum intake of 14,600 cups (horrors). A lifetime of perfect on the palate notes, enhanced by the settings and surrounds I have chosen to enjoy this endearing and enduring stimulant.
With a background in travel - over a ten year period I was Sales and Marketing Manager for three Corporate Travel Agencies, four years as an International flight attendant, and a degree in Nutrition, I feel that I am well qualified to comment on where to find a good cup of coffee on your travels.

I'm not a coffee purist, nor do I claim to be a beans and blends expert,  but I do recognise a good cup of coffee when I taste one.
By choice I drink cafe espresso or long black in Europe, Soy Cappuccino (without chocolate on top) in Australia, and a 'normal' Cappuccino in the countries that aren't yet into Soy Milk - from recent experience, Croatia and Singapore

Not many of the 14,600 cups have registered on my required level of perfection scale, but some have come really close. In some places the cafes have been more enticing than the products they serve. To score both is a bonus. In Prague there are Cafes whose surrounds are so elegant that you would excuse an inferior blend. In Paris the passing parade counters some of the lesser and most expensive cups of coffee I've experienced

As my contribution to the pleasures of the palate I intend to run Coffee Cantata as an 'open ended' blog. Coffee enthusiasts will be able to tap into my sources, and hopefully add their own. This is the start of a world Coffee Cantata movement.

Let's start off in Singapore where I spent the Christmas/New Year period. My daughter is not a coffee drinker (apparently I'm "a coffee tragic") so turned to her caffeine fixated friends to "provide a list" of their top tips. They did well - I scored at three very different interpretations of - 'a cafe that serves coffee'.

Papa Palheta, 140 Bukit Timah Road. Open 9am to 7.30pm, closed Monday. Their philosophy "to bring out the best in the beans" is executed to perfection.

Maison Kayser (Paris) 6 Scott Road, Scotts Square, is as French as the French, serving brilliant pastries and baguettes to enjoy with your coffee.

Trung Nguyen (Vietnamese Coffee), The Heeren Centre, 260 Orchard Road serves the best creema I've come across in my travels. This cafe is up a long escalator from Orchard Road. Early morning coffee addicts take note - it doesn't open until 11:30am and closes late.