#thecoffeeman

Sasa Sestic / The Coffee Man

Australian Barista champion, Sasa Sestic is The Coffee Man. Born in Serbia, Sestic hails from Canberra where he owns successful trio of coffee shops, ONA. Winner of the 2015 Australian Barista Championship, Sestic went on to compete for the title of World Barista Champion, a journey that was documented by Roland Fraval & Jeff Hann for their new movie, The Coffee Man.

The Coffee Man follows Sestic from the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia, to Seattle, Washington, for the World Barista Championship. More than just a film about the quest for the perfect cup of coffee, this is an intense and emotional film that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Ahead of the Sydney premiere of the film this Thursday May 19th, I asked Sasa to name some of his favourite places in Sydney in his constant quest for great coffee. Here’s what he had to say...

Brainwave Cafe  - website

A recent addition to bustling Ultimo, Brainwave Cafe offers much more than just your standard cafe cuisine. Rather, it draws inspiration from various Asian culinary traditions, including Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese, as well as with a nod to more traditional Aussie dishes. The coffee here is exceptional, being one of the few Sydney cafe’s to use Sestic’s own coffee, ONA.

"To me this is perfect local café experience all staff are super friendly coffee is of course amazing  and food is simple,  fresh and delicious. Staff and management here go out of their way to make everyone fell like at home.”

Artificer Specialty Coffee Bar & Roastery - artificercoffee.com

Artificer doesn’t do food, they don’t do snacks, they don’t even serve tea, this corner spot in Surry Hills is COFFEE ONLY, and they do this one thing exceptionally well.

"this is one of my favourite small espresso bars in Sydney coffee is always consistently good and baristas are very knowledgeable about their craft”

No exceptions, no distractions; Dan Yee and Shoji Sasaare masters of their craft. While there a few spots to sit, you’re best to stand at the beautiful oak bar to enjoy your espresso… it’s the European way.

The Grounds of Alexandria - thegrounds.com.au

"I really love design of this place and wow factor food and service are always consistent and pastry is are amazing"

The Grounds of Alexandria took the Sydney cafe scene by storm when they opened in 2012. Bakery, florist, cafe and restaurant, they roast their own coffee and even have a petting zoo for the young ones. The Coffee Academy allows The Grounds coffee experts to experiment with different roasting profiles and techniques based on individual types of coffee and beans. The Grounds now supply coffee to a number of Sydney cafes, so a coffee from The Grounds doesn’t necessarily have to include to the busy Alexandria cafe.

The Waterfront Café, Church Point - waterfrontstore.com.au

Sestic describes this waterfront spot as "classic Italian restaurant with super friendly service fresh seafood and delicious cuisine, the view is not bad too :)"

This secluded waterside cafe is located at the ferry wharf to Scotland Island - an offshore community  in Pittwater - and embodies relaxed Sydney dining worthy of a day trip.

Other cafes in Sydney that stock Sesa’s ONA coffee are Caféina – Balgowla, website Scuro Espresso - Crows Nest & Chatswood, website Loaf - Cronulla, loafsandwiches.com.au

The Coffee Man Film opens this Thursday. For session times go to tugg.com.au - if you can’t find a location near you, Tugg.com.au allows you to host your own screening and sell tickets via your social media channels to your mates and colleagues