Sydney Eat Street: 10 places to try in Collaroy
IT’S not just sand and surf at the northern beaches suburb of Collaroy. The food scene is riding it’s own wave of success with its eclectic mix of cuisines.
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IT’S not just sand and surf at the northern beaches suburb of Collaroy. The food scene is riding it’s own wave of success with its eclectic mix of cuisines.
Take a tour of the area’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street. Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram.
For a chance to feature your food picture in The Sunday Telegraph, tag #SydneyEatStreet.
THE COLLAROY
THE sun and the sand and a drink in my hand. The mere mention of a long lunch overlooking the water can easily conjure up images of island time, but when you’ve only got a day to unwind, make the most of it and head to Merivale’s The Collaroy with a selection of eating (and drinking) options spread over two levels.
On the ground floor at the Kiosk, step in right off the beach for a quick coffee, focaccia or the über-healthy green bowl. Upstairs, is an expansive space with floor to ceiling windows that open up to a sweeping view. It’s a bit more refined, yet still comfortably casual.
Here, Executive Chef Jordan Toft has created a menu that reflects the ocean’s bounty.
To start, there are share plates such as the charred baby octopus with chickpea puree or the burrata crostini with anchovies.
Follow this with a whole snapper with thyme and lemon zest salsa verde. There’s also a selection of burgers and even a wood-fired pizza.
— 1064 Pittwater Rd
SLOPPY TEE’S
THE lemon yellow signs and shiny white tiles will lure you over to this high-end takeaway shop, then take a peek at the menu and you’ll notice the subtle influences of owner Tarek Ibrahim’s world travels.
The cabinets filled with glorious sweet and savoury pastries reflect his time training in Paris, the refreshing hand pressed juices are reminiscent of tropical locations while such items as the Philly steak roll and peanut butter & jelly shakes are inspired by different regions in the United States.
Even the name, “Sloppy Tee’s” is a take on an iconic American sandwich, the “Sloppy Joe” Keeping it local, there’s also a shout-out to commuters with the banana, blueberry, oats and ice cream smoothie, appropriately named the L90 To Go, a nod to the bus line that heads into Sydney.
At the core of it all though is Tarek’s approach to offering a variety of relatively inexpensive, quality food and serving it quickly, thus their mantra: “Slow Food, Fast”
— 1058 Pittwater Rd
WABI SABI
TO HELP carry him through the day, Wabi Sabi owner, Chanwoo Lee starts off with a bit of surf and turf — hitting the waves in the morning, followed by a quick walk through the park and across the street to this relatively new restaurant gives him the energy he needs to get through lunch and dinner service.
While the menu is decidedly Japanese, Chanwoo is slowly adding more Asian and Australian influences to the menu, even incorporating the popular Aussie ingredients, baked pumpkin and chopped avocado into a salad with soba noodles.
Add an order of the Wabi Sabi Taco — salmon inside taco shell-shaped seaweed then finish off with the green panna cotta made with blueberry compote, mint, strawberries and pistachios.
— Shop 2, 1085-1087 Pittwater Rd
STAY GROUNDED
BY NAME and by nature, Ryan and Kisar O’Neill’s cosy cafe Stay Grounded started off as a reprieve from the rat race of corporate culture plus a desire to work for themselves. So armed with a love for both great coffee and great food, they decided to open a place that was “not too fancy, but “grounded”.
Food that was tasty, unique, and sustainable with a menu that changes with the seasons. “Throughout winter we offer a ‘Farmers Market Soup’,” Ryan says.
“We visit the local markets and buy the best possible produce to showcase the flavours in our weekly soup.”
Their ethos carries over to their takeaway coffee as well, as not only do they encourage people to bring their owns cups, but also offer a “Beach Cups”, porcelain ones that people can take to the beach and return afterwards.
— 1093 Pittwater Rd
EL GUSANO TAQUERIA
WHEN travelling through Mexico, you’re bound to take note and probably even a photo of the local beer brands, lollies and possibly an event poster featuring the masked marauders of lucha libre (Mexican freestyle wrestling).
But for foodies like Colin Church, co-owner of El Gusano Taqueria, it’s the street food and roadside stands selling soft corn tortilla tacos that proved so alluring, but upon returning to Australia, sadly elusive.
Determined to bring true Mexican flavours to Sydney, Colin and his wife Gabriela spent nearly a year sourcing authentic Mexican ingredients and techniques including the Nixtamal method, an ancient craft process used by the Aztecs in which the corn is gently cooked in a natural alkaline.
Come in on Taco Tuesday where for $4.50 you can try some with authentic ingredients including pork sausage, slow cooked goat, mixed seafood and beef tongue. So, next time you’re in Collaroy, stop in and say Hola!
— 4 Collaroy St
MUST TRY
MUSSELS AND CRAFT BEER
SITTING out on the deck, sipping a craft beer and overlooking the water is nice, but to make it great, add a bowl of Port Lincoln black mussels prepared in a mild Thai green curry.
Be sure to check out their calendar of events for live music sessions most weekends.
— BeachGrill, The Beach Club Collaroy, 1058 Pittwater Rd
GREEN EGGS AND AVO
YOU needn’t bring the long iron or hire a caddie to enjoy the fabulous food at this beachside golf club. The cafe is open everyday to the public for breakfast and lunch.
Try the green eggs and avo for brekky or rock up for their Friday Night Special, a weekly rotation of steak, chicken parmigiana, burger and fish & chips
— White Rock Cafe, Long Reef Golf Club, Anzac Ave
BUTTER CHICKEN
A COLLAROY institution, Gurtaj has been serving up authentic Northern Indian dishes for over 20 years, starting first as a small takeaway shop before moving to its larger premises.
The Butter chicken with garlic naan is a must whether you stay for dinner or take it home.
— Gurtaj Indian Restaurant; Shop 2, 1030-1034 Pittwater Rd
LINGUINE MARINARA
WHEN you get that craving for pizza and pasta, just go with it as fortunately when in Collaroy you won’t have to go far to get really good Italian food.
Start with a generous antipasto plate then, being by the ocean, try the seafood linguine with white wine sauce.
— Stella Italian Kitchen, 1073 Pittwater Rd
BREKKY WRAP
STEP into this cosy cafe with its window bench seating and country-style tables and you’ll get a sense that you’ve been welcomed into a friend’s home for a cuppa and lucky you, a Brekky Wrap of avocado, crispy bacon, two eggs, tomato relish and rocket.
— Chillax Espresso Bar, 7/1 Alexander St
Originally published as Sydney Eat Street: 10 places to try in Collaroy
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