This gallery contains 6 photos.
A return visit to a highly-ranking café on the SoS charts! La Grande Bouffe has proven itself to be a French-based breakfast, lunch and dinner destination but it’s always good to revisit to ensure our reviews are reliable. See the … Continue reading
This gallery contains 12 photos.
If you want to go on a picnic but can’t be bothered organising the food, drinks and blanket, look no further than STORE Espresso. It’s located next to Camperdown Park, just off Parramatta Road in Sydney’s inner west. If picnicing … Continue reading
This gallery contains 11 photos.
Revolver is a hive of activity when we arrive on Saturday morning. Lucky for us a group are just leaving so we snap up a table inside. A range of mouth watering treats are on display as we walk in. … Continue reading
This gallery contains 6 photos.
The White Rabbit Gallery is hidden in the back streets of Chippendale. It houses an impressive range of modern Chinese art (post 2000) with exhibitions changing regularly. The building itself is a stunning example of modern architecture stunning and entices you inside. … Continue reading
This gallery contains 9 photos.
The street is really quiet. Construction has stopped for the weekend at the massive hole in the ground up the road and it feels like a ghost town . We double check the address and sure enough Mission Restaurant and Bar appears before our eyes. It’s an … Continue reading
This gallery contains 5 photos.
The Kick Inside feels more like a home than a café. Walking into the bustling establishment, we were greeted warmly and offered a seat on the couch and coffee while we waited. The kitchen is lined with 70s kitchen accessories … Continue reading
This gallery contains 11 photos.
Belljar is now six months old and making parents Sam and Angela proud. The café is just as charming, possibly more colourful and offers a larger selection of items on the menu compared to when we visited earlier this year. They now … Continue reading
This gallery contains 9 photos.
Orange Peel Café sits on a sun-drenched corner of suburban Balmain backstreets. You’d think this would make for a quiet location but not only were seats hard to find but there was also a lot of traffic that disrupted conversation. We … Continue reading
This gallery contains 12 photos.
If you like good views, great food and adorable dogs, this is the café for you! Blackwattle Bay café sits on the water’s edge in Glebe, across the bay from the ANZAC Bridge. It is still a relatively new addition … Continue reading
This gallery contains 6 photos.
Situated just off busy King Street in Newtown, Luxe Bakery and café has taken up residence in an old house. The interior is quite spacious and airy – the skylights and high ceiling gives it a nice open feel. The … Continue reading
This gallery contains 11 photos.
Belljar café was born on December 18, 2010 to attentive parents Angela and Sam. They chose a residential site in southern Newtown in order to create a “hidden gem” for locals. The café is small and looks like a funked … Continue reading
Clipper Café
Clipper Café is a popular spot on Glebe Point Road. The awnings outside are cute and the décor is cool. The day we visited it was very busy, noisy and warm. There weren’t any tables available when we arrived but after a short wait we were ushered inside. There is an interesting range of choices available on the menu. Some that grabbed our attention included the toasted panini with King Island brie, prosciutto and mushrooms and the beetroot with Yarra Valley goat’s cheese, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and sherry vinaigrette.
Latte
Our guest ordered a large latte ($3.50, small $3). It was a standard coffee with nothing memorable about it.
Home made iced tea
We also ordered a home made iced tea ($4.50). It is a refreshing twist to the standard cup of tea for the summer months. It contains black tea, lemon and ice however most of the ice had melted by the time it arrived. More ice and lemon would have made for a much more refreshing drink however it’s nice to see something different on the menu and we would happily order more.
Delight fruit juice (pear and kiwi)
Clipper has a variety of freshly squeezed fruit juice mixes. They are all $5 and include delicious sounding combinations such as Detox (apple, orange, carrot and ginger) and Refresh (watermelon, ginger and lemon). Dane chose the Delight which was an extremely tasty mix of pear and kiwi. Some more kiwi would have been nice as it was a bit hard to pin down its flavour.
