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

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CHAPTER 3 . SYDNEY
the city was drinking Nescafe. People-watching is a favorite hobby at this fashionably
worn-around-the-edges spot in the heart of Sydney’s cafe district.
322 Victoria St., Darlinghurst. & 02/9380 5420. Daily 5am–8pm. CityRail: Kings Cross.
Bill’s This bright and airy place, strewn with flowers and magazines, serves
nouveau cafe–style food. It’s so popular you might have trouble finding a seat.
The signature breakfast dishes—including ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter
and banana, and sweet corn fritters with roast tomatoes and bacon—are the
stuff of legends. Last time I was here I asked for fried instead of scrambled eggs
and was brusquely told I had to stick to the menu, which really is unforgivable.
433 Liverpool St., Darlinghurst.& 02/9360 9631. Fax 02/9360 7302. Mon–Sat 7:30am–3pm. CityRail: Kings
Cross.
Hernandez Finds The walls of this tiny, cluttered cafe are crammed with
eccentric fake masterpieces, and the air is permeated with the aroma of 20 types
of coffee roasted and ground on the premises. It’s almost a religious experience
for discerning inner-city coffee addicts. The Spanish espresso is a treat.
60 Kings Cross Rd., Potts Point. & 02/9331 2343. Daily 24 hr. CityRail: Kings Cross.
The Old Coffee Shop Sydney’s oldest coffee shop opened in the Victorian
Strand Arcade in 1891. The shop may not serve Sydney’s best java, but the oldworld
feel of the place and the sugary snacks, cakes, and pastries make up for it.
It’s a good place to take a break from shopping and sightseeing.
Ground floor,The Strand Arcade.& 02/9231 3002. Mon–Fri 7:30am–5pm; Sat 8:30am–5pm; Sun 10:30am–
4pm. CityRail: Town Hall.
IN NEWTOWN: GREAT ETHNIC EATS
Inner-city Newtown is three stops from Central Station on CityRail, and 10
minutes by bus from central Sydney. On Newtown’s main drag, King Street,
many inexpensive restaurants offer food from all over the world.
Le Kilimanjaro AFRICAN With so many excellent restaurants in Newtown—they
close down or improve quickly enough if they’re bad—I picked Kilimanjaro
because it’s the most unusual. It’s a tiny place, with limited seating on
two floors. Basically, you enter, choose a dish off the blackboard menu (while
standing), and are escorted to your seats by one of the waiters. On a recent visit
I had couscous, African bread (similar to an Indian chapati), and the Saussougor
di guan (tuna in a rich sauce). Another favorite dish is Yassa (chicken in a rich
African sauce). All meals are served on traditional wooden plates.
280 King St., Newtown. & 02/9557 4565. Reservations not accepted. Main courses A$8.50–A$9.50
(US$5.50–US$6.20). No credit cards. CityRail: Newtown.
Old Saigon VIETNAMESE Another Newtown establishment bursting with
atmosphere, Old Saigon was owned until 1998 by a former American Vietnam
War correspondent who loved Vietnam so much he ended up living there and
marrying a local, before coming to Australia. Just to make sure you know about
it, he’s put up his photos on the walls, and strewn the place with homemade tin
helicopters. His Vietnamese brother-in-law has taken over, but the food is still
glorious, with spicy squid dishes among my favorites. A popular pastime is
grilling your own strips of venison, beef, wild boar, kangaroo, or crocodile over
a burner at your table, then wrapping the meat in rice paper with lettuce and
mint, and dipping it in a chili sauce. I highly recommend this place for a cheap
night out.