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MyHomeTownGuide. Where to eat in Sydney

February 28, 2014 by Tania 11 Comments

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I’ve put together a few of my favourite places to eat and drink in my hometown of Sydney. Do you have a favourite place in your town?”Sponsored Post – Myhometownguide by Fiji Water”

Pea pancake

 

Porch and parlours Pea pancake. 

Fiji Water are giving us the chance to show the world how great our hometown is by putting together an “earths favourite city guide” as voted by us and they want us all to be part of it.  To participate, just upload an image of your favourite spot in your hometown to Twitter or Instagram using this hashtag: #myhometownguide . You could win a getaway to any of the US cities featured in Earth’s Finest City Guide! then follow along on Facebook, Instagram and X.

fiji water picture

 

Fiji water competition is now closed but you can still visit the #myhometown guide

Here are my current 5  favourite haunts. Sydney is so full of places that could go into the Fiji water earth’s finest city guide it was a hard choice. See what you think about the places I go frequently.

Black Star Pastry:   Newtown and Rosebery

Black Star Pastry Newtown

Black Star Pastry Newtown

Black Star Pastry has somewhat of a cult following. I can understand that because I am one of the converts. You can visit this humble shopfront down a side street of Newtown and find a line out the door at any time of the day. There’s no room to even swing a cat in amongst the pretty cakes and pastries created by pastry chef Chris The.  This is not a cafe in the usual sense there are no tables and chairs inside, just a counter where you can order a coffee, and when the crowd parts and it’s your turn, you get just minutes to ogle those pretty pastries before you order. You will probably cop a serve of attitude with your coffee but all will be well with the world when you take your first bite of Salted Chocolate tart or the infamous gluten-free Strawberry and Watermelon cake. There are vegan Brownies with Salted Caramel Popcorn, Lemon Myrtle Chiffon Cake and Brulee Tarts all begging to be eaten.  Take them away or grab one of the wooden chairs on the footpath. The tiny shop kitchen has been outgrown and you can now visit them in a more cafe-friendly atmosphere a few suburbs away in Rosebery. Here you can buy lamb shank pies and french bread stuffed with well-sourced ingredients or just sit down with a selection of cakes and eat in peace.

Orange cake with cream cheese icing

Orange & semolina cake with cream cheese icing

Black Star :  277 Australia St Newtown New South Wales 2041

C1 85-113 Dunning Ave, Rosebery 2018

Black Star. Photo taken after 5 when the shop is shut. Still people there!

Black Star. Photo taken after 5 when the shop is shut. Still people there!

Porch and Parlour : Food and Wine, Bondi

Porch Food and Wine

Porch Food and Wine

Porch and Parlour is like going to a friend’s house. It’s laid back. I am even at home with the chef having a little karaoke moment while cooking my lunch, because I just want to stay and try everything on the menu. They describe themselves as “simple, seasonal and creative”, and I think that just about covers it. There is a genuine sense of community and hospitality. The ocean is just across the road and you can take a pew outside and enjoy a Will & Co coffee while waiting for a Green breaky bowl with kale, spinach coriander, mint, parsley, eggs and avocado for $16. Or maybe a Breaky Wrap with scrambled eggs, bacon, spinach and beans is more you  $12

Lunch may tempt you with a Steak sandwich, red onion jam, chimichurri and fried shallots $16 or even Seared Ocean Trout with wilted kale, quinoa, lemon and black sesame-crusted egg $22. It’s all well-priced and so much more than it sounds.

There are no dude food sliders or cheesy sauces, it’s fresh and just as healthy as you think you might want to be on any given day. Drop by for dinner, I want to try the Coconut lamb fillet, coriander, macadamia, cucumber and mint with labneh $26 and I want to have a glass of wine at sunset from the mostly Australian list of wines, beers and ciders all very reasonably priced…..no wait maybe a vodka and lime. Does this place have everything?