Fruit salad
As you can see from the photo above, we received a generous and varied serving of fresh fruit salad with yoghurt and honey ($11). Although quite expensive, the fruit was fresh, ripe and well presented. We particularly liked the thin slices of pear which were soft when you bit into them. There was also a thin drizzling of honey over the fruit which added an extra layer of sweetness. If you prefer to add you own honey or yoghurt, order it on the side.
Free range poached eggs served on organic Italian ciabatta with Italian prosciutto, tomato relish, roasted tomato and pecorino cheese
There are two versions of the poached eggs on ciabatta ($12 each). The one we didn’t try is a vegetarian dish with roasted mushrooms, pesto and pecorino cheese. The prosciutto version that Dane tried tasted amazing. This is such a simple and obvious combination of great flavours – how could we have not tried this ourselves or seen it elsewhere? The cheese and prosciutto work very well together and the eggs had been prepared just right, the yolk delightfully soft and runny.
Clipper baked eggs with lamb sausages
Our guest was not impressed by the Clipper baked eggs with lamb sausages ($11). The tomato was overwhelming and the the ingredients were not in the ideal proportions. The bread was adequate but not fresh and delicious as you would expect from a trendy cafe in Sydney’s inner west. You can also order the baked eggs with roasted mushrooms or Italian chorizo, all the same price.
Clipper Café
On Saturday mornings Glebe Point Road is bustling with shoppers from the markets and people looking for a good feed. We recommend a stop off at Clipper first them wandering around the markets for a bargain. In the summer bring your swimming costume for a swim at the Victoria Park Pool. It is an outdoor pool that caters for all the family. If you would prefer to avoid the heat, Broadway shopping centre just off Glebe Point Road houses a cinema complex, bookstores and green grocer.
Taste: 
Presentation
Service:
Atmosphere:
Value:
Overall Rating: 18.5/25
Phone: 0411 800 063
Address: 16 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, 2037
Payment Options: Cash only
The breakfast banquet at Kazbah came highly recommended from a few friends so we had to give it a try. The venue is so popular that you’ll have to book weeks in advance for a reasonable weekend sitting. We called one week prior and managed to squeeze in a time-limited booking at 1pm. Kazbah was packed when we arrived and we had to wait 15 minutes or so for our table to become available. When we sat down the noise from other patrons was almost unbearable and we could hardly hear each other. We were happy to deal with the noise once we read the mouth watering items on the menu. It contains a mix of Middle Eastern and North African dishes which differentiate Kazbah from many other cafés in the area. Unfortunately we only ended up with a party of 4 so alas no breakfast banquet, however the meals were still pretty impressive.
Peppermint tea
Our guest Theo tried the Moroccan mint tea ($4). Also available as are herbals: peppermint, chamomile, sencha, carcade (Egyptian Hibiscus). Our guest found the tea rather disappointing and not at all as refreshing as he’d hoped. The glass was unique and interesting. At least it was nice to look at. Kazbah also offers a range of the regular teas: English breakfast, Earl Grey, Darjeeling ($3.80).
Freshly squeezed watermelon and ginger
The freshly squeezed juice of the day ($6.50) was watermelon and ginger which was very strong due to too much of the latter. We didn’t find the mix to be a successful one.
Turkish coffee
April tried the Turkish coffee ($4) which was so thick she had to chew it slightly. We were told that the secret is to bring it to a gentle boil 3 times before serving it. It was sweet from the sugar but also retained some bitterness from the coffee. There was no milk to be seen and it was served in the most intriguing coffee pot.
Kazbah also serve the usual coffee fair for around $3.80 each.
Fried eggs with bacon and potato hash
Our guest Vijay tried the well presented fried eggs with Turkish toast ($12) and bacon and potato hash ($3.90 each). The bacon and eggs were cooked perfectly and were a good serving size. The pot hash we found to be firmer and denser than we imagined but they had a delicious and crunchy casing.
Breakfast Mezze
The breakfast Mezze ($17) hommos, labne, olives, kasseri, fresh tomato, mint, dukkah, Za’atar (mixed spices) and Lebanese bread was a dazzling sight. Presented beautifully with the Lebanese bread rolled in the centre and fresh mint and tomatoes, it was a nice change from bacon and eggs. The salty flavours are great after a big night out and the labne and hummus were smooth and fresh. We felt transported away to another time and place.
