Review : The Montpellier Public House - CLOSED

141 Belmore Road 
Randwick NSW 2031



Tel: 61 2 9399 9660
e: enquiries@montpellierpublichouse.com.au

Public Bar – 7 days – Midday to Midnight

Dining Room – Tuesday to Sunday – from 6pm

I ended up losing count of the number of times we said we would book a dinner at Balzac. It seems everytime we planned to, something came up, until finally Balzac closed its doors.

Thankfully we didn't have to wait too long for Matthew Kemp to reopen the doors again, this time under the guise of The Montpellier Public House.

Having learnt our lesson, we decide a visit this time is very much in order.

The restaurant is split in two - the Public Bar & the Fine Dining Restaurant. Tonight we decide to dine downstairs in the Public Bar.

Review : Orto Trading Co (Breakfast)

38 Waterloo Street

Surry Hills

0431 212 453
dine@ortotradingco.com.au


Dinner - Tuesday to Saturday nights from 6pm.
Brunch & Casual Lunch - Thursday to Sunday 8am to 3pm.

Buggles and Squeak have a favourite breakfast spot, Bar Mattino in Chippendale.
Bar Mattino is closed Saturdays, so we have always faced the dilemma of where to breakfast when those Saturday morning hunger pangs hit.

Fouratefive hit the spot for a while.... but seriously, who can be bothered queueing (no matter how good that toasted sandwich is!).

Well thankfully, Orto Trading Co has stepped up to the plate and is serving one of the best & most imaginative breakfasts in Sydney.

Review: momofuku seiōbo

The Star
80 Pyrmont Street
Ground level
cnr Edward & Union Street
(Entrance opposite Adriano Zumbo's)

Dinner only from 7pm
Mon-Sat


Could we have been more excited to snare a booking at the hotly anticipated momofuku seiōbo? Excitement and fear (given David Chang's infamous dislike of bloggers) are all melded into one as we prepare for dinner.
Squeak's food idiosynchrosies discussed and confirmed by the restaurant the day before we are truly excited by the prospect of dinner at Chang's first restaurant venture outside NYC. This excitement probably accounts for the fact we unintentionally turn up half an hour early. This is despite the number of times we walk past the place, and all around the casino, until a friendly casino staff member directs us to the ultra chic and understated entrance to Momofuku. 
All credit to the staff who do not bat an eyelid, seat us in the (what we thought) bizarrely empty restaurant and set us up with drinks.

Review : BLACK by Ezard

Level G, Harbourside,

The Star,
80 Pyrmont Street
Pyrmont

Lunch: Fri 12pm - 3pm

Dinner: Tue - Sun 5.30pm - 11pm

Ever since we starting reading about the grand plans for Star City, we have been looking forward to its opening, hoping for a dining precinct similiar to Crown Casino in Melbourne. We certainly felt as though we were getting our wish, when we heard David Chang & Teage Ezard had jumped on board & were both opening restaurants at the newly named 'The Star'.

As soon as bookings opened for BLACK we secured a table for a Saturday night that seemed 'oh so far away'; so we counted down the weeks, then the days until our designated Saturday arrived.

We arrive at 'The Star' early (luckily), as we do two laps of the casino before we actually find the restaurant.

The restaurant's timber facade is warm & inviting, the room with its dark tones feels comfortable, with large well spaced tables, with most facing the wall of glass looking out onto the harbour.

We are lucky indeed to score a table right beside the window as we watch day, slowly turn to night.

Review : Restaurant Atelier

22 Glebe Point Road
Glebe

p: +61 2 9566 2112
e: eat@restaurantatelier.com.au


Dinner:
Tuesday - Saturday from 6pm

We last visited Restaurant Atelier not long after it moved from Newtown to Glebe, so a very long time ago.

As anyone who reads this blog knows, we are massive fans of Bar Mattino & think that Sebastian Tyson is one fine chef. So when he, and his equally knowledgeable wife, Sigrid, talk up a restaurant we know they are not giving us a bum steer. So on their recommendation we finally pay a return visit to Restaurant Atelier.

The restaurant resides in a cute sandstone cottage near the Parramatta Rd end of Glebe Point Rd.

