Since most of our recent blog entries have been about travel, I thought it was about time to drop some Sydney knowledge. Here's a handful of our favorite restaurants, cafes and bars around town. I love personal recommendations, so if you're a Sydneysider please leave a comment with your favorite spot!
Tiger Mottle: This is the best cafe in the 5 Ways are of Paddington. Friendly staff and great blackboard specials. Really airy, yet vintage vibe with old record jackets on the wall and a wooden stag's head above the fireplace. Great coffee, pancakes, salads...it's all fab.
Paddington Grind: It's a block away from our old apartment, but that's not the only reason why we went. The eggs benedict and porridge are delicious and the coffee top notch. For some reason it's a favorite for hardcore cyclists so if you're going early on the weekend, watch out for the hoards of men in lycra!
Eat Thai: This is the restaurant we've frequented the most. The the yellow curry and pad see ew are the bomb. Curry puffs are also good as a starter. It's a lot of food though..always leftovers for lunch, which isn't a bad thing!
Rockpool Bar & Grill: This place is pretty swanky and I'm sure the menu is fabulous, but we've only ever gone to the bar and ordered a burger. It's a $20, but oh so worth it. The onion rings are also yummy. Bring your appetite!
Love Supreme: This place can be easily missed as the front window is full of stacked pizza boxes and crates of veggies..kind of weird, but once you get inside it's a buzzing local gourmet pizza place. The Parma is my favorite!
Agave: So, good Mexican food in Australia is basically non-existant. We're talking kidney beans in burritos...bad bad bad! Agave is the best, most authentic Mexican food we've found. Our friend Alane does it justice in her review here. Btw, The huevos rancheros are great if you go for brunch.
The Local Taphouse: This place is great, if you love beer. They have an extensive international beer list and serve each beer in a different glass, it seems. They have beer flights and tastings as well. The bar is really cute and cozy with lots of little rooms for hanging with friends (the upstairs has antique bird cages hanging from the ceiling!). My only gripe is that they didn't have Sierra Nevada when I ordered, even though it was on the beer menu.
Speedos Cafe: Right near the beach in North Bondi, this place is always packed with half dressed people getting coffee and grub (hot coffee + beach is so weird, but the Aussies seem to love it). Given it's right down the street from our new apartment, we decided to try it shortly after moving to the area. I had a fabulous bircher muesli and chai latte and Mike had a ham and cheese croissant and flat white. My recommendation would be to get there early or try to go on a weekday. Also, don't make it a habit because it's not cheap!
More to come in the next installment..maybe next I'll review activities next like yoga, hiking, sailing etc.
Mar 31, 2010 at 9:16 AM Hey there,
I was searching around the web looking for other Americans living in Sydney and came across your blog. My husband and I are moving from NYC to Sydney in June and I am looking for some local recommendations. How did you go about finding your apartment? What's your favorite area of Sydney for living so far?
Thanks!
Jesica
Apr 12, 2010 at 2:47 AM Hi Jessica - Sorry for just now responding. I've enjoyed living in Paddington the most since it's close the city and also a fairly short bus ride from the beach. Also there's lots of cute shops and cafes nearby. I suppose it sort of depends where you're working, but if it's in the CBD..it's great! Let me know if you have any other questions as you get ready to move, totally happy to help out.
Laura