Lamb mince breakfast tagine
Our guest Theo tried one of two breakfast tagines ($18.50) lamb mince, sucuk, spinach, roast capsicum, roast tomato, caremalised onion, feta, eggs, Turkish toast, Lebanese bread.
His comments:
The best thing about Kazbah, is that they don’t just do Moroccan variations on familiar brunch themes, but fully-fledged Moroccan dishes with a hint of what you’re used to mixed in, just to reverse the entire experience and give you an entry to Moroccan cuisine that perhaps you haven’t had yet. That’s the beauty of their breakfast tajines, served in the clay bowl with the typical conical lid, which keeps the whole dish cooking in its own little private oven. The lamb mince tajine is intensely flavoursome and warming; the main ingredients (tomato, onions, red capsicum and of course lamb mince) are soaked through with gentle aromatic spices, and on top are two eggs, poached just by being cracked into the stew. It’s a neat way to switch your priorities. The lamb has absorbed so many other strong flavours that when you taste it with the eggs it works just as well as bacon, but the longer you stay with the dish, you realise it’s something else entirely. It’s exactly the kind of persistent, subtle combination of tang and tenderness that you find in all kinds of Moroccan cooking, and the eggs are only a small feature. This can be a pleasant surprise both for those who haven’t sampled Moroccan cuisine – it only gets better from here – and for those who are used to it, who may well be amazed that the tajine could be such a refreshing idea at brunch.
Scrambled eggs
Dane ordered the scrambled eggs with Turkish toast ($12) and chose some of the very large selection of sides to accompany it. The eggs had been prepared extremely well – neither too dry nor uncooked. They held their consistency very well and served as a great base to…
Clockwise from top-left: lamb Merguez, pork belly shish kebab, labne and onion marmalade ($3.90 each except for pork belly: $5.50). The lamb sausages tasted fantastic. They were quite dry but this suited the consistency of the lamb and the flavours of the herbs. The pork belly did not seem to have anything added to it. There were three pieces on the skewer, all very thick and with a lot of sweet meat. The labne has been a favourite food of Dane’s since trying it at Foureightfive and combined very well in small amounts with the eggs. The onion marmalade was the champion side dish of the lot – it was quite sweet and turned anything it was combined with into a new flavour treat. We would definitely recommend the above combination of sides with your eggs. The kebab was ordered more just to experience a different flavour…
Taste:
Presentation
Service:
Atmosphere:
Value:
Overall Rating: 20/25 (one extra star added for uniqueness)
Website: http://www.kazbah.com.au
Phone: 9555 7067
Address: 379 Darling Street, Balmain, 2041
Payment Options: Credit cards, EFTPOS, cash
Deus Café
Deus café on Parramatta Road, Camperdown looks hardcore. Rows of motorcycles line the side of the building and leather clad men and women stride inside. While it helps to be a motorcycle enthusiast to shop at the store, the café next door is for everyone. The interior of the café is like a diner. Orders are taken at the counter and then you’re welcome to relax at large communal tables. There’s plenty to look at – display motorcycles are parked around the place, works of art hang from ceiling to floor and the plasma television shows black and white movies. Usually we detest televisions in cafés and restaurants however if they’re playing excellent films then we’ll cut them some slack.
Skim cappuccino
We order a skim cappuccino (price rubbed off blackboard). It satisfies our craving for coffee and as usual we want more. We also help ourselves to the self service water only to discover that they use disposable paper cups which is disappointing. We much prefer the environmentally friendly reusable option.
Strawberry milkshake
The strawberry milkshake ($6.50) has the right consistency and flavours. Served in the mixer as it should meant there’s a lot of milkshake for the price and they definitely don’t skimp on the ice cream!