Inside the restaurant is cosy & comfortable and we are seated in the front section right next to the fireplace.

Review : Orto Trading Co

38 Waterloo Street
Surry Hills


0431 212 453
dine@ortotradingco.com.au 


Dinner - Tuesday to Saturday nights from 6pm.


Brunch & Casual Lunch - Thursday to Sunday 8am to 3pm


Orto Trading Co is another spot we have been meaning to visit for positively ages; you know how it is though....too many restaurants, too little money!


Anyway, as we near the end of our short holiday, we decide the time is right to pop in for a quiet mid-week lunch.


The restaurant has ample indoor & outdoor seating, and despite the very cute British bulldog sitting at an outdoor table, we choose to sit inside.

The room is light & airy thanks to all the glass; it is a very comfortable space with large tables sporting cute, little floral arrangements that suit the overall theme of the restaurant.


We order our food and kick back with a couple of beers.

Review : District Dining - CLOSED

17 Randle Street, Surry Hills

Sydney, NSW 2010

(02) 9211 7798
info@districtdining.com.au

Monday Dinner 6 - 11pm

Tuesday-Thursday & Saturday
Lunch 12 - 3pm & Dinner 6 - 11pm
Friday, open all day 12 - 11pm
Sunday long lunch 12 - 5pm

Today finds us lunching with our two favourite girls…..H & A.

We are heading to District Dining, and as none of us have dined here before, we are all quite looking forward to the meal ahead.


We initially have a little trouble locating the restaurant, but soon spot the Mondrian inspired panel out the front.
The restaurant is larger than expected, and at this time of day still relatively empty.
Once seated, we order a bottle of 2010 Pike & Joyce ‘The Bleedings’ Rosé, and glance over the menu.

Review : The Abercrombie

100 Broadway
Sydney 2000

9280 2178
info@theabercrombie.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/#!/abercrombiehotel?sk=info

Lunch and Dinner 7 days
 So now we move from the sublime to the ridiculous.
After our light, fresh & incredibly delicious lunch at JOHNANDPETER Canteen, we decide to do a complete 180 and visit The Abercrombie.

Recently refurbed, The Abercrombie sits on the corner of Broadway and Abercrombie Street.

When we arrive at around 12.30pm, the pub is still pretty much empty & we grab ourselves a cute little booth.

As mentioned previously we do have a soft spot for American diner type food, and while the Abercrombie is not strictly 'diner', it certainly is of that ilk. The Abercrombie menu has Buggles and Squeak written all over it.

Review : JOHNANDPETER Canteen (CLOSED)

245 Wilson Street Eveleigh 2015

canteen@johnandpeter.com

(02) 8571 9004
http://www.johnandpeter.com/

Mon - Tue: 12:00 - 15:00

Wed - Fri: 12:00 - 15:00; 18:00 - 22:00
Sat: 12:00 - 17:00; 18:00 - 22:00
Sun: 12:00 - 17:00

On this coolish, wet, blustery Spring day, we decide to head to Eveleigh & visit JOHNANDPETER Canteen for lunch.
Having missed the Canteen in its 'pop-up' form, we are certainly glad it has become a permanent fixture at Carriageworks.

On arrival our ears are bombarded with a cacophony of screams and wails. Having been blessed with NO children, we are blissfully unaware that Carriageworks is hosting the Sydney Children's Festival.
Undeterred however, we take a seat in the almost empty Canteen.

Review : Etch (CLOSED)

62 Bridge Street,
Sydney 2000 
9247 4777

info@etchdining.com

Monday to Friday 12pm - 3pm, 5pm - late

Saturday 5pm - late

It is holiday time again and there is no better way to spend a dreary, rainy, midweek day than leisurely lunching!

We last visited Etch not long after it had opened & even though we really enjoyed our meal, for some reason we have never made it back.

After an appointment in the CBD & with food on our minds, we decide to head to Etch to see what's cooking.

The restaurant is as cosy and inviting as we remember and we are really looking forward to the meal ahead.

Review : Four in Hand (Bar)

150 Sutherland Street
Paddington 2021

02 9326 2254  
bar@fourinhand.com.au

From Midday 7 days

The Four in Hand Bar menu has been on our hit list ever since we heard about their Sunday Roast.

