Weekend in Sydney

Last weekend we spent two nights in Sydney. It was a very belated birthday trip for S, and a much needed break for all of us in a busy few months. We stayed in the heart of Surry Hills, which is one of my favourite suburbs of Sydney. An old working class neighbourhood, these days Surry Hills is all beautiful tree-lined streets, double-storied terraces and converted warehouses, pocket-sized parks and corner bakeries, trendy pubs and bookstore-cafes.

But of course this being a food blog, let me tell you about some of what we ate! We started out with lunch at Kepos Street Kitchen. I had falafel with hummus and minty tabbouleh, S had a chicken sandwich, W gorged on chips – it was all quite delicious. Breakfast both mornings was coffee and croissants from the tiny corner Bourke Street Bakery, and Saturday night dinner was a selection of cheeses – cave-aged goats cheese and a lovely manchego – from the Formaggi Ocello.

We also dropped by the Pyrmont Growers Market where we picked up oh-so-creamy vanilla bean yoghurt for W, portuguese custard tarts, and the most decadent panna cotta lamington I have ever eaten. We didn’t get any fresh produce as it was just a flying visit, but the piles of rhubarb, five types of kale, three types of beetroot, head-sized pumpkins and array of citrus fruits all looked most enticing.

Along with eating, we spent most of the weekend wandering the streets, hanging out together, playing in parks so W could indulge her obsession with the swings, and even squeezing in a ferry ride across to Balmain, birthplace of the Australian Labour Party. All in all a most lovely way to slow down and spend a few days!