I’ve been twice to The Canopy. Once for a meal and the second time for a coffee with a student. Love the tree theme.
However, while I don’t really expect that much service in Australia anyway and am usually pleasantly surprised when I get it, Canopy was so popular and so full of people whenever I went there that the staff were simply constantly run off their feet and really didn’t have much time for niceties. Food took time to serve, coffee took ages, everyone looked stressed. I’m guessing the high lease price for this location means they can’t afford to hire enough staff.
I was also surprised that people just wanting coffee inside were directed to noisy tables near a breezy doorway and a loud coffee machine where staff constantly walked back and forth collecting coffees for everyone. If you were looking to just spend some quiet time chatting with a friend and only spend a few dollars there, expect to get the worst tables if you go indoors. Brave the cold tables outside and you’ll have a better experience.
Having said that, the food on my first time there on an evening and the coffee on my second during a morning, while city prices (eg: Confit duck leg, roasted kipfler potatoes, relish, watercress (gf) $AU34), was enjoyable. While on the small side, the food we had was artistically prepared and tasty. They also had a wine list that had quite a number of nice wines at about $10 per glass.
The best thing about The Canopy? It’s almost impossible to find a cafe open in Sydney City at 8am on a Sunday that isn’t a watery coffee chain cafe. This is probably why it is so busy Sunday mornings during the warmer months. I don’t believe there are any places like this open on a Sunday morning in the area.
They sometimes have a discount special for booking online through dimmi in the colder months so, if you’re curious, it would be the best time to check them out!
