Sydney Eat Street: Five places to eat and drink in vibrant Rosebery
Once a sleepy city-fringe suburb, Rosebery has transformed into a vibrant community with an array of cafes, restaurants, and small businesses well worth a visit.
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Once a sleepy city-fringe suburb, Rosebery has transformed into a vibrant community with an array of cafes, restaurants, and small businesses well worth a visit.
Three Blue Ducks
Three Blue Ducks isn’t just a restaurant: it’s a story of friendship, passion, and the pursuit of culinary excellence, emphasising sustainability and ethical practices. Whether you’re stopping in for a simple meal or a lavish celebration, it’s a place where food and community intertwine, creating moments that linger long after the last bite.
“We wanted to create a more grown-up, sophisticated dining experience from our original restaurant in Bronte, said co-owner Darren Robertson, referring to the causal eatery located up the road from the Eastern suburbs surf beach.
“It’s a raw industrial space located in The Cannery building. From our mid-week steak night to a weekend brunch or stunning wedding; we offer many experiences to enjoy the epic space”. The menu is diverse, but the signature dish is a must-try.
“Hands down, the lamb shoulder (full and half-size) is the dish that represents what we are all about,” Robertson added. “It’s big and hearty with a smoked labneh jus (this encompasses two massive Three Blue Ducks styles – fire/smoke and Middle Eastern ingredients). This dish is designed to be shared with a range of sides like crispy potatoes with confit garlic butter and rosemary salt. They’re a little bit naughty, but always keep our loyal customers coming back! I feel this encapsulates the essence of Three Blue Ducks…Dropping in with your loved ones and sharing a feast with a bunch of plates in the middle of the table”.
1/85 Dunning Ave, Rosebery; threeblueducks.com
Archie Rose Distillery and Bar
Archie Rose is more than a distillery; it’s a cultural hub that celebrates the craft of distilling through tasting experiences and gin and whisky blending classes, with an award-winning bar for those after a superior cocktail and elevated snacks. Founded in 2014, Will Edwards left the corporate world to open Sydney’s first urban distillery (well, the first since 1853), producing spirits that champion native botanicals such as lemon-scented gum, finger lime, river mint, and even raw honey from their own hives.
If the details seem a bit overwhelming, the team is always keen to share their knowledge and personal insights. Chat with mixologist Tanus Carney, and he’ll tell you how he started as a regular patron until staff recognised his passion for the products and offered him a job mixing drinks with aplomb.
Like Tanus, you can focus on the minutia or leave the particulars to the pros, sit back and opt for a tipple from the Bar’s expansive drinks list of spirits, cocktails, wines, beers, and ciders. There’s also a curated selection of bar snacks, including house-made pickles and dips, Australian cheeses, and charcuterie boards with smoked mortadella from LP’s Quality Meats in Chippendale.
-85 Dunning Rd, Rosebery; archierose.com.au
Salma’s Canteen
Whether it’s sitting down for dinner at the kitchen table, feasting at a family reunion, or just tucking into a packed lunch, there’s invariably a bit of love that went into its meal’s preparation. For owner and award-winning chef Michael Rantissi (Kepos Street Kitchen), that someone is his mum, Salma. Michael says, “Everyone has a Salma in their life - Someone who loves you, cooks for you and shows you affection through food”.
Like true home cooking, everything is made fresh daily using locally-sourced seasonal ingredients – much of which comes from Carriageworks Farmers Market regulars, Block 11 Organics, Kurrawong Organics, and Pepe Saya butter. He says, “We wanted to open a business where the produce was the hero” and judging by the veritable trophy case of vibrant salads such as roasted broccoli and borolotti beans; honey roasted pumpkin with pumpkin seeds; cous cous with celery leave pesto and crushed pistachios. Equally enticing are the delicate desserts, including a plum tart with salted caramel frangipani. Not to be missed are the toasted sandwiches – large slices of Sonoma bread grilled to a crispy golden brown and just oozing tasty cheese, glorious cheese. Salma’s also has dinner sorted, with take-home meals including eggplant parmigiana and Indian curries from chef Sarvesh. “They sell out as soon as they’re in the fridge”.
-2/797 Botany Rd, Rosebery; Salmascanteen.com.au
Frenchies Bistro & Brewery
When the founders of Frenchies first envisioned their joint endeavour, a question (or, more appropriately, a quandary came about) – would it be restaurants that sold beer or a brewery that sold food? The solution was simple – they’d do both, and thus, Michelin-star-trained chef Thomas Cauquil oversaw the bistro while master brewer Vince Soyres focused on beer. Together, they have created a destination known for authentic bistro fare and craft beers. “We pride ourselves on developing dishes that showcase the freshest seasonal produce, and our menus change often – usually weekly. This produce-driven approach means we love curating special dinner experiences,” says Thomas, such as truffle dinners in winter. However, as a community-centric venue, they also use any excuse to bring people together for a shared meal – whether the French National holiday, Bastille Day, or the beer-centric season of Oktoberfest. So, whether it’s a quick bit, long lunch, seasonal celebration, or bread and sweets from their new stand-alone patisserie, Frenchies will surely become a regular on your revolving list of dining destinations.
- The Cannery, 6/61-71 Mentmore Ave, Rosebery; frenchiesbistroandbrewery.com.au
VIVE Cooking School
Whether you’re a neophyte or looking to expand your culinary skills, VIVE Cooking School, a state-of-the-art kitchen, has a class for every palette. Led by a team of respected chefs, and occasionally, celebrity culinarians such as Manu Feildel and Sydney cake queen Katherine Sabbath classes range from Asian street foods to French desserts, or one-off masterclass preparing Australian rock lobsters, Singaporean chilli mud crabs or Malaysian Laksa. VIVE Cooking School founder Jean-Luc Tan says, in some classes, “students are getting savvier with their food, with a genuine interest in food provenance, and specialised cooking technique”. But he really likes seeing the groups of friends and families booking classes as an opportunity to come together and pick up some valuable life skills while you’re there.
- Shop 18/ 61-71 Mentmore Ave, Rosebery; vivecookingschool.com.au
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