Sample Coffee

Sample Coffee is a coffee shop located on Holt Street in Sydney, serving delicious coffee roasted on-site using unique 60+ year old refurbished German roasters. They also offer a food menu featuring unique dishes made possible by local makers and suppliers. Come to Sample Coffee to enjoy carefully crafted coffee and food experiences.

Recent social media posts

03/06/2026

3 Colombians walk into a bar…

Nah, not a joke.

June’s tasting lineup is headed by 3 Colombians, plus an Ecuadorian, a Burundian, and a Rwandan. Classic Sample style, though no Ethiopian or Kenyan on sight (yet).

RSVP, come around, sip some, let us know how you found them.

Link in bio or

samplecoffee.com.au/monthly

🫡

26/05/2026

KEEP HOLT STREET PLAZA FOR PEDESTRIANS!

🚶 🚲 🐕 ☕️

has put forward a plan to reopen Holt with Devonshire Street to cars (AGAIN!)

Never mind the years of coping with the construction works (and public money) to close it to traffic and convert it into the beautiful and enjoyable pedestrian space that it is today… A rare and valued asset in our city.

We’re so keen to keep it the way it is: pedestrian, safe, enjoyed by and designed for people (not cars nor heavy vehicles).

Surely there are other options to help vehicle users and delivery drivers with traffic flow, while preserving this nice little corner of Surry Hills?

📣‼️💬

ℹ️ Learn more about this plan at:

cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/proposed-works-maintenance/have-your-say-surry-hills-traffic-changes

💭 Have your say via in-page survey or:

[email protected]

💬 And, if you feel like we do, email us, DM or leave a comment with your stories, experiences, and reasons why you’d like to keep this urban space just the way it is now. We’ll include it in our feedback submission to Council.

From little things…

🙏

21/05/2026

New HQ & roastery location coming up.

Guess where?

❤️‍🔥

As many of you may know, the redevelopment into apartments and new retail hub meant we had to relocate our roastery warehouse.

(The Pro Shop cafe is staying, though!)

This is not sudden news, but something we’ve had in the horizon for a couple of years. Maybe even since we first moved in on 2013. The plans to redevelop were always there.

So, yeah, it’s been uncertain and stressful at times (isn’t it always?), but we’ve finally found a new home. And we’re super happy with it.

Do you already know where?

♾️

19/05/2026

Kop kun ká 🙏

A few moments from a very last-minute trip to 2026.

Thanks to Bo & Praew for the forever hospitality. By now we consider ourselves proud adopted neighbours in Thong Lo.

Grateful too for the new friends we made (Japolocos, Fern’s family, Alvin’s school mate, Rod, Titis, etc.) and the old friends we got to see more of (Mark, Ploy, Samadool super team, Rattana, Tim, Dianita and Carlos from Cofinet).

Tokyo next year, you say?

😏

18/05/2026

This is Paola Trujillo in our roastery, last March.

And that is Paola Trujillo’s washed Typica on our shelves, today and for the next couple of weeks.

💙

It’s rare to share a coffee with a producer in your own home, so this felt very special.

We chatted about all things, she’s lovely and super welcoming. The one thing that stuck with us (because it makes total sense when you try Paola’s delicious coffee) is her very personal and strict approach during the drying stage. She puts a lot of care and intention into it so that it happens in controlled conditions, as this will be a major factor in the flavour profile quality and shelf life span.

Paola studied chemical engineering, so go figure…

👩‍🔬

Right now, and for the next 2-3 weeks, we have up for retail a washed Typica from her latest harvest that is super clean and lively.

But don’t take our word for it.

Take the lit-up faces of most of those who tried it in our bar takeover at Cofinet’s booth. Passersby weren’t expecting this, let’s say finesse, which matched (if not overtook) the other Colombian Gesha we were brewing. Both sold out, by the way.

Anyway, so good to have you here Paola. 🙏 and you, please have a try.

14/05/2026

Even moody days have a bit of colour here at Surry.

🫶🌲💙

06/05/2026

Let’s meet at 🤝

A bit of a last minute thing – so much so that we’re finalising collabs and making this post right in the sky, in a plane full of coffee people ✈️ ☕️

Find us in the stand for some VS brewing, plus a wind down ‘after party’ on Sunday at where we can drink delicious coffee and have a nice chat.

