Sydney Adventure

Well breaking the rules a bit here but, seeing as I went on a trip to Sydney last week, I thought I’d share with you my dining experiences from my food-filled weekend away!

First stop: Guylian Belgian Chocolate Café. Being one of my favourite chocolatiers (in particular the shells range) I was very excited when I stumbled across the Guylian Café. I must admit, I may have over done it a little, but what’s a weekend away without over indulgence? I started the day off right, ordering from their breakfast menu, only to prepare myself for the sweet commodities that were to come! After a lovely smoked chicken toasted sandwich I was ready to drool over the chocolaty goodness in the window display, choosing a caramel slice and a hand selection of chocolates. The caramel slice in particular was delicious, accompanied with chocolate and strawberry syrup to compliment the taste. With my sweet cravings satisfied, I parted ways with the Belgian chocolate and boarded a ferry to Cockatoo Island.

 Second stop: The IslandBar. Cockatoo Island is located in the Sydney Harbour and is a heritage listed island where sheds remain dating back as late as the 1800’s where ship manufacturing took place. These sheds still remain and are now on show for all to visit, after the island being off-limits for over 100 years!

After a walk around the island it was time for a drink when we came across The Island Bar. The perfect tea party setting with deck chairs, green grass and even a white picket fence, this place serves a variety of beverages, snacks and a lovely view of the harbour.

Third stop: Kamikaze Teppanyaki. What drew us to eat at Habourside Shopping Centre were the lovely fireworks display that we had been informed the centre presents every Saturday night. We were strolling past the restaurants that had a good view of the fireworks when we came across Kamikaze Teppanyaki and I recognised the sign at once. I had dined at this place on more than one occasion on previous visits to the Gold Coast. With fond memories of my past dining experiences at this teppanyaki grill, I walked straight in. We were lucky enough to get a table sitting at the window with a perfect view of the fireworks and on the other side of us were the teppanyaki grill tables – so we also got to enjoy all the cooking action! We opted for the seafood banquet and some sashimi for entrée, as I can never resist a good plate of sashimi. With great food and (fortunately for us) great seating to view the fireworks display, it is definitely worth checking out if ever you’re in Sydney. This place has a family friendly atmosphere and is also great for a couple’s night out.  

Fourth stop: Adriano Zumbo’s. I made a trip to The Star, Sydney’s Casino complex, for one special reason, and it wasn’t to gamble – it was to try macarons from Adriano Zumbo’s! I could not be in Sydney and miss this opportunity to try his fabulous ‘zumbarons’. I lined up for over 30 minutes, waiting in anticipation for my turn to take a seat at the dessert train and can I just say, the wait was definitely worth it! Even though there was a wait, I was entertained by the open plan kitchen watching the chef’s do their thing, keeping up with the many hungry patrons. When it was finally my turn, I jumped at the opportunity to grab a dish of ‘zumbarons’ as they travelled past me. They had very unique flavours including black vanilla, finger bun and mandarin and they gave quite a punch! Not only was there the selection from the dessert train, but this café also serves a la carte and it looked like the hot item for the day were the doughnuts (an advantage of waiting in line and seeing what everyone was ordering). The doughnuts came with generous amounts of filling, some of jam and some of what I guessed to be a cinnamon filling and the plate was also decorated with caramlised popcorn – yum, yum and YUM! Highlights of this visit included trying to guess the flavours of each of the ‘zumbarons’ (which we later discovered the answers to when we made our way to the shop section of the cafe to purchase a takeaway selection, as we were not ready to part with these delicious treats!) and another was the vibrant pop colour used throughout the café which brought a fun vibe and expresses all that dessert represents!

Final stop: The Winery. There is no better word to describe my feelings for this place but pure infatuation! Soon as I walked in, I immediately felt a warm buzz with the vibe this gorgeous wine bar emits. There are only a certain amount of tables that bookings can be made on, which we had missed out on but we tried our luck anyway and it turns out it worked to our advantage! Upon arrival we placed our name on the waiting list for a table and waited in the bar, which had a wide selection of wines as well as any other drink of your choice. The time went by quickly after a couple of drinks and a chat enjoying the music and our surroundings and before we knew it, I was receiving a phone call to let me know our table was ready. If you prefer not to wait for a table to dine, there is also a snack menu at the bar which looked like it had great burgers and other treats that you can eat on the tall stools and tables provided whilst still enjoying the bar’s atmosphere in a casual and relaxed environment.

When we got to our table, however it was time to eat! We chose items from the tapas menu which included fun sharing dishes packed with flavour, with one of my favourites being the lamb meatballs. My night at The Winery was definitely one of my most memorable dining experiences on my Sydney trip and in its convenient location on Crown Street, I suggest you pay them a visit ever you’re in town. 

Share a plate

This cosy little café on Gertrude Street, Fitzroy will fill your tastebuds with great enjoyment! It’s dim lighting and flying bird-men hanging from the ceiling creates a fun atmosphere which gets you ready for the excitement of tapas tasting. Birdman Eating combines great flavour combinations and fun family sharing on a plate with dishes such as Zucchini & fetta fritters and Slow roasted lamb shoulder with celery heart leaves, fetta, lemon & bread – it sure is no surprise why this place has plenty to boast about.

On my recent visit to Birdman Eating, I ordered the above mentioned along with marinated olives (of course!), Confit kipfler potatoes with chilli salt & vanilla aioli and last but certainly not least, Fried haloumi with red rice, dried sour cherries & pistachio salad. Only one word could describe – Delish! 

Staying true to the spirit of tapas, these dishes were made to be shared with generous portions on each plate and even better, at very reasonable prices you certainly must give them a try. It is a great place to sit down and enjoy the great atmosphere of Fitzroy, near funky pubs and unique shopping, I recommended you pop in a take a bite of their great tapas on offer which will leave your bellies very full and satisfied!