Ange C.
Yelp
Laneway Specialty Coffee is a welcome newcomer to Darwin's collection of cafés that remind me of Melbourne (born and raised, left at 26!) enough to make me a tad homesick.
The mixture of pared back rustic and industrial elements with the fitout make the most of the café's space, windows, and corner location. You could quite easily mistake this for a neighbourhood cool spot in Melbourne's inner suburbia. It's definitely the kind of place you wish you could keep to yourself, but it's too good to stay secret.
I have heard from various friends that it can get hectic to the point of requiring a waiting list, or willingness to be crammed amongst a row of diners along the window seats. However, the times that I have visited, I've been lucky enough to perch somewhere and not feel overly crowded. I hope that Laneway continue to be successful, but it is definitely a much more chilled experience when it isn't bursting with patrons.
The coffee here is Campos, which hails from the east coast and has a wonderful reputation, and is also available in take home bags if you're so inclined. The macchiatos and cold brew coffees I've had here have been some of the best I've had in almost three years of living in the Territory.
As for food, what Laneway might seem to lack in menu options they definitely make up for with quality and creativity. My standing breaky favourite is the shakshuka (Israeli baked eggs), and lunch kryptonite comes in the form of a wagyu burger. A selection of sweets is also available, some made on site and others from Alley Cats in town. Everything I've eaten here has arrived relatively quickly, well-presented, and packing good flavours.
Take note, Darwin competitors: table service isn't that hard to offer and it makes a world of difference when it's friendly and tailored to the diner's needs.
I think the only downside of this cafe is that it's super busy a lot of the time now that more people have discovered it... and if you give me a few more visits I'll have to start repeating orders on the menu. Hope to see some seasonal influence in the food available, or at least some good specials on the board in future to keep regulars on their toes!
Updated to add: now open on Sundays (but closed on Tuesdays instead)! Hooray. :)