Also, our beans will be kindly shared at booth alongside many Aussie favourites in their daily Australian cupping sessions.

All details are in the slides, check this caption for other additions and updates. (Hit us up if we can get on board something else. Keen.)

See you there?!

Kop kun ká 🙏

14/04/2026

We love a milky.

That’s why we take the same care in sourcing and roasting, be it espresso blend components, decaf, or single origins for black drinking styles.

That’s why you’ll find as much traceability info as for our single origins.

It’s all coffee, and all coffee is good.

🫶

09/04/2026

April’s tasting session is coming a week later than usual (because of Easter) and only happening in St Peters (to keep it simple).

Lots of different *samples*, including a Gesha and a natural process.

See you there?

🤝

07/04/2026

Lately in the Sample Coffee universe...

🤯

We’ve been quieter than normal around here, and the only reason for that is that there’s A LOT going on. Year of the fire horse, no kidding.

If you haven’t missed the snippets we’ve shared on our stories and IRL, here’s the roundup:

𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙃𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙗𝙖𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙥

The renovations are not fully complete yet (new joinery, splashback, and menu board still missing), but the star of the show is already in: a new bar (built by ) that we’ve literally and physically raised to fit a second fridge (for cold tap drinks), more underbench storage space (so it all looks nice and clean), and two brand new machines: a Swiss for most our milk drinks, and a Leva for the VS espressos. And maybe more...

𝙉𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙪 𝙖𝙩 𝙎𝙩 𝙋𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨

The redevelopment of is reclaiming our kitchen and roastery space, but not the cafe itself. This means that our Sample Coffee Pro Shop will keep serving coffee, tea, other drinks, and pastries during our usual opening hours.

𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙥

That’s right, and we’ll be happy to tell you more about it when we’re ready for it. But, if you have eagle eyes and live in the Inner West, you may already know something...

𝙒𝙚𝙗𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙪𝙥𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙨

We’ve been working on them for a little while now. Do you have any feedback, wishes, or requests that we can add before we softly launch sometime soon? Let us know, we’re (always) all ears.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚

Heaps of changes indeed, but we’re still the same team striving for the same product and service. Proudly independent, intentionally small, transparency and quality-driven. Coffee heads, really.

🐎 🔥

Don’t run, gallop!

01/04/2026

CLOSED 4 THE EASTER BREAK

🥚

That’s all the way from Friday 3 through to Monday 6 April.

Make sure you’re all stocked with beans and gear (if you’re going away or if your usual cafe is also enjoying some days off to recharge).

We certainly will.

🏠 ⛺️ ☕️ 🏄‍♀️ 🚴‍♂️ 🌊 🌲 🙂

26/03/2026

Surry Hills closes at 12 PM today.

That’s because we’re making room for some new stuff.

😎

16/03/2026

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE 🫡

👩‍🍳🧑‍🍳👨‍🍳

The construction works for the redevelopment of are advancing quickly and, sadly, require us to close our kitchen—but not the coffee shop space itself.

This means that our cafe food menu will disappear soon. The last day to get brekkie and lunch at the Pro Shop is this Saturday, 21 March.

After this, we will stay open serving coffee, drinks, and pastries only.

At least, until further notice! 👂

Thanks to all our kitchen staff over the years for being a huge part of the Pro Shop and 75 life and business.

And sorry to our locals for the inconvenience. We hope to still see you for a cup of coffee every now and then.

It’s the end of an era, but also the start of another. Good times coming.

With much appreciation,

The team at Sample
#2044

03/03/2026

It’s time. Come taste this week’s coffee lineup.

👅

Those who come to Saturday’s session at the Pro Shop will also find these goodies on our VS menu:

Panama Elida natural Catuai milk brew
Pepe Jijón washed Gesha filter brewed by the cup on the TONE - limited serves

(These are not part of our FREE tasting though! 🫠)

See you maybe?

27/02/2026

MILK 🥛☕️ BREW

A delicious (and not frothy/foamy/hectic) drink inspired by our latest trip to / Tokyo.

Differently to a classic cold brew or ice latte, the coffee grounds steep directly in the milk for several hours, making a super creamy, fruity, and complex brew.

We use a natural process coffee from our Very Special shelf, which really lifts up the fruity profile aspect.

It’s perfect for hot muggy days like today.

🥃

We only serve it on Saturdays at the Pro Shop.

