Michael says his order was number 183 at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Martin Place this morning.

It is a fact that separates the barrister, by about 15 minutes, from the cafe customers now caught up in the siege that has put central Sydney in lockdown.

"The guy who served me ... no doubt [is] being held hostage, which is tragic," he says.

Michael says it was a relatively quiet morning when he placed his 9.22am order before lingering in the cafe for a few minutes after running into a client.

"It wasn't what I would consider to be busy," he says, noting there were about 15 to 20 people, including a cafe staff of at least four, at the time of his visit.

-- The Sydney Morning Herald.