Finally, on this lazy Sunday afternoon we decide to make the trip to Paddington and see what the bar has to offer.

Arriving at around 11.50am we can already see people milling about waiting for the pub to open....we are glad we got here early!

Review: Baroque

88 George Street (cnr Hickson Rd)
The Rocks, Sydney

Mon-Sat: Midday - late
Sun: Midday - 4:30pm


I love a macaron. Who doesn't? Squeak loves French fare. Who doesn't? It seems only natural that we should find oursleves lunching at Baroque Bistro one fair Saturday. We have been desirous of dining here for some time, but just hadn't quite got around to it, but finally we bit the bullet, and before we know it are seated in the open, busy and industrial inspired space that is Baroque with glasses of Prosecco in hand.

Review : Acqua Pazza Ristorante - CLOSED

1 Bent Street Sydney 2000

02 92470851
info@acquapazza.com.au

Open Weekdays 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm;
Sat 6pm-11pm

We don't tend to eat out in the CBD during the week....don't know why, but we tend to restrict our midweekers to Surry Hills or the Inner West.
That said, we have been very keen to try Mario Percuoco's (not so new) restaurant Acqua Pazza for a while now.

We arrive at around 6.30pm & locate the restaurant (which is part of the Winter Garden complex) easy enough.

The room is spacious, not too dark (which we love), with large tables & comfy chairs. It is a very inviting space.

We kick things off with a glass of Prosecco each while looking over the menu.

Review : Platform 7 (The Rebirth) - CLOSED

4 Burrows Avenue
Sydenham

Mon - Fri: 06:00 - 17:00

Sat: 07:00 - 15:00

Well it has certainly been a long time between breakfasts. After a couple of disastrous visits we swore we would not return to Platform 7.
Time however, has mellowed us & we decide to pop along to see if things have improved.
 
We secure a table & the first thing we notice is that the Sacred Grounds Fair Trade coffee has been replaced by the wonderful Rosebery's Allpress, which we certainly much prefer.
 

Review : Embrasse (A Spontaneous Return Visit) - CLOSED

312 Drummond Street
Carlton, Melbourne

03 9347 3312
info@embrasserestaurant.com.au

Wed-Sun Dinner from 6.30pm
Fri-Sun Lunch from Noon
Mon/Tues Closed

Cooty loves Italian food. Old school Italian, that is.



So the plan for this evening is to head to Lygon Street to see if we can find somewhere ‘old school’ enough.


However, after a very long day traipsing around the city and a matinee performance of ‘Love Never Dies’, Cooty decides that she would rather stay in with a pizza and a crossword.


So what are Buggles and Squeak to do? We want to go out to dinner, but we haven’t booked anywhere!!!


As we are staying in Carlton, we realise we are not too far away from Embrasse. So, pizza delivered we hit the road & make our way to Drummond Street.

Review : Chiswick Pizzeria Ristorante

3b-45 Blackwall Point Road
Chiswick

02 9712 1274
chiswickpizzeria@iinet.net.au

Tuesday-Sunday
5pm-9.30pm

So it is Saturday night, but not any Saturday night, this one finds us in a suburb we have not previously visited.....Chiswick.

There is no question that Buggles and Squeak love our fine dining, but we also love our comfort food...a lot.
Take our regular visits to Riccardo's and the
Pastizzi Cafe for example.

Chiswick Pizzeria Ristorante, sits on Blackwall Point Road, nestled between Abbotsford and Five Dock Bays, the view is quite impressive.

The restaurant this evening is positively buzzing, it is clear to see that it is very popular with local families.

Once seated we crack open a bottle of Pinot Gris and set about deciding what to order.

Review : The European

161 Spring Street
Melbourne

03 96540811
info@theeuropean.com.au

7.30am-3.30am daily

Well Buggles and Squeak are back in our favourite Australian city......Melbourne.

We are down here with Cooty, so know our dining options will be limited.

A work colleague suggested a restaurant in Melbourne that she rather fancied on her last visit, and on perusing the menu online, I realise that The European is probably a safe bet.

When we arrive the restaurant is still relatively empty, however in no time at all it fills up. This is one popular restaurant.

