The hot new dining spots in Parramatta

Chefs bring city tastes to the local dining scene in Parramatta

A selection of sharing plates from Husk & Vine, the new Middle-Eastern restaurant inside Skye Hotel Suites, Parramatta’s first five-star hotel.

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HUNGRY for new dining experiences? It’s time to head to Parramatta, where an influx of higher-end offerings is lifting Western Sydney’s CBD to new culinary heights.

Busy Church St has always been a favourite with local diners but data from restaurant search site Zomato reveals Parramatta is now one of Sydney’s fastest-growing zones in terms of users and new restaurants and the fifth-highest traffic zone following the CBD, Surry Hills, Chinatown and Newtown.

Among the newcomers is Alex & Co, an ambitious cafe, bar and restaurant venture which cost $2.5 million to fit out.

Executive chef Kyle Quy believes the area is on the cusp of something big.

“Parramatta is about to boom. It had been meant to happen for a long time, but restaurants pop up and no one really follows through,” he says. “I want to be the one to kick it off.”

Kyle Quy chef at the soon-to-be-completed Alex & Co, a $2.5m restaurant opening at Parramatta. Picture: Brett Costello

The ex-NOLA chef promises to bring a city sensibility to Parramatta.

“We will open the kind of restaurant diners expect in the city and show them you can have good food without travelling for it,” he says. “Parramatta is the new Melbourne. Once all these places start coming up they’ll all be full at night because I think people out here are really waiting for this.”

Quy has identified a dining gap in the local market.

“I did a lot of research on what’s around and of 40-50 restaurants, all except two are ethnic restaurants — Asian, Greek, Lebanese — so we are doing what isn’t in Paramatta,” he says. “There’s no real modern Australian place, a middle-of-the-road restaurant that’s not Italian and doesn’t swing towards French.

Quy is catering to locals as well as those travelling into the area.

“ If you just do what you do and do it well, people will come. It doesn’t matter if they are locals or from 10km away,” he says.

Cured ocean trout ricotta chives and pumpernickel dish at Alex & Co in Parramatta. Picture: Brett Costello

PICK OF THE NEW CROP

ALEX & CO, Church St

Modern Australian cuisine with an emphasis on fresh produce.

“It’s about the food on the plate. Dishes will be designed based on produce and the menu will change depending on what’s in season,” Quy says.

“Right now beetroots are good, so I’m thinking, ‘How can I use beetroots?’ I like to go to the market, see what inspires me. Multicoloured baby cauliflower in red, orange and green that are about the size of your fist will be cooked whole at 55C in chicken stock and provencal herbs.

“I have no qualms changing the menu daily as we get new products in.”

 

HUSK & VINE, Macquarie St

The Middle Eastern restaurant inside Skye Hotel Suites, Parramatta’s first five-star hotel, has been doing a brisk trade since opening last month. Offers all-day breakfast plus day and night menus, with night mains including an aged Jack’s Creek Black Angus striploin, charred sugar loaf cabbage and salsa verde ($42) and share plates from $45-$69.

 

UNCLE KURT’S, Horwood Place

Parramatta’s first small bar opened late last year and its New York vibe wouldn’t be out of place in Surry Hills. On the menu are deli-style meats, Reuben sandwiches, killer cocktails and craft beers.

 

LIL MISS COLLINS, Wentworth St

A cute cafe that started as a pop-up out of a shipping container, it’s now found permanent digs behind the train station. The emphasis here is on family friendly food made from locally sourced ingredients.

 

BAY VISTA DESSERT BAR, Church St

Opening in a few weeks, this is the second outpost from the guys who made the original at Brighton-Le-Sands an institution with sweet-toothed locals. Expect pancakes, crepes, ice cream and amazing cakes.

 

THE GINGER TIGER, George St

This pan-Asian restaurant inside the Collector Hotel is run by Tona Inthavong, the restaurateur behind the successful Green Peppercorn eateries. Expect all your Asian favourites with curries ranging from $14.90 to $18.90.

 

JAMIE’S ITALIAN, Centenary Square

Originally launched as Jamie’s Trattoria in 2015, it was rebranded in May as Jamie Oliver brought it back into his restaurant group. A three-course lunch is available Monday-Saturday for $30.

 

BURGER PROJECT, Marsden St

Neil Perry brought his burger chain to Parramatta earlier this year. The Magic Deluxe burger with grass-fed beef, crumbed confit mushroom, cheese, onion, pickles, tomato, lettuce and secret sauce is $14.90.