Smoked trout and kipfler potato salad
The smoked trout and kipfler potato salad ($16) is part of the lunch time menu along with three other salads. Luckily the kitchen allowed us to order a salad seeing as it was already 11:30am. The potato salad consists of well cooked potatos (they are too often underdone) and a delicious mayonaise. The smoked trout is deboned but we found four escapes lurking in the depths of the salad. This is by no way a crime but it lowered our score somewhat. This is all topped with copious amounts of shaved celeriac and a warm poached egg and hollandaise sauce. The egg and hollandaise is prepared nicely and blended well with the trout and potatoes as we cut into it.
2 eggs and toast
Deus delivers the classics well. We ordered two eggs and toast ($8) (scrambled) which comes with plenty of egg, toast and butter. The bread wasn’t a jaw breaker and the eggs were a nice in between, neither runny nor dry.
Strawberry crepes with lemon custard and burnt orange syrup
A must try dish is the Strawberry crepes with lemon custard and burnt orange syrup ($13). The syrup was the standout which we finished by licking off the plate at the end. The crepes were soft and delicious however we prefer less custard as it tended to overpower the rest of the flavours. We’d like to see more crepes on the menu. They work well as a brunch treat.
Deus Ex shop
Deus is situated away from the busy cafe strips of King Street, Newtown and Glebe Point Road, Glebe. However this lends the café a certain charm. It is large inside and can accommodate a crowd without being overwhelming. It is wheelchair and pram friendly however it doesn’t seem to attract families with little ones. We also noticed a number of patrons ordering beer with their meals which is perhaps an easier way to ease into Sunday afternoon. The only downside is the dim lighting. We hope the café does well enough to expand and offer an outdoor dining experience (as far away from Parramatta Road as possible of course).
After your meal we recommend strolling around the store and admiring the bikes on display. You’ll soon fall in love with some of them as they are real beauties.
Eggs: Free range
Bread: Nonna’s Bakery
Taste:
Presentation
Service: 
Atmosphere:
Value:
Overall Rating: 16/25
Website: http://www.deus.com.au
Phone: 9519 3669
Address: 98-104 Parramatta Road, Camperdown, 2050
Payment Options: Credit cards, EFTPOS, cash
Pub Cha, Annandale Hotel
And now for something completely different… brunch this Sunday was Pub Cha! For the uninitiated, pub cha is yum cha at the Annandale Hotel. For the completely uninitiated, yum cha is a Chinese morning tea which centres around tea and dim sum. Pub cha then seems like an unusual concept but it works extremely well. In the handful of times I’ve been there, the only Chinese face I have seen was in the kitchen so it would seem that this is either Sydney’s best kept secret or frowned upon by yum cha purists. One reason for this could be that the dishes on offer are not only of yum cha origin. There are also Japanese and Thai/Malay delights on offer.
Pub Cha courtyard
Get the image of a dingy bar with yum cha carts peddling around out of your head. The dingy part is in the Annandale Hotel itself while pub cha gets its own courtyard and bar at the rear with ice cold beer on tap. The pub cha phenomenon is catching on fast though so booking is absolutely essential. Despite the sign on the exterior wall, the opening time is now 11am and even though there was only one other table of patrons when we arrived at 11:30am, the entire place was teeming with guests by the time we left.
Yum Cha... with beer!
If you haven’t been before, everything will be explained to you when you arrive. Briefly, you receive a pen and menu that lists every dish with boxes next to each item. Simply write the number of plates you want to order. The number of pieces on each plate is also included so you know how many you’ll receive. There is also a photo of each dish on the wall. Drinks can be ordered from the bar and the entire bill is settled after the meal. You will find green tea at your table almost as soon as you sit and sauces (soy, sweet chilli, chilli and plum) can be gathered by you from the counter in the corner or fetched by your waiter.
I would suggest ordering small amounts (3-4 plates) at first and then more later if you’re still hungry. Once the steam baskets start to arrive, they come very quickly so soon you’ll be bombarded with more food at once than you know what to do with.
BBQ pork bun
A yum cha staple and one of the favourites, the BBQ pork bun ($3). The bun itself was fluffy and light while there was plenty of pork inside. The pork is slow cooked in a mixture of oyster and hoi sin sauces amongst other ingredients and is actually quite sweet. Our first round of food included nine of these (for eight people) and they were enjoyed by all.