Review : Gotham (the Paying Visit) - CLOSED

35 Oxford St, Darlinghurst NSW
At the Hyde Park end of Oxford St.
Phone: 9283 1891
Email: info@gotham.net.au

Tue - Sat 5pm to midnight

The last time we visited Gotham a few months back, it was by invitation.

Time to pay another visit as 'paying customers' to see if we are still suitably impressed.

We still really love the space. Dark & intimate, perfect for catching up with friends over a cocktail or vino and a few shared plates.

Review : Bootleg Bar

175 Victoria Street
Potts Point
02 93613884


Tues - Wed: 16:00 - 23:00

Thurs - Sat: 16:00 - 01:00
Sun - 16:00 - 23:00

Victoria Street was home to me for a good 5 years, I loved living in Potts Point and always love to return.


Brunch is becoming a Buggles and Squeak favourite, so when 'Janice' left a comment on our blog suggesting we try Bootleg Bar, well it seemed a case of killing two birds with one stone.


Just down the road from Kings Cross station & next door to Soho Bar, Bootleg is a smallish bar with a New York sensibility.

Review : Booth Street Bistro

127 Booth St
Annandale NSW 2038
02 9660 6652
e: mail@boothstbistro.com

Tues-Sat from 6pm
Breakfast Sat & Sun from 8am


It has been a long time since Buggles and Squeak visited 127 Booth Street. The last time we were here we were dining at Three Clicks West! 
Having missed Da Gianni Trattoria altogether we decide it is time to return to 127 & see what Booth Street Bistro has up its sleeves.

When we arrive we the room feels quite familiar, not too much has changed from the old Three Clicks West days.

Review : The Bentley Restaurant & Bar (another laid back lunch at our favourite restaurant)

320 Crown Street Surry Hills
(02) 9332 2344
info@thebentley.com.au


Tues-Sat
Lunch and Dinner

The day is not going as planned. We are all set to have lunch with Cooty at Criniti's, but early this morning she phones to say she is feeling a little under the weather.

Not ones to let a lunching opportunity go by, we make the snap decision to head to Surry Hills and once again indulge in another spectacular Bentley lunch.

 When we arrive at around 12.45pm we have the entire restaurant to ourselves, we are seated at our 'regular' table and are really looking forward to the lunch ahead. 


Review : Bench Wine Bar

503-511 King Street
Newtown

Wednesday-Friday from 5pm
Saturday-Sunday from 4pm

We are catching up again with C1 & C2 and alas, once again, C2 is absent (we are starting to feel a tad paranoid!).
The three of us decide that some wine/cocktails & a few share plates are just what the doctor ordered! So it's off to Bench we go.

Finally! a drinking establishment in Newtown that seems to cater for us (ok, mainly me), the more geriatric set. I look around and I feel positively in 'bloom' again.

It is very pleasant indeed walking into this sleek, dimly lit bar. It is tiny, granted, but also very inviting.
We grab a spot at the end of the long communal bench, order a cocktail each and decide on what plates to share.

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.

Review : Bar H

80 Campbell Street
Surry Hills

9280 1980
enquiries@barhsurryhills.com

Lunch
Thurs-Fri Noon to 3pm
Dinner
Tues-Sat 6pm to late

Unfortunately we are heading towards the end of our week off. It has been a great week that has seen us visit Becasse, Four in Hand & Biota.

We have been meaning to visit Bar H for ages & a quiet Thursday lunch seems the right time to do so.

We secure a parking spot pretty much across the road, walk by cafe ish & grab a table at a very empty Bar H.

Review : Biota

Kangaloon Road,
Bowral

(02) 4862 2005
info@biotadining.com


mon: lunch & dinner
tue: closed
wed: lunch & dinner
thur-sat: breakfast, lunch & dinner
sun: breakfast & lunch

Bowral has long been on the Buggles and Squeak "places to retire" hit list. It sits there comfortably next to Daylesford (current leader) & Blackheath.

So it is with much joy & (not curbed) enthusiasm that we head down to one of a favourite locales for a spot of lunch at Biota.

It is freezing when we arrive at Bowral. Driving into the carpark we are immediately taken by the look of the restaurant, it looks cool & modern, yet warm & inviting all at the same time.

