Cafeography
Sydney · Kensington & Randwick

Cafés in Kensington & Randwick

A 25-year coffee cart on the UNSW lawn, hospital cafés on Barker Street, Belmore Road roasters and kitchens in the parks.

Photo: Parth Patel, Pexels License

Kensington, 4 km south-east of the CBD, was planned as a counterpart to its London namesake. Kensington Racecourse opened in 1893 on what is now the University of New South Wales, housed troops through two world wars, and was resumed in 1950 for Sydney's second university.1 Randwick, 6 km out, is the council's administrative center, and its town hall went up on Avoca Street in 1881.2

Between them, the campus and the Prince of Wales Hospital set the rhythm of coffee here. Several cafés trade on university grounds, while Belmore Road and Avoca Street keep Randwick's shops. Café Jack's on Ascot Street in Kensington opens at 05:00, Monday to Saturday, among the earliest starts in the area.

Local tip: Caffé Brioso pours three blends each day on the UNSW Library Lawn, so ask which is on before you order; it also keeps 12-hour cold brew.3

At a glance

58Cafés listed
10With opening hours
05:00Earliest opening
15:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Café Jack's, from 05:00 (Mon–Sat 05:00–15:00 · Sun 06:00–15:00).
  • Closes latest: de Nero's, until 15:00 (Mon–Fri 06:00–18:00 · Sun 20:00–15:00).
  • Most listed streets: Belmore Rd (8), Clovelly Road (3), Anzac Parade (3).
  • Most common features: outdoor seating (14%), open by 6am (7%), indoor seating (3%).

Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Sydney.

Coffee chains in Kensington & Randwick

UNSW and College Road

Caffé Brioso has served its own specialty blends on the UNSW Library Lawn for more than 25 years, offering three blends a day from a Synesso MVP along with single origins and 12-hour cold brew.3 The beans come from South America, Jamaica, Indonesia and East Africa.3 The name, loosely translated from Italian, means lively, spirited coffee.3

Plume, on College Road, is a newer format: a wellness-focused café designed for campuses, with sandwiches, pizzas, seasonal salads and its own exclusive coffee blend.4 It opens on weekdays only, 08:00–16:00.

Barker Street and the hospital precinct

Randwick's hospital began in 1858 as the Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children and took the name Prince of Wales Hospital in 1953.2 LifeGrain Randwick, on Barker Street, comes from that world. Its founders entered the café trade in 2014 after an 11-week hospital stay with their premature son, aiming to improve what hospital retail offered.4

LifeGrain's pitch is quick service, fresh food prepared on site and Allpress coffee.4 Windscreen Cafe and 2 penny are also on Barker Street, and 2 penny has outdoor tables.

Belmore Road and Avoca Street

22 Grams at 166-168 Belmore Road is an artisan roastery and bakery named for the dose in its coffee baskets; it makes its food from scratch with free-range chicken and eggs, and runs a separate bread and croissant shop, Baked by 22 Grams, on High Street.5 It opens at 06:30 on weekdays.5

Cremino Coffee, on the same road, aims for a European-inspired coffee house with Old World manners, and says its coffee is ethically sourced and its roasting and blending refined over many years.6 Sandgate at 128 Belmore Road, a sandstone house from about 1870, is on the state heritage register.2

Coffee in Centennial Park and Queens Park

The area's northern edge opens onto parkland. Centennial Homestead serves breakfast, lunch and takeaway coffee for runners inside Centennial Parklands, and doubles as a wedding and event venue.7 Queens Park Kitchen, run by the Trippas White Group, is a rustic café and event space with a sunny outdoor deck, serving breakfast, lunch and everything in between.8

The Greenhouse also trades inside Centennial Parklands, with outdoor tables.

Sources

  1. Kensington, New South Wales, Wikipedia, accessed November 2026
  2. Randwick, New South Wales, Wikipedia, accessed November 2026
  3. Caffe Brioso, Caffe Brioso, accessed November 2026
  4. The LifeGrain Group, LifeGrain, accessed November 2026
  5. 22 Grams, 22 Grams, accessed November 2026
  6. Our Story, Cremino Coffee, accessed November 2026
  7. Centennial Homestead, Centennial Homestead, accessed November 2026
  8. Queens Park Kitchen, Queens Park Kitchen, accessed November 2026
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In Kensington & Randwick, also browse: Specialty coffee Outdoor seating Open by 6am Bakery cafés

FAQ

Kensington & Randwick cafés: questions

Where can you get good coffee on the UNSW campus in Kensington, Sydney?

Caffé Brioso has served its own specialty blends on the UNSW Library Lawn for more than 25 years, with three blends a day, single origins and 12-hour cold brew from a Synesso MVP. Plume on College Road is a campus café with sandwiches, salads and its own blend.

Which roasters and bakeries are on Belmore Road in Randwick, Sydney?

22 Grams at 166-168 Belmore Road is an artisan roastery and bakery, opening at 06:30 on weekdays, with a separate bread and croissant shop on High Street. Cremino Coffee, on the same road, is a European-inspired coffee house that roasts and blends its own coffee.

Are there cafés inside Centennial Park near Randwick, Sydney?

Centennial Homestead serves breakfast, lunch and takeaway coffee inside Centennial Parklands, and also runs weddings and events. The Greenhouse trades in the parklands too. Queens Park Kitchen, run by the Trippas White Group, is a rustic café and event space with a sunny outdoor deck.

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