Tofu and vegetable satay
I did not take note of the name of the above tofu and vegetable satay dish but the sauce itself was fantastic – thick and peanutty on top, thinner below to dip the vegetables in. The vegetables were fresh and well cooked. Too much heat and they would have lost their colour and flavour but everything was still crunchy.
Chicken curry puff
One of our first signs that this is not all traditionally Chinese is the arrival of the chicken curry puffs ($5.50) (vegetarian also available ($4.50)). They were deliciously crunchy with a creamy chicken curry inside very similar in flavour to the Thai restaurant curry puffs we’re all used to.
Chicken satay
The chicken satay ($5 for 3) was always going to be popular at our table. They tasted better than we could have imagined with tender marinated chicken covered in the same thick satay sauce as the vegetable dish above. This was another crowd pleaser.
Salt and pepper calamari
As we started to realise our eyes may have been too big for our stomachs, the steam baskets kept arriving! The salt and pepper calamari ($7.50) was simply fantastic especially when combined with the sweet chilli sauce. The salt and pepper flavours were both strong but not overpowering.
BBQ beef
The BBQ beef ($7.50) was easily the most popular dish at the table. Tender and cooked medium, it was served with a chilli sauce that wasn’t as dangerous as we thought packing more flavour than heat. The serving was also very generous – many a pair of chopsticks was dipped into the basket before it was finished.
Prawn har gaeu
The prawn har gaeu ($7.00) was not to everyones’ taste but I thought they were fantastic. The prawn inside had been spiced and with a touch of hot chilli and soy sauce poured on top this dumpling tasted great.
Pork comibnation dumpling
The mind boggles as to what the ‘combination’ in the pork combination dumpling ($7) actually is. We hoped it was in reference to the combination of pork and spices which by the way tasted great. The dumplings themselves seemed expertly made and were a fitting finale to our meal.
The service was good during our visit but staff did start to become understandably flustered when the heavens opened and halved the number of available tables. The drinks and their prices were not reviewed this week because of the sheer amount of food to review and the fact that the beer, wine and soft drinks at pub prices don’t need to be critiqued. After our meals we enjoyed hot chocolates but coffee and Paddle Pops ($2) are also available. For something a bit unusual, pub cha is a must-try event. Even if you don’t enjoy yum cha, you’re likely to find something you will enjoy here.
Taste:
Presentation
Service:
Atmosphere:
Value:
Overall Rating: 19/25
Website: http://www.annandalehotel.com/anh/content.asp?id=143
Phone: 9565 2334
Address: 17 Parramatta Road, Annandale, 2038
Payment Options: Credit cards, EFTPOS, cash
2042 Café & Deli
While April took the healthy route this week and ran in the City2Surf, Dane continued on the SOS café quest. Newtown was the choice this week and I thought it was apt to visit a café that took it upon itself to represent the entire suburb through its name. You need to venture past the central Newtown area to find 2042 Café & Deli. Amongst the vintage, antique and button shops (no we’re not kidding, there’s a button shop) are some fantastic cafés. Seating on the sidewalk is limited but there is plenty of space inside including some very comfortable sofas.
Jams, rubs, chocolates and more...
Cheeses, meats, pastries, biscuits and pasta
For food lovers there’s plenty to look at and buy. From the meats to the jams, everything looked superb and a little bit different to what you’d normally buy in the supermarket. As well as the above, we also saw ice cream, olives, “healthy florentines” and teas.
The waitstaff were amongst the best we’ve met. They were professional, friendly and courteous. Seating us very quickly with a smile, we received menus and cold water almost instantaneously. We were served by a few people but the waiter that was with us the majority of the time was an extremely helpful and genuine soul.
Skim cappuccino
Coffee after my own name. “It better live up to it!” I thought. The mmms after every sip told me that it did. There was high praise from the coffee drinkers at the table as they enjoyed their skim cappuccinos ($3.50).
