Genovese Coffee House is the hottest new cafe in Sydney

With lines out the door and interiors going viral worldwide, a stylish new coffee house in Sydney’s east has become the hottest cafe in the city.

A stylish new coffee house in Alexandria has become such a destination for foodies and fashionistas that it’s featured on China’s social media sites.

Genovese Coffee House, which opened in October, is the first hospitality venue for Melbourne coffee brand Genovese.

It’s the brainchild of managing director Adam Genovese, whose grandfather Alfio founded the company in the 1970s.

And Genovese’s partner, fashion icon Tash Sefton, has helped with the interiors and designed the staff’s linen uniforms.

For Genovese, the move to open a shop front was inspired by his childhood.

Adam Genovese, at Genovese Coffee House, in Alexandria, today. The famous Melbourne coffee brand Genovese have opened an outpost in Sydney. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“I’ve been drinking coffee since I was five-years-old. I would go to work on a Saturday morning with my grandfather and he would break up some Italian bread, dust it with sugar and pour coffee over it. That was my breakfast,” Genovese says.

Genovese believes what his family does is produce a proper Italian espresso.

Their blend combines beans from 12 different origins and a member of the Genovese family flavour tests every single batch.

“What we want to achieve is a full body, rich, caramel chocolate, Italian espresso. You don’t need four shots to get a kick,” he says.

Like in Italy, Genovese has also installed an espresso bar where patrons can get a quality shot for just $2.

When it comes to the menu everything is made fresh on site and was inspired by the ethnic focused grocery stores and espresso bars that Genovese would visit as a child.

A coffee and a Cannoli, at Genovese Coffee House, in Alexandria, today. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“I have memories of going into those espresso bar where the old men were playing cards out the back and the owners would be slicing meat straight onto crispy bread. That’s the inspiration for the menu here,” he said.

Meanwhile the ‘70s inspired interiors, from Alexander and Co, are making the venue itself a destination for fashionable foodies. There are vintage coffee machines, long tiled meeting tables and yellow couches – all which hark back to Genovese’s youth.

“We want this place to feel like home,” he says.

The Mortadella Panino at Genovese Coffee House, in Alexandria, today. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Sefton, who has close to 250,000 followers on Instagram, has helped with the styling of the location as well as choosing staff outfits from Assembly Label.

Since it opened post lockdown, the venue has been splashed all over Instagram and even ended up on China’s RedBook.

“It’s been so mental. It’s nothing like Sydney has seen,” said Sefton.

Sefton says she could actually start selling the interiors from the house because customers have asked where they can buy them, however most of them are vintage.

On the weekends Sefton is often seen working at the venue to help meet the demand of customers who are lining up out the door.

Adam Genovese and Tash Sefton, at Genovese Coffee House, in Alexandria. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“People look at me and say. ’Are you Tash Sefton? Why are you

serving me coffee?’ I say, ‘why not’?” she said.

“It’s got me out of the fashion world and it’s been a lovely transition.”

Despite the coffee market being saturated, Genovese said there is plenty of room for growth.

“We know as an industry there is a large amount of instant coffee drunk in Australia,” he said.

“It might seem saturated, but there still more customers we can convert.

“But we know through feedback with wholesale clients and now with those we serve face-to-face that what we do is special.”