Just a few steps from St George Hospital in Kogarah, Pulse Espresso Bar is full of coffee drinkers with stethoscopes and identity cards hanging around their necks. Nestled on a busy street corner, it is far cosier than your average hospital cafeteria.

The decor is basic and so is the menu. A friendly waitress hands us a list of standard cafe grub, including sandwiches, salads and burgers.

Sometimes, simple can be good and that is certainly true here. A chicken burger ($13.50) arrives bursting with avocado, tomato and cheese, its chicken fillet drizzled with a tangy aioli. It comes with a generous side-serving of hot chips, which taste just as hot chips should — crispy outside and fluffy within.

If you're feeling health-conscious with so many doctors about, the prosciutto and green bean salad, a weekly special ($13.90), is a tasty choice.

The coffee, however, is not up to scratch, a surprise given its focus here, including weekly single origin roasts. My flat white ($3), using Toby's Estate Rico blend, is weak and slightly bitter and arrives tepid. Within a few minutes it is cold.

It's a pity because, otherwise, this is a pleasant place.