Tomorrow’s milk brew is made with *Panama Elida - natural anaerobic slow dry process Catuai*, steeped in rich Jersey cow.

It tastes like strawberries and cream, caramel, and Baileys.

Limited serves, you’ve been warned!

See you tomorrow maybe.

🐗

25/02/2026

NEW IN: 1-on-1 sessions to help you optimise/dial your very own homebrewing equipment.

🛠️

Our baristas get asked quite often for homebrewing tips: espresso flavour troubleshooting, specific grinding sizes, recommended ratios...

If it’s not rush hour and they’re getting pumped, they’ll do their best to share their knowledge and experience.

But even then, it’s hard to know the specifics of each piece of gear, the steps that are being followed, the nature of the water, etc. They can only give general advice.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes it’s not enough.

The same goes for online enquiries. We always reply with as much detail as we can, and take the time to create brew guides that help people brew their best at home. But words can only go so far…

👩🏻‍🔧

That’s why we created this new workshop/event.

We’ll spend 1 hour ONLY with you and your homebrewing gear, getting hands-on, tinkering, and finding—together—the best possible settings so you can brew the most delicious Sample Coffee at home. Every single day.

📍 At our Pro Shop

💾 BYO equipment (machine, grinder, drippers, even your usual water if you can)

🤝 Fee includes a welcome batchie while we set up + 500g of aged beans (and 1L m*lk, if needed) to be used during the session + our time, space, and full attention to you and your brewing needs!

Learn more and book your slot via:

LINK IN BIO
or
samplecoffee.com.au/events
or
eventbrite.com.au (search for Sample Coffee)

🤙

18/02/2026

🆚 & RARE ANNOUNCEMENT:

[TL;DR: join our VS subscription before the end of next Tuesday to secure your bag of Ecuador Pepe Jijón. It’s honestly a small batch - 25kg of green wave washed Gesha.]

*

We normally keep our subscription deliveries ‘a surprise’, but this time it’s worth letting you know beforehand—it’s actually Very, Very Special and very, very limited.

The next Brew Crew VS delivery (due 25 Feb) will feature a ‘wave’ washed Gesha by Pepe Jijón from (Ecuador)

This is a direct purchase, loaded with personal connection: Reuben met him back in 2015, travelling together through Colombia with Caravela Coffee.

Pepe, who previously achieved fame as a mountain climber, was there to learn about coffee farming practices (he just started his own); Reuben was there to meet some dear producers (i.e. MFR) and secure some yum coffees.

Life went on, each doing their own thing.

⏳

A few weeks ago, a staff member brought in a few bags from other roasters to taste. One of them—which was delicious—listed Pepe Jijón as the producer. It took a minute to realise that it was the Pepe that Reuben met!

They reconnected and caught up.

Pepe said that his ride during the last decade has not been without hurdles. But now, he’s in a good spot: his coffee is being used in brewing competitions, as well as shared by some reputable roasters like Sey, Poma, Hydrangea... His story has even been featured by The Guardian.

Now, back to our point:

We have airfreighted 25kg of his celebrated coffee to our warehouse, which will barely make ~200 x 100g bags to be distributed, first, among our VS subscribers next week.

If you want some, sign up to Brew Crew VS before the end of Tuesday 26 February.

Anything left will go for wholesale and retail, but will there be any? Up to you.

Here’s to delicious coffee, rekindling, and friendship.

And to catching some waves together in the future. 🤙

12/02/2026

Our 8th annual report is fiiiiiiinally out.

Numbers, graphs, and stories for those who care about how we make Sample Coffee happen and what goes beyond flavour.

We know we’re a bit late to publish it, but hey, there’s a lot going on at the Sample HQ right now! If you want to know why, head to the thoughts and challenges section 😉 🦺

Thanks for reading, and also thanks for drinking our coffee.

💙

09/02/2026

HIRING STRONG COFFEE PERSON 💪☕️

We’re gonna miss Fern! She’s going away to become a farmer. True story.

Anyway, we’re hiring. Read all the details below, and send us an email if that suits. We’d love to meet you.

