Danes Gourmet Coffee Wahroonga

I stopped in for a morning coffee and was intrigued by their selection of shakes– Nutella, Bounty, Snickers and Malteser! The breakfast and lunch food menu also looks yummy. Looks like I’ll have to come back and try some. You can also order your morning coffee on their mobile app to avoid the queues before your morning commute– win win!

Their milk shakes rock! Enough said!

Coffee is really good, just make sure they know you don’t want a jumbo size (who would anyway?). Food is actually awesome but the small serving size and cost is almost prohibitive.

Despite not being one of my favourites for quick hot chocolate, Danes has plenty of traffic coming in and out of its doors. Customers are always perched on the chairs or waiting in line for a coffee. The shop has a prime position right across from the crossing. I love marshmellows with my hot chocolate and didn’t have to ask for any and neither did I have to pay extra for a couple of marshmellows. Perhaps if they made the café more open and welcoming, customer satisfaction might be greater. I much prefer to order something on-​the-​go than sit at the café and drink my hot chocolate. Ambiance needs a bit of work!

Danes is meant to have great coffee. Being that I have drunk more than my fair share in the past, I can certainly attest to it (especially at the Aroma Coffee Festival), however the experience I got this time was… um… not positive.
While the coffee looked good, that is about where it ended. It was burnt, bitter, and if I was a little less desperate for a coffee at the time… undrinkable.
BUT…
I went there with my boys who love a good babycino. What makes a great babycino you may ask? Well thanks for asking? :-) For my money, getting milk froth and layering on chocolate powder pretty much takes care of itself. To take it to the next level when they add a couple of marshmallows on the side, the good becomes great. (pic
)
So… over all, while I was not excited by my experience at Danes on the day I went there, I am sure I was just unlucky. They, however, get an extra star for making my boys happy, so it all works out in the end. :-)
Café Summary
— — — — — — — —
Passion for Coffee — ⁷⁄₁₀
Coffee beans — Danes
Crema (1=burnt, 10=velvet) — ⁴⁄₁₀
Special coffees avail? — N/​A

There’s plenty of competition when it comes to good coffee in Wahroonga, but Danes demands your attention. Perched on the corner of Railway Avenue and Redleaf Lane — smack in the middle of Wahroonga Village — Danes is a little dark and cavernous for my liking, but their baristas definitely know their craft.
You’ll pay for it, mind. We’re talking Wahroonga prices of over $ 4 for a cappuccino, but if you grab one of their coffee cards, at least you’ll get your 10^th coffee free. There’s a selection of tasty treats and sandwiches on offer as well, plus you can purchase a range of coffee beans and paraphernalia if you’re game enough to try your barista skills at home.
Danes also offers a handful of tables inside and a couple on the busy corner outside, though I always opt for take away. Again, the heavy maroon walls feel a bit cramped to me — but that said, come a watery, wintery day, Danes becomes just the spot to pull up a pew.