Theatre Restaurant
Walsh Bay Kitchen
I’m surprised to find Braised Mushrooms Bibimbap ($24) on the menu at Walsh Bay Kitchen. With charred vegetables, pine nuts, brown rice and abundant slippery oyster mushrooms, it’s a bibimbap that warrants being eaten piecemeal, rather than mixed.
The Devonshire
Affable Restaurant Manager Craig McCall tells me to think of this spot as my “neighbourhood fine diner”. And, after I finish scraping the last skerrick of Devonshire Crème Brulee ($16) with scone ice cream and decadent cherry jam, out of the dainty teacup, I muse he’s exactly right.
Food News – Bánh mì
Bánh mì – these tasty Vietnamese baguettes continue to roll out across town. This means you no longer have to take the trek down to that ever-popular hole in the wall, Marrickville Pork Roll, for your crusty French bread, pork, pate and pickled vegetable fix.
Golden Age Cinema & Bar
Managing Director Bob Barton dots our conversation with film references, but baulks at being called a film buff.
Seawall Restaurant & Bar
With the controversial Barangaroo precinct drawing ever closer to completion, neighbouring Walsh Bay has seen some interesting developments of its own. Seawall is the latest spot to bed in for winter, eagerly awaiting the expected increase in foot traffic.
Lotus Dumpling Bar
Chipping through the brickwork to reveal the Asian heart of Walsh Bay, this new dumpling hot spot is already attracting quite a crowd! The aesthetic is post-industrial Shanghai steampunk, with vintage Edison light globes hanging over a gleaming copper bar, and copper utility pipes echoed in footrests, handrails and shelving.
Kings Cross Hotel
Although needing a password to enter a Kings Cross drinking hole reeks of exclusivity, in the 1930s it was simply a means of getting a drink post-6pm. After muttering “mum’s in,” we’re whisked into the velvety Bordello Theatre with a razor slash on our hands (whiteboard markers substitute blades).
Foodies’ Diary
Living in the inner west, I sometimes avoid the city’s plentiful restaurants in favour of a quick (motorised) getaway – sadly parking can be the decider. But when it comes to shows, the Sydney Opera House is unmatched as a venue
Tharen’s
Plentiful alcohol, women and fantasy themeing in Kings Cross usually means one thing - but at this iconic venue (dating back to 1979) you’re more likely to find the Queen of Hearts bearing a flaming Bombé Alaska, strange hats, group singing and a surprisingly good meal.
