Sydney Eat Street: 10 places to try in Alexandria
FROM clean treats to decadent sweets, foodies are fast discovering there is a lot more to this inner-city suburb than perennial favourite The Grounds Of Alexandria.
Eat Street
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FROM clean treats to decadent sweets, foodies are fast discovering there is a lot more to this inner-city suburb than perennial favourite The Grounds Of Alexandria.
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
COOH
FROM little things big things grow. Starting off as a small cafe in the Northern Beaches COOH brought its wholesome food philosophy of “honest food, full of flavour” across the bridge to the inner-city suburb of Alexandria.
Taking up residence in a large sun-drenched space, COOH’s reputation for delicious yet nutritious drinks, snacks and meals lured in curious Sydneysiders who quickly took to the menu, particularly the breakfast offerings including the renowned buckwheat coconut and berry pancake.
A true fan of the sweet sensation, avid runner and COOH regular, Courtney Dougherty notes that she especially appreciates the generous topping of fresh seasonal fruit.
The bigger space has also allowed them to expand their hours to include dinner service, which consistent with COOH’s sustainable approach to food features an impressive selection of dishes sourced from local and NSW producers including the Junee lamb back strap, slow-cooked free range beef cheeks and field mushroom risotto along with a gin cocktail from nearby Archie Rose distillery or a beer from Newtown’s own brewers, Young Henrys.
— 90-96 Bourke Rd
TEXTBOOK BOULANGERIE PATISSERIE
WITH their extensive training and international experience, co-owners Steven Anderson and John Ralley have pretty high standards.
Nothing leaves the kitchen, as a pastry chef once told John, unless it is “textbook” — lovely to look at and delicious to eat.
For John, the patissier, that starts with his reinventing of classic sweets, giving them unique flavours that match the seasons such as the Choux with its chocolate mousse and blackcurrant crème.
For Steven, the baker and self-proclaimed “bread geek”, the loaves and baguettes must be consistent every time not just with the same taste and texture but also appearance — an odd number of slices on the baguettes, the spiralling layers of a croissant and even the flour-dusted stencils on sourdough loaves.
Stop by over the weekend for a French breakfast of breads, jam, and Pepe Saya butter served with two coffees. Just enough to fill you up but still have room for a decadent dessert.
— 274 Botany Rd
BITTON
IT TAKES courage to leave behind a promising career in Parisians restaurants, much less France itself but that’s exactly what David Bitton did before landing in Australia in 1991 where he eventually moved up to head chef at Sheraton struck out on their own, starting with a six-table coffee shop, a commitment to stellar service and a passion for French cooking complimented by Moroccan spices.
From those quaint beginnings, David has truly made his mark on the culinary scene: first expanding the coffee shop into a cafe with an all-day breakfast menu that features such dishes as traditional fluffy scrambled eggs with mild chillies or the French Crepes that feature the now-famous Strawberry and Vanilla jam, the product that launched Bitton Gourmet, a range of 20 jams, oils, marinades which are now carried in more than 500 outlets worldwide.
Oh, plus a cookbook, food consulting business and a second cafe. Seems like that leap of faith paid off.
— 36-37A Copeland St
BUNNINGS SAUSAGE SIZZLE
THAT faucet has been leaking for weeks, but somehow picking out plumbing parts seems so daunting, that is until you switch gears, and tell yourself you’ll just start the morning with a snag and soda where, by the way, they also happen to sell that valve and crescent wrench you’ll be needing.
Practically every Saturday and Sunday, outside hardware heaven you’ll come across what has become the iconic “Bunnings sausage sizzle”, widely known as a fundraising opportunity for organisations including sport teams, Rotary clubs and charities.
Bunnings supplies the BBQ fit-out while the community groups bring in sausages, onions, bread, sodas and sauces. At a set price of $2.50 for a snag and $1.50 for a drink, there’s no better deal in town.
— Bunnings Warehouse, 8/40 Euston Rd
THE GROUNDS OF ALEXANDRIA
BEHIND the brick walls and tall gates of this former industrial complex lies a veritable oasis for garden-deprived city dwellers.
It’s a lovely maze of blooming trellises, potted flowers, tall hedges and garden beds with seasonal produce.
Much of this serves to define spaces, including a cobblestoned courtyard area, The Garden, a collection of select eateries including The Soda Zone, where you can find the outrageously colourful (and yummy) Unicorn Soda, and even a wood fired pizzas on the weekends.
The cafe is an experience unto itself. It includes a glass window with a view into the pastry kitchen plus a coffee bar however with all the beakers and flasks used to make filtered and slow drip brews, it resembles a fantastical chemistry lab.
The highlight of course is the seasonal menu with dishes such as Brioche French Toast and The Ground’s Big Brekkie — a towering selection of all your breakfast faves.
All are artistically presented and oh so Instagrammable. You’d better be quick on the trigger though as once those gorgeous looking dishes hit the table, it’s game on.
— 2 Huntley St
MUST TRY
CLEAN TREATS
GETTING fit and healthy can take a lot of work, but staying that way means knowing when to take a break and have a treat, such as an herbal tea and gluten-free caramel crunch mix from Clean Treats.
You can get them online or pop in to their cafe where they’ve just launched their new plant-based breakfast and lunch menu.
— The Clean Treats Factory & Cafe, 23-25 Doody St
SHAKSHUKA
“JUST the way grandma used to make it.”
Pretty high praise in most any household but rather than crossing the globe to test them all, at Grandma’s at McEvoy, they’ve gathered real recipes and channelled the flavours from grandparents around the world, producing a menu influenced by the kitchens of Italy, Greece, North Africa, England, Ireland and more.
The always-popular weekend order is for the classic shakshuka, 2 eggs cooked in a zesty tomato sauce and served in a hot pan with freshly baked bread.
— Grandma’s at McEvoy, 140-142 McEvoy St
KIBBE NAYA
FOR those on the hunt for the best Lebanese food around or even if you’re trying the cuisine for the first time, Al Aseel has been at the top of the podium since opening its first location in Greenacre in 2002, continuing with high praise to its latest restaurant in Alexandria.
Whether you’re veteran or rookie, a must try is the Kibbe naya — finely ground raw beef mince with dry cracked wheat and spices served with a generous amount of mint for sweetness, and onions for their crispness, both of which then compliment all the other spices.
— Al Aseel, 42A/110-116 Bourke Rd
ARTISAN PIZZAS
JUST as the names implies this artisan hand-stretched woodfire pizza is seriously good.
Using traditional Napoli elements, owner Alex Pisani has taken a contemporary approach to the toppings with delicious combinations such as Shepherd with a slow cooked lamb shoulder ragu base topped with shaved fennel and the Millennial, a vegan pizza with char grilled eggplant, roasted capsicum, smashed avocado on sour dough.
— Good Pizza, 662-674 Botany Rd
COCKTAILS AND SHARE PLATES
IF A foodie and designer every created the ultimate garage hangout, this converted warehouse would fit the bill.
A lengthy bar extends to an open kitchen where the menu is built around seasonal produce, all of which is surrounded by artistically mismatched furnishings — an ideal space for share plates and cocktails.
— Bar No 5, 5 McCauley St
