The Wedge Espresso

55 Glebe Point Road
Glebe, NSW 2037

Having completed all of my tertiary education so far either off-campus or at Monash Parkville (a 3-building, pharmacy-only campus in inner Melbourne that’s neither here nor there), I’ve never gotten to have the full uni experience. So you might say that going back to full-time study at Sydney University is a bit of a revelation. And whilst I’m certainly not a fan of walking 15 minutes across campus just to get between classes, the vibe of a large-scale uni is something I’m glad to have experienced, even if I do spend half my time grumbling under my breath about overly-keen undergraduates. And another perk? The plethora of affordable, student-friendly eats nearby.

The Wedge Espresso is a sliver of a café, tucked into a fashionable corner of Glebe just 5 minutes way from the main campus of Sydney University. Despite the relatively central location however, it had a great neighbourhood café feel, and the open-plan layout took full advantage of Sydney’s beautiful weather. The menu had a focus on wholesome dishes with plenty of veggies and wholegrains, whilst still keeping things light and fun.

I’ve had a recent spate of coffees that were all either too hot or too cold, so it was a relief to find that my Skinny Flat White ($3.5) was served at the perfect temperature. Unfortunately the coffee had an all-pervasive taste of artificial blueberries to it, like someone had just used the machine to grind up a batch of flavoured beans. And considering that The Wedge Espresso is meant to be a hard-hitter in the specialty coffee scene? Not cool.

My choice of brunch usually runs to the more unusual dishes – provided I’m not in a smashed avo sort of mood – and the Smashed Pea, Feta, and Chive Bruschetta ($16) definitely piqued my interest. I was talked into adding a Poached Egg ($3), and the resulting plate came out looking fresh, summery, and as pretty as a picture.

This was a very delicious breakfast, the sweet, fresh combination of peas and chives interspersed with creamy pockets of feta, topped with chunks of grilled and marinated artichoke hearts. It stood up so well on its own that it didn’t even need the egg, though the addition of a runny yolk is good any time of day. The only complaint? The dish was teeny tiny even with the addition of the egg, and for $19, I would’ve expected something much more substantial, especially given that the dish was meat-free.

I had promised myself that in order to make a fair assessment on any restaurant I ate at by myself, I was going to visit at least twice, so that I can try enough dishes to write some semblance of a fair review. However, I just couldn’t muster up enough interest to return to The Wedge Espresso. Although not bad by any means, the menu just doesn’t have enough to capture the imagination, especially at the relatively steep price point. And with so many exciting-looking cafes around Sydney, or even just within a 2km radius, you’re probably better off looking for #brunchgoals somewhere else.

Rating: 12.5/20 – blueberry coffee is not ok.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.