Lychee, mint and pineapple frappe
Two varieties of freshly squeezed juice are available: apple and orange ($4.50) as well as bottled orange, apple, pineapple, cranberry or grapefruit ($3.90). I chose one of the two frappes on offer: lychee, mint and pineapple ($4.50). This frappe contained less ice than I’m normally used to but the blend of fruit tasted fantastic. The top was frothy but still juicy and thirst quenching and the lychee flavour gave it a real boost. I wish it was more common in fruit drinks.
Fried eggs on toasted Turkish with hommus, parsley salad and smoked paprika
The name of the dish pretty much says it all. The fried eggs on toasted Turkish with hommus, parsley salad and smoked paprika ($11.90), althought not my cup of tea, was just what one of my guests wanted. She praised the combination of the parsley salad with the smoked paprika. The egg yolks were just soft enough to run when cut and unlike many of the cafés of late we could actually cut through the bread easily!
Fried eggs, bacon & cheese with BBQ sauce on Turkish
This was another café that really takes the simplicity of the bacon and egg sandwich and does great things with it. However rather than spicing it up with unusual ingredients as we’ve seen in the past (not that that’s a bad thing), 2042 perfects the flavours of their fried eggs, bacon & cheese with BBQ sauce on Turkish ($9.90). There were generous amounts of egg and bacon which was made even more decadent with melted tasty cheese. We found it hard to fault: filling, tasty, simple and well presented.
Corn & ricotta hotcake with bacon, rocket and green tomato relish
The corn & ricotta hotcake with bacon, rocket and green tomato relish ($14.90) presented a unique twist on the now ubiqitous ‘corn fritters’ and varieties thereof. The hotcake alone was a warm, moist and delicious item. The bacon above went with it very well but it was the rocket and the green tomato relish that gave the dish a whole new flavour. What looked much like a mango chutney can best be described as picalilly but with more of a curry flavour. I found myself using every last piece of food to spread the relish over as it quickly became my favourite taste at the table.
Much like the fried eggs and paprika, the flavours of the hotcake dish were not to everyones’ taste but luckily we all ordered well and according to our own preferences. Based on that, 2042 Café & Deli receives very high marks in all areas. The prices were also remarkebly reasonable which was a welcome change. I’ve never been so happy to hand my credit card over when I was being charged $42 for food of this quality for three people! Enjoying breakfast at 2042 means you have the rest of the day to enjoy the sights and sounds of Newtown. There are shops for all tastes, fashions and hobbies so be sure to soak up as much of the King Street culture as possible.
Taste:
Presentation
Service:
Atmosphere:
Value:
Overall Rating: 22.5/25
Phone: 9550 2500
Address: 403-405 King Street, Newtown, 2042
Payment Options: Credit cards, EFTPOS, cash
Deckhouse
Deckhouse opened in early July 2010 and it’s evident from the dining experience. The café hasn’t quite grown into its venue, which seems to be a restored boat shed at Woolwich dock. If you do manage to find the café (you have to walk past a boom gate and down the road) the views are stunning. This quiet part of the harbour has glimpses of the Harbour Bridge, parts of the working dock and of luxury yachts cruising by.
The views almost made up for the slow and inattentive wait staff we encountered. We were given glasses of water but waited another 15 minutes for our orders to be taken. The waiter didn’t know what items were on the menu or how much they cost. We hoped that before being allowed to work on the floor the management would check their staff knew what was on offer. The drinks and food arrived almost at the same time, some of the dishes were mixed up and one didn’t arrive at all. However, the prices are very reasonable and we hope that they will work out these problems over time.
Pineapple juice
The juices on offer are orange, apple, pineapple ($3.50 each), cranberry and ruby grapefruit ($4 each). Unfortunately these aren’t fresh so we were disappointed to receive our pineapple juice with preservatives. However you can see that the glass was very nice, a consolation point for that.
Chai vanilla latte and skim cappuccino
We ordered a skim cappuccino ($3.50) but were disappointed by the slightly bitter taste. It wasn’t anything special compared to what we’d had elsewhere. The chai vanilla latte ($3.50) looked very pretty but lacked flavour. We liked their choice of spoons; they had a nice weight to them and a good design.
