Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

WHERE TO DINE 125
NEAR TOWN HALL
Capitan Torres SPANISH Sydney’s Spanish quarter, based on Liverpool
Street (a 10-min. walk from Town Hall station on your right just past Sydney’s
main cinema strip) offers some great restaurants, of which Capitan Torres is my
favorite. Downstairs is a tapas bar with traditional stools, Spanish staff, and lots
of authentic dark oak. Upstairs on two floors is a fabulous restaurant with heavy
wooden tables, chairs, and an atmosphere thick with sangria and regional food.
The garlic prawns are incredible, and the whole snapper a memorable experience.
The tapas are better at Asturiana (& 02/9264 1010), another Spanish
restaurant a couple of doors down. (Make sure you insist on eating at the bar for
that authentic experience.)
73 Liverpool St. (just past the cinema strip on George St., near Town Hall). & 02/9264 5574. Fax 02/9283
2292. Main courses A$18–A$23 (US$12–US$15); tapas A$8–A$11 (US$5.20–US$7.15). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily
noon–3pm; Mon–Sat 6–11pm; Sun 6–10pm. CityRail: Town Hall.
Supreme View Café Finds CAFE If you happen to be in the city center,
then this fabulous, largely undiscovered restaurant/cafe is a must for the great
value food and absolutely fantastic views reaching over Hyde Park and even to
the harbor. It’s very large inside, has panoramic windows, and serves meals from
the counter. Breakfasts are hearty and include bacon and eggs, omelets, and cereals.
It’s particularly handy if you are staying in the lower Oxford street area. All
day dishes include the likes of sandwiches, Caesar salad, homemade pies, pastas,
and lasagna. Even if you’re not hungry, it’s well worth popping in for a coffee.
Level 14. Law Courts Bldg., 184 Phillip St. (Queens Sq.). & 02/9230 8224. Main courses A$8–A$13
(US$5.20–US$8.45); coffee and cake A$5 (US$3.25). Cash only. Mon–Fri 7am–5pm.
Sushi Roll SUSHI The fresh, simple food at this bargain-basement takeout
is a healthy alternative to the greasy edibles with which many travelers end
up satisfying their hunger. A large range of sushi and nori rolls peek out from
behind the counter if you turn up at lunchtime, and you can eat at the tables
opposite. The gourmet sandwiches and meals served up by other establishments
in the food court here make it a good stopover after a morning’s shopping and
sightseeing.
Sydney Central Plaza (downstairs in the food hall next to Grace Brothers dept. store on Pitt Street Mall).
& 02/9233 5561. Sushi rolls A$1.70 (US$1.10) each. No credit cards. Mon–Wed and Sat 8am–7pm; Thurs
8am–10pm; Sun 10am–6pm.
WORTH A SPLURGE
Edna’s Table AUSTRALIAN Jennice Kersch and brother Raymond
have Australian native cuisine in their hearts, and it shows as they introduce
diners to such exotic specialties as crocodile and assorted local seafood. Interesting
combinations include barramundi (a big freshwater fish from the Northern
Territory) cooked in paperbark, carpaccio of tuna with native aniseed, and
Balmain Bug (a small native crayfish with unusual armor), and ravioli in pepper-berry
sauce. One of Australia’s national icons—the kangaroo—also hops
onto the menu, despite calls to preserve native wildlife in the wild, rather than
in the refrigerator. It’s all served up in one of Sydney’s most beautiful heritage
buildings—refurbished in a light and elegant style—close to the Town Hall and
Queen Victoria Building.
204 Clarence St.& 02/9267 3933. Reservations recommended. Main courses A$28–A$33 (US$18–US$21).
AE, DC, MC, V. Lunch Mon–Fri 12–3pm; dinner Tues–Sat 6–10pm. CityRail: Townhall. Monorail: Park St.