Review: The Fern

4 Pitt Street
Redfern

p: 83990070

Brunch
Tues - Sun: 8am - 3pm
Dinner
Thurs - Sat: 6pm - 10pm

Squeak has long regretted moving away from her beloved Redfern. Even before it became 'up and coming' she had seen its potential and always enjoyed the village vibe along with its proximity to all things Surry Hills! The Fern is just one place that has tapped into the potential of the 'fern along with  Pitt Street Diner, Patagonian Toothfish, Dryland Bar, Baffi & Mo and Eathouse Diner. The Fern is perhaps a little removed from the rest of these, being closer to Cleveland Street, but, being set a little back from the street in a lovely old terrace house makes for a charming setting for a spot of Sunday brekkie.

Review : Veda - CLOSED

85 Bronte Road
Bondi Junction

p: 02 9389 9950

e: veda@veda.net.au

5.30pm - late
7 nights


I look back on my time at Curlewis Street, Bondi with fondness.

Back then the ‘beautiful people’ were anyone who didn’t regularly put needle to arm.
Swimming in summer inevitably lead to an encounter with the ‘Bondi Cigar’; and in winter it became a ghost town, where the ever present junkies & grotty, old buildings just added to its abundant charm.

It was rough and scary, but thrilling at the same time.


Who can forget late nights drinking at the Bondi Tram; the blood splattered walls of the pool room at the Bondi Hotel and the freaky goings on at the legendary Astra Hotel….those were the days indeed, my friends.

There was no Icebergs, no North Bondi Italian. Fine dining was a counter lunch of meatloaf and 'deb' at the Bondi Hotel; or a dodgy pie from The Flying Pieman (rumour had it they contained cat food).


I miss the ‘old’ Bondi.


Buggles and I very rarely return to Bondi these days. We have made the trip for Icebergs, the occasional breakfast at Blue/Orange, the odd pizza & gelato at Pompei’s and the fantastic tempura vegetables & chips at Mongers.


We visit Bondi Junction even more rarely, usually just for a Gold Class session at the Event Cinemas.


So it is odd, that this Monday night, finds us standing outside Veda on Bronte Road.

Review : Ad Lib Bistro (Double Bay) - CLOSED

21 Bay Street
Double Bay

9988 0120
doublebay@adlibbistro.com

Tuesday-Sunday:
Lunch (from Midday) and Dinner (from 5pm)
Saturday/Sunday:
Breakfast from 9am

It is yet another cold, wet & windy Sydney day. We need comfort food, something warming to the body & soul. We have long wanted to dine at Dietmar Sawyere's Ad Lib Bistro and today seemed a better day than most to sample his take on bistro fare.

Ad Lib Double Bay is quite a large space with a classic 'bistro' fitout (think dark, warm woods & classic white tablecloths).

The menu is also classic bistro with entrees that include: Duck Liver parfait, Onion marmalade; Onion Soup Gratinee; Roast Portobello mushrooms, snails & parsley crumbs....all very appealing.

Review : Gotham - CLOSED

35 Oxford St, Darlinghurst NSW

At the Hyde Park end of Oxford St.

Phone: 9283 1891

Email: info@gotham.net.au

Mon - CLOSED

Tue - Sat 5pm to midnight
Sun - CLOSED


As huge fans of Laif Etournaud's (ex-Onde, Bistro Moncur and Berowra Waters) style of cooking (mustard crumbed beef cheeks, anyone?), we are really keen to see what he is bringing to Gotham now that he has signed on as consultant chef.
When you add mixologist extraordinaire, Dane Reid (Jimmy Liks) to the mix....well Gotham becomes a must do destination....doesn't it?

The question proves rhetorical as Squeak and I decide to stop in for one of those midweek early dinners that help shake off the cares of the working week. With the name intrinsically entwined with a New York sensibility Gotham promises much in terms of moodiness and sophistication, so expectations are high as we step over the threshold.

Review : Pitt St Diner

96 Pitt Street Redfern

Breakfast & Lunch
Monday-Sunday

I love Redfern. I have lived in Redfern on & off over the years, before finally settling in the Inner West about 10 years ago.

