Factory Espresso - By Night

Orange has a new swinging hot spot in the form of the Factory Espresso cafe at night time. The decor is identical to the day time,  except with some candles on the tables so the atmosphere can prove a bit sterile.

My girlfriend and I were they only ones in the place for a good hour until larger groups starting wandering in. Clearly a bit more marketing needed to get the word out there that it is open for wine and food at night. I hope this does happen, just so I can continue to have somewhere good to go on a Friday!

Being the only ones there we got to settle into the comfy lounges, which have a very regal air about them!

The wine list features plenty of local wines along with several European additions to mix things up a bit. Nothing stands out, I'm sure most people will be going in for pimms, belinis & beers anyway. I'd say room for improvement, but better than the pub options of McWilliams or Rosemount.

The tapas ranging from $8 - $10 include bowls of olives (I'd be giving these away for free just to encourage people in), garlic potatoes with chorizo, pate & bread etc etc. Unfortunately like all forms of tapas outside of Spain, you don't get very much for your dollar.

I really like the concept and the opportunity to socialise somewhere trendy, probably just needs to be busier and offer better value to customers. I will definitely be going back in the interests of good market research of course!

Factory Espresso - Bill's Beans

The hugely popular Bill’s Beans (on McLachlan St) have now opened a bigger, brighter, better café on Kite St in Orange, NSW. The industrial style fitout has retained the original brickwalls, exposed ceilings, roller doors and added some funky flair with large pendant lights, tiled front counter and colourful crockery.

The Factory is where the Bill’s Beans coffee beans are now being roasted; customers are very welcome to watch the ‘coffee happenings’ through a glass wall in the café. With a commercial kitchen and ten times the seating space the new Factory offers all that Bill’s Beans lacks.

The relaxing atmosphere and excellent service (a rare find in Orange) encourage customers to enjoy a leisurely meal with friends rather than just a rushed take away coffee. You can pay with card, the cakes are divine, the food portions are generous and plenty of local suppliers are on the menu. What’s not to like?

The Factory offers a decent breakfast (until 2pm) and lunch menu plus a wide selection of sandwiches and freshly baked cakes. I can give a huge thumbs up to the baked eggs, homemade baked beans, guacamole and turkish toast soldiers we enjoyed as part of a late brunch on the weekend. The coffee oozy caramel muffin pictured was very naughty but oh so nice, I highly recommend trying one. 

You can sample a good selection of coffee blends, fresh from the factory and served with optional brown sugar which meets Mr L’Orange’s high standards. The speedy service, friendly staff, good location and restaurant quality food all have Orange locals coming back for more. 

Only downside is that the Factory is not open later for post work café socialising.

The Factory is open seven days – 8.00am – 4.00pm.

 135 Kite St, Orange, NSW