Deckhouse fried eggs
The Deckhouse fried eggs with slow cooked tomato, basil and pork fennel sausage ($12) should normally look slightly different to the above shot. The bacon arrived with this dish but we had actually ordered it as a side for the next dish (the poached eggs). The tomato was also missing but was delivered to us on request. The pork sausages tasted better than the majority of breakfast sausages of most establishments. They were well spiced and decently sized. The eggs were cooked well – neither too soft nor too hard. We felt though, that to deal with the sourdough, we would have been better equipped with a chainsaw as it was very tough.
Slow cooked tomato
The missing tomato looked lonely when it arrived but was a welcome addition to the plate. The basil is there however there were only two small leaves and they added nothing to the flavour. The tomato was very watery and we’re glad we kept it on the sideplate or our toast and sausages would have been very moist.
Poached eggs on sourdough with sides of avocado and tomato
The poached eggs on sourdough ($8.50) is a simple dish that you can customise with the sides on offer. One nicety is that we were asked whether we wanted the poached eggs hard or soft, an option we’ve never had before. The eggs arrived soft as we requested. We added a side of avodaco and tomato ($4) as well as bacon ($4), the latter of which arrived on the plate above. The avocado and tomato serving was generous & fresh and pre-seasoned with salt and pepper.
Ricotta hotcakes, fresh banana and honeycomb butter
The Ricotta hotcakes, fresh banana and honeycomb butter ($8.50) was the stand out dish. The butter melted nicely over the pancakes and the banana added some needed sustenance. The presentation could be improved but they didn’t last long on the plate anyway.
Sourdough toast with avocado, roma tomato, goats cheese and balsamic
The sourdough toast with avocado, roma tomato, goats cheese and balsamic ($7.50) was fresh and filling. The goats cheese gave it a good depth of flavour and the the balsamic counteracted it with some sweetness. The price was surprising for this dish as we would expect it to cost around $12 at most other venues. The only drawback was the toughness of the sourdough. As mentioned above, it required heavy machinery to cut through it and our jaws had a great challenge of chewing through the crust.
If the fruit salad we ordered arrived, there would be a picture here.
Overall it was a good breakfast but didn’t live up to our expectations. Surely with big breakfast crowds on the weekends, the waiters will refine their performances. The crowd seemed to be mostly locals, consisting of retired couples and families with young children. Breakfast is served daily until 11:30am and is also open for lunch. If you’re planning to go, look it up on our map below first because the signs are very small and you might start to panic from hunger.
As a side note, the location and space of the Deckhouse Restaurant would make an incredible location for a wedding reception.
If you do make the effort to get to Woolwich Dock we recommend taking along a picnic blanket and a book. There is gorgeous parkland around the foreshore and after a big breakfast, all you’ll want to do is nap in the sun.
Taste:
Presentation
Service:
Atmosphere:
Value:
Overall Rating: 14/25
Website: http://www.deckhousewoolwich.com.au
Phone: 9817 4394
Address: End of Clark Road, Woolwich Dock, 2110
Payment Options: Credit cards, EFTPOS, cash
La Grande Bouffe
Any cafe that serves coffee in bowls and gives blankets to outside diners is a winner in our books. This is a cafe with a sophisticated menu at reasonable prices and Sydney seems to know. The place was bustling when we arrived at 10am and we had to wait a short while for a table. Inside we glimpsed baguettes, french toast with beautifuuly poached fruit and diligent floor staff taking and filling orders. We were given menus while we waited but we were too preoccupied watching the hive of activity to read it properly.
Skim Cappuccino
Cappuccino Bowl
It wasn’t long before we were seated inside (it would be a considerably longer wait for a table outside) and coffees came our way. We ordered the Skim cappuccino($3.20) and Large Coffee/Bowl ($4.00). While we both enjoyed our coffees, our guest preferred her skim cappuccino ordered the week before at Toast Cafe, Surry Hills. The bowl of coffee on the other hand was a huge success and April gazed dreamily into her chocolaty froth for an extended period of time.