Talk of Redfern's 'transformation' has been ongoing.... finally though, things seem to be chugging along.

We return to 'the Fern' this Sunday morning for a spot of breakfast at the relatively newly opened Pitt Street Diner.

Review : The Green Room Lounge

156 Enmore Road Enmore
8021 8451


Tues-Thur 5pm-midnight
Fri 5pm-1am  
Sat 2pm-1am
Sun 2pm-10pm

We are wandering down Enmore Rd (prior to Jennifer Coolidge), looking for a bite to eat & perhaps a drink or two.

Thanks to a prior visit we now know that Pickwick's is out.

As we pass the myriad of Thai, Indian & Turkish restaurants we spot a sign that reads 'The Green Room Lounge'.

Intrigued we peer in, looking beyond the Twin Peaks-esque red curtains to spy a very funky, 1950's styled lounge/bar.

Review : Bilson's.....The Revisit - CLOSED

Bilson's Restaurant

Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney
27 O'Connell Street
Sydney NSW 2000


Phone:  8214 0496

Dinner Tues-Sat
6pm til late

After our recent dining experience at Bilson's, where we felt our expections were well & truly not met, we decide to try again to see if our second experience will bring those long held expectations to fruition.

This time dining on the L'Omnivore Petite menu ($145), we let all thoughts of our last visit go & start afresh.

Review : Pickwick's.... for dinner - CLOSED

129 Enmore Rd
Enmore

9557 2607
pickwicksbistro@gmail.com

Tue 8am-4pm
Wed-Sat 8am-11pm
Sun 8am-5pm

Our plan for the weekend was simple. Catch a movie on Saturday, potter about the house a bit in between, then lunch at the Four in Hand on Sunday. A spanner was thrown into the works when I spotted this comment on Pickwick's facebook page "All-day red wine braised beef cheeks / heirloom carrots / caramelized eschallots / garlic confit mashed potatoes". I am obsessed with beef cheeks, and as we had been meaning to revisit Pickwick's for dinner (after really enjoying their brunch), I convinced Buggles to forgo lunch at the Four in Hand in favour of dinner at Pickwick's.

When we arrive the restaurant is all but empty & we are sat in a dark corner under the stairs. We have forgotten that the restaurant is BYO, so I dash up the road & pick up, what turns out to be, a not so great Cooks Lot Pinot Gris (I really have to stop picking wine just because I like the look of the label).

Review : Bedlam Bar + Food

University Hall
2-12 Glebe Point Rd
Glebe

02 9660 6999
info@bedlambar.com.au

Open from 5pm 7 days


Munson diner started it all for me. One bite of that double cheeseburger (American cheese of course), bereft of salad and I was hooked. The standard Aussie burger with its lettuce, tomato & beetroot would never really do it for me again.



Buggles and I have had a long obsession with American Diner food. We both used to frequent Arnold’s Diner (yes, modelled on the Happy Days one), at Darling Harbour back in the day. We were regular diners at the Hard Rock Café, which while not technically “American Diner”, was the closest thing we had to it at the time.
 So it will come as no surprise that we are loving the current “dude” food movement and their take on burgers, dogs & fried chicken.


There are, of course, your more traditional diners such as Jazz City Diner. Well, we were beside ourselves when we heard it was coming to town….now if they could just sort out the service end of things, we would be very happy campers indeed.


With all that said, we are huge fans of The Norfolk, so when we started to hear about a little spot in Glebe that was being compared to the Norfolk, we knew we just had to visit.

Review: Foveaux

65 - 67 Foveaux St
Surry Hills

Lunch
Thurs - midday til 3pm
Dinner

Tues - Sat - 6pm til late

Foveaux Restaurant in Surry Hills has long been on our radar as a dining destination, but for some reason we have never quite made it there.... until recently. Nestled amongst a myriad of discount outlet stores for luggage, lingerie and manchester sits this little gem of a place that also houses the rather funky little cocktail bar The Red Door. 

Review: Avido (Dinner) - CLOSED

438 Oxford St
Paddington

Lunch
Thurs - Sat
Dinner
7 days from 5:30pm til late

We had a 'taster' of the Avido experience a little while ago with a sneaky mid week lunch. We were so impressed with the food that we decided to head back to see what dinner could offer.

