Although Australia is a tea-drinking country (tea is an export crop), it's also a coffee-drinking country (it exports coffee as well), and Sydney puts Seattle to shame. If you ask for "American" coffee in Sydney, you will be served either instant coffee or decaf, or both. If you want brewed coffee, ask for "filtered" as the standard restaurant coffee maker is an Italian pump-driven portafilter machine, the kind that makes espresso. The typical cup of coffee is called a "long black" which is an espresso with extra water pumped through, and espresso crema floating on top. Then there is the "flat white" which is an espresso with an equal amount of steamed milk. If you just want an espresso, ask for a "short black" since in Sydney all coffee is technically espresso.