Forking Easy

Time spent in place: Lived here

Recommended travel time: 4 days (over a weekend).

Type of travel: Lifestyle, markets, vibes and food

Top Suburbs to explore: Newtown, Surry Hills, Erskineville, Marrickville, Enmore.

Mode of transport: Car, Uber, Walk, Public Transport

High level food recommendations:

Coffee:

• Sample Coffee
• One Another
• Coffee Alchemy
• Bruce Tea & Coffee
• Double Tap Coffee

Baked goods:

• Penny Fours
• Tokyo Lamington
• Goose Bakery
• Pastizzi Cafe

Breakfast:

• Two Chaps
• Fleetwood Machiato
• Kepos Street Kitchen

Lunch:

• Sydney Fish Markets
• Flour Drum
• Eat Fuh
• Marrickville Pork Roll
• You should be slukavi

Dinner:

• Best Gourmet
• Yullis Brewery
• Hive Bar
• Emma’s Snack Bar
• Sang by Mabasa
• Bella Brutta

After dinner Ice cream:

• turisk icecream
• Mapo icecream
• Messina
• Cow on the Moon

Drinks:

• Yulli’s Brews
• Wildflower Brewing & Blending
• Sauce Brewing Co
• The Grifter Brewing Co.
• Archie Rose Distilling Co.

What to expect:

Sydney’s Inner-West is where I have always felt most comfortable in Sydney a someone who lives to eat. Filled with interesting people, great food and more non-nature focused activities including markets, vintage stores, pop-ups, raves and shows… there’s something for everyone. Flexing my physical aptitude has never gotten me far, making this a place for me. Through sniffing out some great spots in the Inner-West I’ve made life long friends that have not only made me happier, but required me to invest into some larger pants.

Primarily home to students, young families, artists, and young professionals, this area certainly has a lot to offer. The Inner-West is also home to the Sydney foodies. It’s not uncommon that you’ll see the barrister from earlier in the day hanging out at your local wine bar. Or, where you’ll see the awfully hungover sommelier from the night before holding on for dear life to their cup of coffee the next day.

What’s great is that you’ll find elevated food experiences with the young professionals enjoying Sydney’s freshest quality, along with cheap and cheerful affordable options where students indulge. These options wont set you back much yet they leave you full, happy and reinvigorated and to top it off, they are often BYO.

An area packed with food and coffee enthusiasts, any place with a Google rating of 4.5+ with over 200 reviews means you’re in excellent hands.

First things first, coffee:

• Sample Coffee (Shop 1A/118 Devonshire St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 or 1.03/75 Mary St, St Peters NSW 2044)
  Where the roasters, barristers and clients know and love coffee. A 3rd wave coffee experience that will make Sample a staple in your Inner-West experience. The barristers are friendly are are always open to questions and to coffee give suggestions.
• One Another (shop 1/131 Wilson St, Newtown NSW 2042)
  My FAVOURITE and everyday coffee shop – thankfully I lived a short walk away. An absolute gem of a place hidden on a quiet corner of Newtown. The service is amazing, and the coffee is perfection. Whether you sit in the sun outside, cozy up inside or take a coffee to go, you’ll feel that warm and fuzzy coffee effect from the first sip. If you’re going for a ‘brunch’ time coffee, at around 11am their fresh focaccia’s come out; different flavours every day. The bottom of the focaccia is fried by the rich oil sitting at the bottom of the pan, with the middle and top being light and fluffy this used to be my Wednesday treat.
  Note: The beans are supplied from Sample Coffee above.
• Coffee Alchemy (2/87 Sydenham Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204)
  Another favourite. Absolute masters of coffee. No matter how you take it, they have perfected an extraction method for each bean and taste profile. I recommend getting 2 different styles so you can explore the diversity in the coffee they offer – eg a cold brew and latte.
• Bruce Tea & Coffee (12 Bridge Rd, Glebe NSW 2037, Australia)
  Bruce got me through some pretty tough times, with their coffee and manoush being my glimmer of daily hope during lockdown. A little randomly located in Glebe close to the Fish Markets, this is a must for a coffee enthusiast. A vibe with the friendliest staff who love coffee and are always keen for a chat about coffee, food and life. A small but perfect food menu. I would recommend getting their labne, olive & mint manoush (DROOL!)
• Double Tap Coffee (54/56 Smith St, Marrickville NSW 2204)
  I could just let the Google reviews speak for themselves. But that’s not why you’r here. Double Tap knows damn good coffee. Something about their oat lattes just hit differently. My usual order elsewhere is a black hot or cold brew, but I save a special place for Double Taps hot oat lattes.

Baked goods:

