The closure of Adriano Zumbo outlets at the end of 2018 provided an opportunity for the Balmain return of the suburb's coffee pioneer, Ed Cutcliffe.

The coffee roastery was born and raised in Balmain before Cutcliffe departed its Booth Street digs several years ago.

But it's back, with Cutcliffe snapping up the empty Zumbo site on Darling Street, where he opens Little m this week.

"It is great to be back, the old customers are sticking their heads in. I've called it Little m because I like each store to have its own personality," he says.

The menu sticks to cafe basics such as bircher muesli and ham and provolone croissants, showing a little more dash with eggplant katsu sandwiches and poke bowls.

Cutcliffe has always been a beverage boy, and Little m ladles out cold brew and filter coffee as well as a house blend coffee and "rotating" single origins pumping through the grinders.

"I've been focusing on wholesale in recent years, but it's great to be back where it started," he says.

Open daily 6am-4pm

Little m, 296 Darling Street, Balmain.