Pokemeow Cafe — Restaurant in Sydney

Came here for lunch recently with a friend. The food was good and the drinks were fantastic, so no complaints there. The menu has changed since some of the menu photos were taken - farewell, sweet matcha french toast! - but still some good options available.

My main concerns appeared when we went in to see the cats. The first thing that hit us walking in was the smell of soiled cat litter - obviously difficult to completely eliminate but smelling stronger than it should have been if the litter tray was stored away from guests or cleaned more regularly. We were given shoe covers and explained the rules, and then handed a little paper cup full of cat treats.

The cat treats seemed very odd to me. Handing every visitor a handful of food has two very obvious detriments; one, feeding and health become IMPOSSIBLE to manage, because now you don't know what each cat is eating or how much, and two, it creates an unhealthy imbalance between cats and visitors, as they now have to choose between privacy (or even safety, if there are kids in the space, and there were when we visited) and food.

The effects of this were glaringly obvious to me. Every single cat I interacted with flinched when I tried to pet it. They approached me for food and then ran once they had it. I was almost bitten by one cat in its haste to get a treat out of my hand - no shame on the cat, that was my fault for holding the treat in a way that put me at risk, but if I could make that mistake then I can't imagine how many kids do. The cats were listless, uninterested; if they weren't hungry they were tucked into corners as far from reaching hands as they could be. They had few spaces where they could rest unobserved and unbothered by people. Only one showed any interest in play.

These cats did not seem happy. They barely even seemed present. It was honestly an incredibly sad experience for us as people who have grown up and still live with happy, active, playful cats.

I don't recommend pokemeow as anything more than a decent place to get a smoothie. And I'd very much like to see them improve their quality of care for their cats...

Cute but strange…

Went in today for a 7pm session with the cats, upon entering the cafe seemed quite untidy…. Guess it might be as a later booking in a sunday though. We showed our booking then got ushered into the cat area after ordering a drink each (drinks were lovely). It seemed slightly disorganised, but once we were in the cat area it was fine. There wasn't really a way to leave without awkwardly moving the barriers etc which i didn't necessarily want to do. Only rules were to not pick up the cats. The cats themselves are very cute and it was lovely seeing so many different breeds. The ambience was… slightly strange and awkward. Fluorescent lighting, furniture covered with old food and a lot of cat hair, no where to properly dispose of drinks etc so everyone left their cups just laying around. I think id recommend a midday session as is probably better catered for. The cats themselves seemed very disinterested in people and would run away or avoid being pet- I guess they are just very used to humans at this stage. Some even hissed and flinched when trying to gently pet them. The sphinx enjoyed hanging out in laps but was quite crusty and had goopy eyes (possibly infected). Very cute but really not my pick to have rub up against me. Having said this, it would be great to have proper spaces to sit and just watch the cats if they aren't the most cuddly, but the actual room was a bit jumbled, so it was either sitting in the floor or an ikea coffee table (there were few seats around but not enough to cater for the group). It would be nice to have actual table and chairs so you can read your book, browse phone or just hangout around the cats whilst enjoying a coffee etc. From what i could see the food looks great but haven't tried it. Wouldn't go back for the cat experience but great that this is in sydney and don’t regret...

As a local, I’ve always enjoyed this cafe. There are at least three other great cafes nearby that locals can choose from, but I realise what made me appreciate Pokemeow more than others was the friendly, attentive staff. Recently, I noticed that the entire team, including the front-of-house staff, has changed. I understand that turnover happens, especially in the hospitality industry, but I’ve found myself choosing other cafes lately.

I want to emphasise that I’m not criticising the current staff—they’re doing their job just fine. However, the previous team had a special warmth and welcoming energy that made a real difference. These days, I don’t feel as welcomed when I visit. It might just be a cup of coffee in the morning, but for a local cafe, I’ve come to realise that the culture and atmosphere matter. It’s not just about getting a coffee; for locals, it becomes deeply ingrained in our daily routine. Again, the current staff are doing their job just fine. But in this local cafe ecosystem, when a customer isn’t completely satisfied with the experience, they have the option to simply choose another spot that better fits their needs and vibe. Most cafes deliver great coffee, great food, and a decent setting. Customers are then left with the experience created by the staff to decide whether to return or choose a different experience. I am choosing a different experience. Thought the owner might appreciate to hear...