Our Story

Café Hernandez was one of Sydney’s most iconic coffee bars. We served expressos made from coffee beans freshly roasted daily on site to a legion of devoted fans. Since opening our doors in Kings Cross in 1972, our cafe has enticed customers (including the rich and famous) with its chilled bohemian vibes, the heady aroma of our non-stop bean roaster – and of course the unforgettable flavour of our coffee. Not to mention we opened 24 hours a day, seven days a week for thirty years!

A Rich History

Our cafe emerged from the stuff of dreams. Founder Joaquin Hernandez Snr is credited with bringing coffee culture to Sydney back in the day when tea ruled supreme. He arrived from Spain with little money and almost no English. But that didn’t stop the former quality controller of raw coffee beans from having great ambitions. With his distinctive style of roasting and blending coffee using only the best quality, freshest beans, word soon spread. The rest, as they say, is history.

Joaquin’s legacy lives on

Our family business has experience in coffee since 1955. Joaquin Snr started his journey in coffee that year, grading the quality of beans and transporting them from the ports to the coffee roasters all over Spain. He built his reputation from his uncompromising attitude and passion for quality. Traditional roasting and blending techniques have been handed down through generations of Hernandez members. Now the cafe is no longer open at Kings Cross Road but Joaquin Snr’s son, Joaquin Keno Hernandez continues to roast nearby and trade on the online shop. Here, you’ll find 15 blends and varieties from the world’s superior coffee centres.