I am an out and proud lover of the cappuccino. I love the chocolate sprinkles. I love the milk work. Every morning I have one, it’s like having a special bonus meal. You want to talk about protein? Well, there’s more protein in a cappuccino than a Mont Blanc, a pour over or a magic. Don’t even get me started on the mug of cappuccino – add a couple of sugars, and you’ve got a “tradie special”. The cappuccino is an icon. Sure, some of us might have memories of cups of thin, milky coffee wearing a cloud of frothy milk (the higher the foam, the closer to god) and a thick cloud of drinking chocolate. But you can’t blame the cappuccino for that. That’s just poor execution. This post-war masterpiece deserves more.Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos.Some might have memories of cups of thin, milky coffee wearing a cloud of frothy milk, but you can’t blame the cappuccino for that. That’s just poor execution.Dion GeorgopolousPaul Geshos, owner and founder of Sydney specialty coffee company Mecca, describes the cappuccino as foundational to our coffee culture. “It’s the tradie-to-CEO drink,” he says. “It cuts across every walk of life in a way few orders do. It was the drink of an earlier era of Australian cafe culture, but it’s never gone away, and I suspect the pendulum has further to swing back than people think.”Some might call it a boomer drink, but I’d argue that it transcends generations. Right now, it’s particularly appealing for Millennials and older Generation X who are looking for familiarity, comfort and nostalgia. Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.Sign up“Interestingly, the next generation may bring it back around,” says Geshos, who just marked 20 years of business by opening his third cafe in Darlinghurst’s Oxford and Foley precinct. “They’re drawn to contrast, a bit of sweetness, texture, something that feels good and looks good. The cappuccino ticks those boxes, in a slightly retro, roundabout way.” “It’s the drink that taught Australia to care about milk texture, well before the flat white travelled anywhere,” says Geshos. “It fell out of fashion, not out of quality. Made properly it might just be the better drink, that contrast of silky foam against the espresso is a genuine sensory experience and there’s real skill in getting it right.”Paul Geshos, owner and founder of Mecca, which this year turns 20 years old. Dion GeorgopoulosAt specialty coffee wholesalers Market Lane in Melbourne, the latte is their most popular order across their 12 cafes, followed by the flat white and then at number three, the cappuccino. The flat white remains the most-ordered coffee at both Single O and Mecca. But increasingly in Sydney and Melbourne we’re seeing other drinks gain in popularity, like cold foam coffees and matchas. Whatever the order, grabbing a coffee these days seems less about fulfilling a need, and more about having an experience. The average person cares a lot more about what they’re drinking, and they know more, too. “Australian consumers are seeking out coffee that is distinctive and memorable,” says Market Lane co-founder Fleur Studd. “When you walk into many cafes in Australia now, the barista will be able to tell you where your coffee was grown, who produced it, and what variety it is.” Market Lane co-founder Fleur Studd.Eddie JimMichael Brabant, CEO of specialty coffee roaster and cafe Single O in Sydney, describes it as “a whole set of rituals: filter on tap, batch brew, cold brew, iced everything in summer, matcha at the same counter. And people are drinking less, but better.”Geshos reckons Sydney coffee culture has grown up. “The cafe has become something bigger than a place to buy coffee. It’s the daytime pub, the public living room, the place people go to meet, work and connect. Watching that shift happen has been one of the privileges of doing this for more than 20 years.”Waiting for coffee at Single O in Sydney’s Surry HIlls. SuppliedClassic cappuccino milk art.Dion GeorgopoulosI’d like to think we’ve entered our no-judgement era when it comes to what we order. That no coffee order now gives you any greater street cred than another. “What’s interesting is that cappuccinos over-index everywhere except specialty cafes,” says Single O’s Brabant. “So the country loves a cappuccino. It just doesn’t love telling a specialty roaster about it.” Does that mean there are a whole lot of closeted cappuccino lovers out there, too ashamed to froth-on in public? That just makes me want to order one even more. But does that make it the vodka, lime and soda of the cafe world? A drink that’s the backbone of the bar, but a little repetitive to make, and slightly cringy to order? The new Mecca Coffee on Foley Street, Sydney. “I think making a lot of something takes on more meaning if you are excited about the product you are making,” says Studd, “and understand the work that has gone into producing it and feel connected to the people who have grown it. There is also an art to pulling a great espresso and steaming and pouring milk – these things require care and attention to do them well.” Paul Geshos says vodka, lime and soda is the drink for people who don’t really care about the drink itself. The cappuccino is the opposite. “It’s a maximalist order: Foam, texture, chocolate, the works. If anything, it’s the negroni of the cafe world: a classic that fell out of fashion for a while but never stopped being excellent.”Explore the 100 Sydney Essential Cafes and Bakeries of 2026 and the 100 Melbourne Essential Cafes and Bakeries of 2026 in the Good Food app. The app is available as a standalone subscription and is included in premium digital subscription. 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