• Penny Fours (485A Darling Street, Balmain)
  I hate lines. There is only one line in Sydney worth waiting in and that’s at Penny Fours. Home to Sydneys best croissant, and I don’t say this lightly. Previously a small shop in Leichhardt, now located in Balmain. You will find people from all over Sydney lining up for their croissants on Sundays. If you’re looking to indulge, buy someone a celebratory gift, ask for a favour or say sorry about something, a Penny Fours croissant will do the trick. My favourite birthday was the year I woke up to the smell of warm Penny Fours wafting into my room with a Sample Coffee from some of my nearest and dearest waiting for me to wake up. True story – the butter and coffee infiltrated me dreams as a wake up call, and all my dreams came true.
  Advice: Go on a weekday morning to avoid the lines.
• Tokyo Lamington
  Cute. Genius. Simple. Delicious. A little lamington store tucked away off the main road in Newtown. The lamington is one of Australia’s few inventions meaning you’re somewhat obligated to try it. Growing up my experience of a lamington was a small dry lifeless sponge cake, slightly soggy due to the sad layer of jam inside, with the sponge trying to redeem itself by being dipped in chocolate and coconut. This little Japanese spot has lifted the Aussie standards and raised the lamington benchmark to a place no other lamington I’ve come across can compete with. A cute vibey shop where you can try a variety of flavours. My favourite was has been their Yuzu; refreshing, creamy, soft, spongy, moist, tangy, dense and light all at the same time. I suggest trying the OG (for the authentic experience) and the most exotic flavour they have (because you love yourself). Trust me, whatever you choose will be great. I’ve also searched Sydney high and low for a fresh, fluffy, warm, crunchy, flavourful onigiri with generous filling and Tokyo Lamington delivers exactly this. Their Tuna Wasabi onigiri is my go to order. Having great coffee and flavourful drinks this if the perfect afternoon pick me up when you’re craving something-something.
  Caution: Their little lamingtons are deceptive, they might not look like much shelled in their perfect outer layer but they are jammed packed with flavour.
• Goose Bakery
  As you’re about to embark on a full day, Goose will hold your hand, kiss you on the forehead and gently send you off ever so gently. A small spot in Forest Lodge that seems to get everything right. One of the most reliable bakeries I’ve been to, everything I have ordered has been delightful. If you’re able to grab one of the 6 seats they have outside, you’ll be able to catch the morning sun, camouflage yourself to the Glebe locals, sip on a delicious coffee, and nosh on something delish.
• Pastizzi Cafe
  It’s in the name, meaning you have to get one. Pastizzi Cafe really does have the best Pastizzi’s in Sydney. A little triangle shell of pastry wrapped around a savoury or sweet filling. Flakey and crunchy on the outside, warm and perfectly cooked on the inside. One wont be enough and I’d suggest Spinach & Ricotta, Vegetable curry and Apple & Cinnamon. A snack for anytime of the day. You’ll know if someone has come from Pastizzi Cafe in Newtown when you see flakey pastry crumbs on their chest while looking slightly disorientated roaming the streets of Newtown… it has the effect on people.

Breakfast

If coffee and pastries aren’t enough, there’s also some awesome breakfast food options to explore. I don’t believe one should pay for an egg or avocado on toast. So below are some of my standout breakfast moments:

• Two Chaps
  A relaxed trendy cafe that takes food seriously. They have a seasonal menu and you can often catch them reinventing a hash browns, savoury crumpet, fried rice bowl and sandwich, you can taste they know food. They also have some safe options if you’re not feeling so adventurous. Everything I’ve eaten here has blown my mind in one way or another. The way they combine their ingredients is so smart and most importantly, it tastes so damn good. Usually when I find something I like at a place I stick to it. Not at Two Chaps. I try to get something different every time as I know it’ll hit right. I have never left unsatisfied and as with every great cafe in Sydney, the coffee is fantastic.
  If you’re too late for breakfast, their lunches and dinners are a great.
• Fleetwood Macchiato
  Home of Sydney’s best breakfast sandwich. From the perfectly crunchy shelled soft on the inside bread roll from Brickfields Bakery, with an oozing egg, home-made pickles, fresh tomato, salad, mayo, and a smokey chilli oil that is soooo good they sell it by the jar, I have often finished this sandy speechless. You’d think this would be a sandwich easily replicatable, it’s not, I’ve tried countless times. Until I find out what the special ingredient is, I’ll keep coming back.
  Note: Don’t waste your time trying to eat this with a knife and fork. Hold it, enjoy it and let is drip.
• Kepos Street Kitchen
  An unassuming medertaraniln corner restaurant in a typical inner-west house. This place is very special; vibes, food and staff. There’s a very familiar feeling in the air and it feels warm and welcoming. The owner Michael Rantissi, a renowned author, is often walking around chatting. The morning is my favourite time to go as you’ll see the suburb wake up; people grabbing their coffee and catching up on morning reading, all while enjoying a breakfast that tastes like home. I usually get ‘Mum’s favourite breaky’ when I’m wanting something lighter or the bourekas. Sit inside or out, but make sure you’re on the left hand side when you’re facing the entrance – the best vibe. When I lived in Sydney, you would’ve caught me here on Sunday mornings with my Grandma, soaking up the vibes, observing the people coming and going and watching the morning light sun catch the trees, all while smelling the coffee machine hard at work. Their lunch menu is divine and I would definitely make a point to go.
  

Lunch:

• Sydney Fish Markets
  Iconic to Sydney and for a reason. A city perched on the sea, you can bet to find fresh, diverse, local and affordable fish. You can feel sanitised with going for a browse and committing to an oyster or two, picking up some goods to cook at home, or eating there.
• Flour Drum
• Eat Fuh
• Marrickville Pork Roll
• You should be slukavi

Dinner:

Looking for some quality Drinks:

• Yulli’s Brews
• Wildflower Brewing & Blending
• Sauce Brewing Co
• The Grifter Brewing Co.
• Archie Rose Distilling Co.

When you’re not eating:

• Art: Chau Chak Wing Museum, White Rabbit Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales
• Markets:
• Hot spots: The grounds of Alexandria
• Party:

The Inner-west of Sydney has a slower morning compared to Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. You’ll see people sitting down enjoying their first coffee of the day in the Sun with slower movements. From mid-day onwards the area wakes up, with the restaurants full, people hanging around and a buzz in the air until around 11pm when the city shuts down.

I have the fondest of memories living here and may be biased. However, as a person who lives to eat, I can objectively say, the Inner-west of Sydney wins the food game in Sydney. Objective claim confirmed by the foodgasim I would have at least once a day without trying too hard.

Lots of love, L x