During my last trip to New York I decided I wanted to spend as much time as possible getting to know Brooklyn’s many lovely neighbourhoods, rather than spending tons of time traveling up and down Manhattan. Obviously anyone going to the Big Apple for the first time will have a long “to do” list that will focus mostly on New York’s main island but if you’re looking to get under the skin of this wonderful city, then Brooklyn is a good place to be.
Especially when you’re hunting down great spots to grab a coffee. As previously reported I met some wonderful people over at Buðin, Blue Bottle and Parlor Coffee, all of which are dotted around Brooklyn’s most happening areas. The last one I’d like to present is Toby’s Estate, a bright and friendly café-cum-roastery that is as Aussie as you can possibly get on this side of the world.
Run by Adam and Amber, both from Australia, Toby’s Estate is an interesting business. Mainly because the owners franchised the name of one of Oz’s most renowned coffee businesses while being in complete control of the local operation. In other words, Toby’s Estate New York buys its own beans, sets its own menu and gives the interior of its cafés its very own spin.
The Brooklyn location is probably the total opposite of Blue Bottle’s roastery around the corner on Berry Street where the focus is on roasting and wholesale with a small area dedicated to drinking coffee in house. Proof of that is the huge amount of laptops that crowd around the large communal tables. Only a tiny table near the Probat roaster in the left corner is a “laptop free zone”.
But the guys here are none the less as devoted to serving amazing coffee as the next guy. Regular cuppings are held in the special cupping room behind the bar and as Joe Schaffran, Toby’s Project Manager, explained to me during our chat, they also try to offer dynamic cuppings where their coffees are paired with things like chocolate.
As you might expect of an Aussie export to the US, the main drink being ordered here is the flat white. “We get so many Australians and New Zealanders coming here and they just love a good old flattie,” Joe said. I joined them in having a flat white of my own outside on the small veranda soaking up some incredible December sunshine. Ahhh bliss!
