Review : The Commons - Local Eating House

32 Burton Street Darlinghurst

BREAKFAST

Weekends from 8am
LUNCH
Thurs-Sun 12pm-3pm
AFTERNOON DRINKS
Thurs-Sun 3pm-6pm
DINNER
Tues-Sun 6pm-Late

It is 10.30am on a Sunday morning & we are famished. We cannot decide where to go to for brunch. We hop onto the internet & google 'Brunch Sydney'.

One of the first listings we come across is a Gourmet Traveller article mentioning The Commons, and in particular its Corned Beef Hash.

Needless to say, I am a sucker for said hash, and as far as I'm concerned it is "decision made".

The Commons sits in a lovely old sandstone building just across the road from my hairdresser 'Get Smart'.

We grab a table in the front courtyard & glance over the menu.
Being a bit of a citrus fiend I am very taken by the sound of 'Iced Tea Caraffe - Lemon Cooler' (Lemongrass, Lemon Verbena, Peppermint, Lemon Myrtle), alas I am told it is not available! I make do with a cappuccino instead.

Buggles decides on an Earl Grey tea, which is served in a lovely little teacup.
 

The Commons doughy version


 

or....TCTCBN's  light, golden version. You decide!

 Being huge fans of the homemade crumpets at 'The cafe that cannot be named', we decide to give The Commons version a burl. Served with butter and honey, they are a disaster! Chewy, doughy & stodgy is the only way to describe them and they are not a patch on those from 'TCTCBN'.
Not a promising start at all.

Next for Buggles is the Cheese and Commons' Chutney Melt'. The flavour is really quite nice, especially the chutney, but the bread is way under toasted, so it is all a bit limp.

The side of corn fritters suffers from the same ailment as the crumpets, way too doughy by far. The side of bacon (replacing the unavailable sausage) however, is crispy.... although we could do without the rind.



The pasty version from The Commons

So to the moment of truth,  the reason why we came here.....The Corned beef hash & slow poached egg w/ confit cherry tomatoes.  It is a rather lacklustre affair when it arrives, everything is just pale looking.

Golden crispy version from Zinc

I was expecting a golden crispy fry up, similar to the spectacular Corned Beef Hash from Zinc.
The Commons version tastes as insipid as it looks.

Something has clearly happened since November 2010, as I have no idea how Gourmet Traveller could have listed this dish on its 'Great Breakfast Ideas'.

The service, it must be said, is very good.

However, as appealing as the dinner menu looks, based on this very ordinary brunch I cannot see us risking a dinner visit.

Squeak