First Look at Toby’s Estate Coffee, Upping Williamsburg’s Java Game
Coffee nerds may want to consider decamping to Williamsburg — what with Aussie café and roastery Toby’s Estate Coffee opening Monday, just around the corner from Blue Bottle. Founder Toby Smith opened his first coffee bar in Sydney fifteen years ago, and the Brooklyn shop marks his first U.S. foray. The large airy space has a retail area selling brewing equipment, a cupping room for public and in-house education, and even a wholesale business in back. The city’s first pressure-controlling Strada machine by La Mazorca churns out the espresso, and there’s also a “pour-over bar” for those who prefer that. If you don’t know what the difference is, Smith says not to worry, “We want to make anyone who maybe doesn’t drink a lot of coffee feel comfortable about approaching the bar.” To that end, coffee flights — a tasting of three beans — are one option, and the 25-kilo roaster sits out in the open, “so people can watch.”
The place offers food, too, and it’s clear that though Smith might be new to New York, he’s gotten in with some good people, evidenced by the Salvatore Brooklyn ricotta that appears on one toast. Aussies aren’t forgotten, either: Toby’s offers a flat white, “similar to a wet cappuccino,” says Smith, “just in case some of our Aussie mates turn up looking for it.” And there’s one thing on the food menu only an Australian could love: Vegemite on toast. Look for the spot to bow Monday.
Coffee Menu [PDF]
Opening Food Menu [PDF]
Toby’s Estate Coffee, 125 N. 6th St., nr. Berry St.; 347-457-6160