An ethical and sustainable Sydney cafe where coffee is taken as seriously as reducing waste
Pablo and Rusty‘s cafe and roastery at 161 Castlereagh Street in the Sydney CBD seamlessly integrates with the mid-block connection of Liberty Place, designed by FJC Studio, offering a harmonious blend of modern architecture and urban connectivity.
Designed for the city hustle and bustle, Pablo & Rusty’s, or 161 for those in the know, is an industrial-chic cafe complete with brew bar and cupping roundtable. Coffee here is a serious affair and regular workshops hosted by coffee educators offer an opportunity to brush up on your bean knowledge. Pair your single origin or aged Yunnan tea with a breakfast brioche or tart.
Photography by Andrew Chung
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Located in the new green development by Grocon, the interiors were designed by Pablo & Rusty’s owner Saxon Wright working in tandem with Giant Design. Raw brick, hanging greenery, honey toned and recycled woods and a dedicated black coffee bar draw a steady crowd.
The spacious establishment is part of one of the first six-star green developments in the city, and a bio-generator burns paper waste from surrounding office blocks to supply much of the energy used by the cafe. Like every Pablo & Rusty’s cafe, the fit-out has its own flavour, designed for the specific location.
As the largest space of one of Sydney’s most well-known coffee brands, Pablo & Rusty’s at 161 Castlereagh Street is virtually synonymous with the phrase “coffee break” for office workers across the CBD. Wright got his start in Gordon in 2006 and has since grown the brand to five locations in Sydney and one in Brisbane.
The Trailblazer blend is used here for espresso. Cold brew, batch brew and draught coffee are also chalked up on the blackboard menu, showing Pablo & Rusty’s confidence and experience in picking single origin beans that pay respect to the farm and region in which they were grown. Kombucha is also available on tap.
The P&R Expedition Program offers some of the rarest and most interesting coffee on the planet — three unique micro-lot coffees to be served on espresso.
The menu features original dishes such as miso-buttered mushrooms, and truffled egg salad and bacon on a milk bun, the cafe’s popular take on a classic bacon and egg roll.
For those passionate about coffee DIY, beans, specialty teas and brewing equipment are also on display and for sale.
Central to Pablo & Rusty’s at 161 Castlereagh Street, and throughout the business, is an ongoing commitment, not only to great small-batch roasted coffee, but to doing things as ethically as possible – from sourcing beans and top grade tea from ethical suppliers, to using The Juggler bottle-free milk system to reduce waste.
You can also find P&R’s in Gordon, Lane Cove, Sydney Olympic Park and Epping.
Pablo & Rusty’s CBD, 161 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, Australia. Open Mon to Fri 6.30am–5pm, Sat 8am–4pm
