Keith Dallara

Day 3 Brunch

Temperature: 24C, drizzily and wet for most of the day.

We started the day with Brunch on Bondi Beach with Keith's mate Mark. Keith will have more details on that in his blog post. I'm here to review the important subject of Brunch and Drinkies.

Brunch is and has always been the key to Sydney. Essentially it comes in two flavours:
1. After the morning swim, swimming costume still damp, sand between your toes nearby the beach of choice
2. Inner city style
Personally, I am more partial to the beach brunch option - but it's a question of taste. However, inner-city brunch is great if you've just touched down in Sydney, don't even think about heading to your hotel. Head straight to Bills in Darlinghurst for ricotta pancakes. You can't go wrong.

One thing to note: Sydney has adopted Turkish Bread or "Pide" as its own. Toasted, it is a perfect compliment to eggs or the preserves of choice (including Vegemite - which I abhor, but some find palatable). Ask for it by name. People will know what you are talking about (usually).

One other thing to note: The coffee in Sydney is, almost universally, about as good as it gets. ALL of the places listed below have excellent coffee. If you are served a sub-standard cup - YOU did something wrong. Note that Sydney has some unusual coffee servings including:
(a) the "short black" /or "long black" (an either short or long espresso)
(b) the "flat white" (espresso served with a little steamed milk, essentially a cappuccino sans froth)
(c) the "latte" - basically the same as here - but usually served in a glass

Beach brunch:
1. Brown Sugar (Brighton Blvd, North Bondi)
Personal favourite. OUTSTANDING for brunch, good, but not great for lunch. No view of beach - but makes up for it in good food. Very beach, very local feel. Excellent eggs including the "Blackstone Eggs". Super excellent coffee. Also, you may care to enjoy the highly refreshing "Orange Whip".

2. Aqua Bar (on Campbell Parade, North(ish) Bondi)
A little trendy- very good. Opposite the beach.

3. "The Trat" (Corner of Campbell Parade and , South Bondi)
Well known, it's been there for ever - very strong bruncherie commanding views of beach.

4. Bronte Beach (the strip - this is not it's name, it doesn't really have a name, but people will know what you mean if you ask). Keith and I had brunch at one of the cafes on "the strip" last year with Mark.

There is a row of café/ brunch venues each with something to offer. You can't really go wrong.

Inner-city Bruch:
1. Bills (on Liverpool St, Darlinghurst) (and Bills II on Crown Street)
Bills' scrambled eggs were described in a NY Times article as arguably the best in the world. This is an accurate description. They are about as good as it gets. Fluffy, light and flavoursome, served on slices of thick pliant toast. The eggs, of course were produced by chickens who were free to express themselves.

However magnificent the eggs are....oh - and they are... they are not even Bills signature dish. The key to the whole operation is the Ricotta Hotcakes.
The Corn Fritters are also worth an honourable mention.

The coffee is superior.

We were at Bills II for dinner last night. An interesting deviation from Brunch but still a passable experience.

2. Latteria (Victoria St, Darlinghurst)
Newish - great coffee and snacks. Not full-blown brunch. Very local. Sit outside on milk crates.

3. Tropicana
Pretty much next door to Latteria. Similar deal although you can sit down at formica tables. Classy.

4. Coluzzi (Victoria St, Darlinghurst)
Also next door to Latteria. Gold standard Sydney coffee shop and snackerie.
Many Sydney-siders would mock me for not putting this at number 1.

5. Bathers Pavilion at Balmoral Beach (Mossman)
This is actually on the Lower North Shore (ie not Eastern Suburbs), but is a worthy exception.

6. The Pelican (Balmain). Great Turkish bread.

Drinks
There are a bunch of pubs worth a mention including:
1. The Australian (The Rocks) (good local brews)
2. The Beach Road (Bondi) - sometimes has good live music, although getting a bit young, or I'm getting old...
3. The Bondi Hotel (obvious)
4. The Clock (Surrey Hills)
5. The Hopetown (Surrey Hills) - used to have good live music
6. The Watson's Bay (known as the "Watto Bay") - great view up the harbour.
Perfect for afternoon beer and fish and chips... watching the sun set up the harbour behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge...

Keith and I where here last night for fish and chips. It was kinda dead so we went back to Bondi to a place called Fish Mongers. It was pretty spech.

7. North Bondi RSL (take proof of ID and address ie, UK)

The two bars with THE VIEW:
1. ECQ (East Circular Quay)
2. The Bar at the Bennalong (Restaurant in the Opera House)... kind defeats the point because you don't have a view of the Opera House.
3. Various bars at Cockle Bay have a nice view of the harbour, but not "the view".
4. Wild Fire at the Rocks
5. Customs House has the Sydney Cafe. It's good for drinks but avoid the overpriced dinner.

Coolish bars:
1. New bar at the Bondi Ice Bergs. V cool, v international.
2. Establishment (on George St in the City)... can be v good but a meat market.
3. Bar at Jacquis in Bondi (some may strongly disagree with this)
4. Bar at Salt Restaurant (assuming still there)
5. Bars at Long Grain and Jimmy Likks respectively
6. Grand Pacific Blue Room (On Oxford St)(if still open, may have changed...)
7. My personal favourite is the Tank Stream Bar where they serve mini-meat pies and sausage rolls. Oh and the cocktails are pretty good too. Friendly female bar staff.

Posted by quethanh at February 25, 2007 07:07 AM