[email protected]

JOB DEETS
🌐 Starting ~4 March 2026
🌐 4 days/week (potentially full-time option for the right person)
🌐 Sharing shifts across Surry Hills and St Peters Pro Shop/roastery
🌐 Rotating Saturdays
🌐 Pay to match the Hospitality Award or over, depending on experience

STRONG COFFEE PERSON, WHAT THE?
🔮 Experience: understands the coffee background, sensory world, and brewing
🔮 Hospitality-driven: knows that service and vibe are just as important as coffee flavour
🔮 Strong milk and black game: can lead the bar (and 1 or 2 other staff) during rushes
🔮 Pro-active: can notice things before being asked/told
🔮 Respectful and happy to work with a small team and a diverse customer base: from the tradies next door to coffee lovers who come to us for our VS brews
🔮 Empathy and a sense of fun
🔮 Based in Sydney (we will interview in person)

ABOUT US
👋 We’re a small/medium roastery with 2 cafes in Sydney
🍒 We’ve been *sampling* a generous lineup of single origins since 2011
🫡 While black coffee is our focus, we take milk coffees, tea, hot-choc, and even matcha just as seriously. Here for everyone to have a good time, without judgment
🚿 Soft spot for washed process coffees: if you’re after funky and fermenty brews day in day out, you’ve been warned!
🏄‍♀️ We’re a relaxed bunch who takes it seriously but is chill about life. You’ll find us doing sports or arty things when it’s too late to get caffeinated

01/02/2026

After a break in January, our monthly tasting sessions are back.

For this one, a double dose of Kenya and Ethiopia, plus our latest Colombian addition, and a honey process Pacamara from El Salvador – not VS though rather special (iykyk).

Come join us, it’s free and delicious.

🧡

03/12/2025

Last monthly tasting of 2025. And what a solid farewell:

7 producers - all different varieties (12)
5 countries
3 processes - honey, natural, washed
1 Very Special feature

Check out the full lineup in the second slide and reserve your spot (for free) via:

samplecoffee.com.au/monthly
or
link in bio
or
search for us on

❤️

11/11/2025

In case you didn’t know it… it’s been going on but a while but…

ESPRESSO
SOFT
SERVE
SEASON
2025/2026
IS
ON

SURRY HILLS
ST PETERS

See you soon!? 🐷

02/10/2025

Damn good lineup for this upcoming monthly tasting session.

🍇

A wicked natural leading the pack (which has brought a variety of feelings in our Brew Crew VS subscriber community), a trusty Gesha that will blow minds but not banks, and a handful of trusty single origins that you (we) would (and will) love drinking every single day.

RSVP is complimentary via LINK IN BIO.

Or head straight to samplecoffee.com.au/monthly

Hope to have you around.

🍇

Address

118 Devonshire Street Shop 1A
Surry Hills, NSW
2010

The Devonshire Street Shop is located in the suburb of Surry Hills in Sydney. It is easily accessible by public transport and driving.

For public transport options, the closest train station to the shop is Central Station. From there, it's a 10-minute walk to the shop. Alternatively, you can take a bus from nearby stops on Elizabeth Street or Cleveland Street.

If you choose to drive, there are several parking options available in the area. There are metered street parking spots on surrounding streets such as Chalmers Street and Elizabeth Street. Additionally, there are paid parking lots at 109 Devonshire St and 175 Liverpool St that are within walking distance of Devonshire Street Shop.

Opening Hours

Monday	7am - 4pm
Tuesday	7am - 2pm
Wednesday	7am - 4pm
Thursday	7am - 2pm
Friday	7am - 4pm

Website

http://www.samplecoffee.com.au/

Alerts

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What people say

Sample Coffee on Devonshire Street is a must-visit coffee shop for any coffee lover in Sydney. The location, nestled under a beautiful paper bark tree, adds to the charm of this cozy cafe. Sample Coffee Roasters has been serving delicious coffee since 2011 and has since expanded to include their own roastery and pro shop in St Peters.

Their unique 60+ years old refurbished German roasters allow them to roast exciting blends and single origin batches that highlight each bean's unique flavors. The attention to detail in every step of the process is evident in the quality of their coffee.

But it's not just about the coffee at Sample Coffee - their food menu is equally impressive. They source from local makers and suppliers, ensuring that every dish highlights the best of each season. From Penny Fours pastries to Two Providores cheeses, you can taste the care that goes into every ingredient.

Overall, Sample Coffee on Devonshire Street is a gem in Sydney's coffee scene. With great coffee, delicious food, and a charming location, it's no wonder why they have become a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

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