Mixed Herb Omelette
Croque Madame with Fried Duck Egg (ham, cheese and duck egg on toasted brioche)
The Croque Madame with Fried Duck Egg (ham, cheese and duck egg on toasted brioche) ($12.50) also received rave reviews. While initially unsure about the flavour of a duck egg, our guest was happy with the reproduction of a classic dish. The egg yolk flowed out gently when cut with a knife and was mopped up with the thick slices of brioche. The salad helped balance the richness of the dish.
One drawback of La Grande Bouffe was the speed of the service. It took the staff longer than we expected to seat us and then they were scarce throughout much of our meal. At the beginning we noticed that they were playing loud music with a fast tempo. This made it hard for us to hear each other (combined with the chatter from other tables) and detracted from the atmosphere. We noted this to one of the staff and they were kind enough to change it for us.
We recommend getting to this cafe early to secure an outdoor seat. It’s fun to watch the array of people going by and it’s also much quieter. If you have time, stroll down to the walking track in Rozelle which is part of the ‘Bay Run’. If you’re feeling more lethargic the Rozelle Markets make for a fun afternoon with an array of second hand goods, plants and other surprises.
Taste:
Presentation
Service:
Atmosphere:
Value:
Overall Rating: 21/25
Phone: 9818 4333
Address: Shops 1 & 2, 778 Darling Street, Rozelle, 2039
http://www.lagrandebouffe.com.au/Payment Options: Cash, Cards
Posted in Sydney - Inner West
Tagged Dog friendly, Outdoor seating, Parking close by
Clover Café
You’ll be forgiven for regressing back to your childhood when you visit Clover Café. From the aeroplane mobile to the bowl of free balloons at the counter, there are touches of young innocence everywhere. The seating inside consists of a long communal table and several tables against the wall which themselves are quite long. This encourages strangers to sit together and hopefully realise that interesting conversations are just a shared table away. We seated ourselves on this cold and rainy Sunday and our drink orders were quickly taken. We had to wait a while before our food order was taken and the food and drinks seemed to take longer to arrive than we’re used to.
Skim decaf cappuccino
Flat white
The Skim decaf cappuccino ($3) and flat white ($3) had mixed reviews. The former was slightly cold and didn’t live up to our expectations. However the latter impressed our guest who decided to order another. It also looked more appetising as you can see in the delicious photo above.
Watermelon and orange juice
The drinks menu is small but contains what we believe to be the essential breakfast beverages. As well as the selection of coffees and teas, there are cold drinks such as iced coffee ($4.50), iced chocolate ($4.50 or small for $3), iced mocha, affogato or Virgin Mary ($4.50 each). For Dane, the fresh juices are where it gets interesting with offerings such as apple, carrot & ginger, carrot, celery, ginger & orange, watermeleon & orange and plain orange ($4.50 per glass). The watermelon and orange juice was a great combination: freshly squeezed and cold it is highly recommended.
Fruit toast
The fruit toast ($3.50) is served with butter and jammies. It lived up to it’s name and was bursting with fruit including apricots and sultanas. We would have liked a bit of extra butter as it quickly melted over the thick first piece.
Rabbit toast
Can you see an animal shape in the toast above? We had a hard time time deciphering it too. The Rabbit toast ($3.50) again with butter and jammies was reasonably priced but was cut too thin and lacked the texture of gourmet bread we have come to expect in Sydney. There also lacked a choice of jam flavours. We were given a jar of Hanks Mixed Berry Jam almost as an afterthought.
Poached eggs on toast, prosciutto, tomato relish and Pecorino
The cooked dishes made up for any disappointment with the toast. We relished every bite of the poached eggs on toast, prosciutto, tomato relish and Pecorino ($12.50). The dish is made even more flavoursome by adding slices of fresh tomato, spinach and balsamic. The flavours worked superbly together and made this a meal that we would definitely order again.
At the end of the meal the owner came around to personally check on our table and the charm of Clover grew on us. It you’re keen to try this cafe we recommend the cooked dishes. Leave the toast and jam for a lazy Sunday at home.
Taste:
Presentation
Service:
Atmosphere:
Value:
Overall Rating: 19/25 Phone: 0433 258 252
Address: 78 Booth Street, Annandale, 2038 Payment Options: Cash