Steak sandwich

Steak Sandwich

Interior of Porch and Parlour

Berry smoothie. Once made the extra portion that didn't fit the jug was brought to us as well. Waste not want not. Thanks <3

Berry smoothie. Once made the extra portion that didn’t fit the jug was brought to us as well. Waste not want not. Thanks <3

17/110 Ramsgate Ave, Bondi Beach

The Grounds of Alexandria

Even if this wasn’t the most blogged-about cafe in Sydney, it would still be famous and that’s because it is just a plain good idea.  It’s so popular it attracts crowds that are now managed with an outdoor station that takes your name, gives you a vibrating buzzer and encourages you to wander the garden.  This is firstly a coffee venue, although I think you may be distracted by the beautifully renovated wooden interior of the old warehouse facade. You may also be distracted by the large garden that houses outdoor tables and outdoor kitchens selling cakes and pastries as well as pizzas, fruit and drinks, you may even end up eating here instead of going indoors. They grow some of their vegetables and along with an outdoor children’s play area, they have a couple of cute animals for petting. But back to the coffee……..

The coffee station

The coffee station

Inside

Quinoa rolled eggs and tomatoes

Quinoa rolled eggs and tomatoes

There are two stations in the restaurant. One doing take away coffees along with breads and pastries. The other purpose build brew bar punches out drip filter coffees and coffees created on a specially designed coffee machine. One side of the cafe is devoted to roasting beans while the bakery kitchen is fitted with an imported German bread oven. With all of this lining up and people watching you are going to need some food.  Fresh is a mantra here along with comforting favourites such as a herb-crusted schnitzel cut thick and still soft and juicy, and big beautiful crunchy salads- no caesars in sight, thankfully—seasonal offerings such as beetroot, orange and goat’s curd ($14) with crunchy hazelnuts. You could try the soft-boiled and peeled egg rolled in toasted Quinoa with roast tomato and rocket $14, or Pappardelle with slow-braised lamb and peas ($17) There’s the Grounds Burger ($18) of dry-aged Angus beef, cheese, tomato, house pickles and fat chips.

The bakery kitchen

The bakery kitchen

DSC00115

Weekends now include market stalls in the garden and there is an expansion into the building next door to include a potting shed and add more growing area. This place is inspiring and leading the pack. Note: You will have to wait.

The Grounds of Alexandria: Building 7, 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria

Gelato Messina : Sydney

Ice cream is usually for hot weather but not gelato Messina This gelato is for all weather. When something suddenly becomes popular it’s easy to think they are an overnight success but this very special Gelato business is not. Nick Palumbo is the inspiration behind this burgeoning empire that now boasts 4 stores in Sydney, 1 in Melbourne a laboratory kitchen and a “Gelato University”

Gelato cakes

Gelato cakes

Nick was in debt when he opened his Darlinghurst store and teamed up with a chef to create high-quality gelato in ever-increasing flavours. He’s a bit of a scientist dreaming up ways to produce incredible gelato cakes and flavour constructions and encouraging his test kitchen chefs to work on natural well defined flavours. Australia day might see Pavlova ice cream or even Beer sorbet or Anzac cookie gelato. Anything is possible. Everything used in Messina gelato is made in-store. Cookies and cream, yep cookies made here.  He has a repertoire of over 500 flavours. There are special boards at each store allowing regular customers to experiment. This also tests flavours for popularity and feedback before they become regular flavours in the counter. Don’t worry though it’s not all about science you can still have vanilla or raspberry or chocolate and salted caramel but you might just like to throw in a Persian Rocky Road made with white chocolate and rosewater gelato and chunks of house-made Middle Eastern flavoured rocky road… well?

The counter

The counter

Legions of fans have gradually grown. They have grown to such an extent that customers line up obediently behind the confines of a red velvet rope. Sometimes this line snakes down the road and looks a bit like there is some amazing nightclub in there behind the ice cream counter.

Lining up at Messina even on a Wednesday night at 6 pm

Lining up at Messina even on a Wednesday night at 6 pm

Specials tonight

Specials tonight

Some of the wilder creations were served up at this year’s Sydney Festival.  A twisted Hot Dog was genius. A milk chocolate gelato sausage served in a warm finger bun (brioche like), with Passionfruit “mustard and raspberry “ketchup”  buttercream “mayo” and coconut “onions”. This place has got Home town favourite written all over it.

