For food with soul and coffee made with love, head to Palomino Espresso in Wynyard.

The newest espresso bar to open on York Street, taking over the Cupcakes on Pitt site, is the realisation of owner Liesel Schmidt’s long held dream to own her own café.

Food here is based on her mum’s recipes, proven popular over years in the Schmidt family kitchen and decades of running cafes and restaurants.

Breakfast includes house-made muesli, blueberry and yoghurt muffins and hearty servings of home-made baked beans and chorizo on toasted Brasserie bread. Wagyu beef sandwiches and freshly baked beef and vegetable pies are available at lunchtimes. Sweet treats like the Famous Carrot Cake Muffins, Orange Slice and pure Belgian chocolate brownies are made on site, as is all the food served here.

Coffee is Morgan’s Handcrafted – chosen not just for taste, but for the coffee company’s ethos and small family business culture. The Palomino Espresso team are keen to share their passion for coffee. In addition to espresso, cold drip coffee is served and there are plans for coffee appreciation classes in the coming months.

The café’s namesake Palomino, inspired by a favourite band, has become a symbol of Liesel’s dream to own her own café. The horse motif repeats in the café logo, postcards of Palomino horses on the walls and the chestnut colour of the reclaimed wood used in the rustic benches.

A new business is never the work of just one person and the love and support of the Schmidt family can be felt everywhere from quotes on the walls to the years of family history in the recipes. Stop by any time you need the food or drink equivalent of a hug from mum.

Where: Shop 1, 61 York Street, Sydney
Phone: 0414 857 818
Open: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm
Details: facebook.com/PalominoEspresso