Review : Gastro parK

5-9 Roslyn Street

Kings Cross 

Ph: 8068 1017

Lunch

Fri to Sat Noon - 2:30pm


Dinner
Tue to Sat 6pm - 10pm

For the first time in a long time, I feel as though I am cheating. Cheating on my mistress....The Bentley (Ok I did cheat once before with Vue de Monde, but that was just a one night stand & distance has unfortunately kept us apart). I feel cheap, I feel dirty.... but I can't help myself. I've found a new love & I can't wait to go back & do it all over again.
The new found object of my affection is Gastro parK.

Review: Cipri Italian

10 Elizabeth Street
Paddington

Telefono:  9331 3333

Tues: Dinner 18:00 - 22:00

Wed - Fri: Lunch 12:00 - 15:00
Dinner 18:00 - 22:00
Sat:  Dinner 18:00 - 22:00
Sun: Lunch  12:00 - 15:00
Dinner 18:00 - 21:00

The evening doesn't start well. We have arrived for our dinner & they don't have our reservation, oh dear. Luckily Cipri Italian seems to be more of a family/large group type of restaurant, so there are still a few tables for two available.

We like the feel of the restaurant straight away(especially when you consider how unattractive it appears from outside). Dark, moody lighting, well spaced tables, friendly waitstaff; it ticks a lot of boxes.

Review : Zinc

77 Macleay Street
Potts Point

Breakfast

Mon to Fri 7am - Noon
Sat 7am - 3pm
Sun 8am - 3pm


Lunch
Mon to Sun Noon - 3pm


Dinner
Tue to Sat 6:30pm - 10pm


The bellies are calling out for sustenance, they don't care that it is Anzac Day & that it is raining. Buggles and Squeak must heed the call.

We're not sure what will be open today or what we feel like eating, but decide that heading to Potts Point is probably a safe bet.  
As we drive down Macleay Street we notice a rare parking spot right outside Zinc....decision made! 

Review : Bilson's - CLOSED

The Foyer
Radisson Plaza Hotel
27 O'Connell Street
Sydney

Dinner
Tuesday - Saturday
6pm til late

Our experience with Bilson's had started 5 weeks earlier. I noticed that their website stated "that dietary requirements are catered for with sufficient notice"; as someone who doesn't eat seafood (unless it is a ceviche or carpaccio), lamb or pork, I decided to email Bilson's to see if they could cater for my dietary requirements.
In my email I mentioned the foods that I am happy to eat...all poultry, beef, veal, venison, sweetbreads and many others...a substantial & varied amount. I also indicated the following.. "I have found in the past when this request has been made, dishes tend to be substituted with vegetarian options, which while I don't mind vegetarian, I don't want it to be the focus of the meal". 

I was assured that Bilson's "would be delighted to create a menu for you and accommodate your requirements".

The next five weeks couldn't go by soon enough. I, in particular, was very excited to see what delights Chef de Cuisine Diego Muñoz had created for me.
A few days before our reservation I emailed again to remind them of my requirements and was told "The kitchen are aware of your dietary requirements and will happily accommodate on the night".

Review: Strawberry X Cafe

Shop 1a
23-33 Mary Street
Surry Hills

9280 1161
strawberryxcafe@yahoo.com.au

Mon - Sat: 7am - 4:30pm

So it's one of those glorious Monday mornings when you are on holidays and wake up to a beautiful Autumn's day after a bit of a lie in - luxuriating in the fact that you don't have to go to work today. After this deliciously lazy lead in to the week Squeak and I decide to amble on to Strawberry X cafe in Surry Hills for a spot of breakfast.

Review: Japas @ Love Grub

38 Mitchell Road
Alexandria

Cafe
7 days: 7am - 3pm
Japas Bar
Thurs-Sun: 3pm - late

I love, love, LOVE Japanese food. Now that I've managed to get Squeak to come around to my way of thinking we have been attempting to sample some of the places around the traps that offer up a variety of Japanese goods. Squeak happened to mention this little place to me one day and that they served 'Japas' (a take on Japanese and tapas) and ever since I have had a hankering to try it out.  We were due a meet up with M1 so decided to make Love Grub our destination.