"Hot dog" ice cream

“Hot dog” ice cream

See here for locations of Gelato Messina

Young Henry’s : Newtown

Young henry's

Young henry’s

Have you ever wanted to go to a brewery and talk to the guy that makes the beer?. Yeah, well here’s your chance. Not only can you engage one of the passionate brewers at Young Henry’s in conversation, but you can do it with one of their beers in hand. This brewery right in the back streets of Inner Western Sydney’s Newtown started with a group of passionate brewers. They wanted to make natural small scale beers and ciders and be able to collaborate with restaurants and other businesses by creating specialty flavours and one-off specials.

Young Henry's lounge

Young Henry’s lounge

The Young Henry's Micro Brewery

The Young Henry’s Micro Brewery

That’s what they do in increasing increments. They make English-style bitter, an unfiltered natural lager, a hop ale and a“tart” cloudy cider. You can buy a paddle and taste the lot for around $10.00.  This is a place for tasting and if you want to make an afternoon out of it bring along your favourite food. Maybe a few cheeses to match your beer or even pizza if you insist.

Flight of Young Henry's brews

Flight of Young Henry’s brews

There’s a cellar door here too. Take away your favourites in a returnable “growler”.  Opening hours are Monday to Saturday: 10am – 7pm.

Units D & E, 76 Wilford St.  Newtown, NSW 2042

Growlers

Growlers

The Equipment

The Equipment

Here is your opportunity to win a trip thanks to Fiji water

NOW CLOSED>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Show us your favourite spots to eat, stay and play in your hometown and win a getaway to any of the US cities featured in Earth’s Finest City Guide! To participate, just upload an image of your favourite spot in your hometown to Twitter or Instagram with hashtag #myhometownguide and you will be entered to win automatically.”

signiture

 

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Filed Under: reviews Tagged With: #myhometownguide, bondi, Fiji water, messina, newtown, porchandparlour, Syd, sydney eats, Young henry's

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gelato Gourmet

    December 16, 2021 at 2:50 am

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful insight and shared experience.
    Gelato is not just another dessert, for us, it’s a form of expression.
    We use premium gourmet ingredients to prepare mouth-watering that you simply cannot resist. Our gelato recipes have won accolades
    We scoop happiness in every cup of gelato, design dreams in every cup of coffee, and serve memories in every piece of cake.

    To know more information,
    please visit our Website:https://www.italiangelato.info/gelato-business/insights/gelato-gourmet.kl

    Reply
  2. InTolerant Chef

    March 3, 2014 at 9:35 am

    What wonderful places to explore thanks Tania! Those cakes look gorgeous, but I’d love a nice mix of gelato thanks xox

    Reply
  3. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

    March 1, 2014 at 7:07 pm

    Porch & Parlour is a new one for me but I like your other food choices so I should give it a go. Young Henry’s beer is everywhere nowadays. I should try that too!

    Reply
  4. Choc Chip Uru

    March 1, 2014 at 4:00 pm

    I am jealous of your review life, you go everywhere 😀
    It was awesome meeting you at Mooberry!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
  5. Asmita

    March 1, 2014 at 11:38 am

    Wow!
    Everything looks awesome!

    Reply
  6. Diane

    February 28, 2014 at 11:32 pm

    You really manage to capture the spirit of the place- in images and words. Always inspiring!!! Thank you!

    Reply
  7. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

    February 28, 2014 at 4:26 pm

    Clever. You really get around, Tania!

    Reply
  8. yummychunklet

    February 28, 2014 at 2:35 pm

    Great looking dishes!

    Reply
  9. Gourmet Getaways

    February 28, 2014 at 1:49 pm

    WOW!
    I can see why these places are your favourite. The orange and semolina cakes are so pretty and the steak sandwich WOWWY!

    Reply
  10. Hotly Spiced

    February 28, 2014 at 12:06 pm

    This is a great post – just so many great places here and awesome looking food. I love the image of the gorgeous semolina cakes – yum! Thanks for giving me ideas of a few more places to explore xx

    Reply
  11. Claire @ Claire K Creations

    February 28, 2014 at 11:00 am

    I definitely agree with Messina. Yum! Hoping to get to grounds of Alexandria on my next visit too.

    Reply

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Tania Cusack Hi, I'm Tania and this is My Kitchen Stories. I share all kinds of recipes here. Most recipes are quick and easy, just perfect for families. BUT, you could also find vegan, cakes and desserts too. Come and have a look around Read More
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