Winter Sundays carry the perfect excuse to abandon alfresco dining in favour of ending the week in a cosy spot with some hearty food. And, when it comes to comfort food, it’s hard to beat a Sunday roast. With that in mind here are five of the best that Sydney has to offer. Throw in a bottle of red and your mind will be far from the week ahead…….
One of Sydney’s most well-known pubs, a hidden gem in the back streets of leafy Paddington, Four in Hand is popular with locals and foodies alike. The pub food, like the restaurant menu, is designed by Colin Fassnidge and his award winning team – so you’re guaranteed a sprinkle of his Irish charm and nose to tail philosophy.
For just $24 the Sunday roast usually includes a serving of their ever popular roast pork belly with crispy crackling (occasionally red meat replaces the pork). And it’s served with veggies galore – potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, beets, braised onion, kale, cauliflower, broccoli – whatever is seasonal. Yorkshire Puddings? Of course – on every plate. The downside? With no reservations in the pub it’s strictly first in, first served. And get in early, because although the roast is served through to dinner they’ve been known to ‘sell out’ by 3pm.
Four In Hand
105 Sutherland Street, Paddington +61 2 9362 1999
The team behind ONE6EIGHT call it ‘Balmain’s Playground of Gastronomy’ – this is fine dining in a suburb full of casual eateries. They have an admirable focus on sourcing local, sustainable and organic produce that’s combined with the fruits of their own restaurant garden.
Of course as you’d expect ONE6EIGHT offers a degustation tasting menu with matched wines. More surprisingly they also boast a good old (and ever popular) Sunday roast. You could call it the Ferrari of Sydney’s Sunday roasts given their gastronomy focus. It comes with a $35 price tag and is available all day until sold out. The meat changes weekly – enjoy anything from a beef standing rib to a pork rack or a slow roasted shoulder of lamb (served with lots of veggies of course). Tempted? The good news is they take reservations – so jump on a ferry and take a Sunday trip to Balmain before Winter turns to Spring.
ONE6EIGHT
233 Darling Street, Balmain +61 2 9555 8750
It’s the pub known for its inviting dual level beer garden, the perfect setting for long Summer sessions. Less well known is that The Tilbury also has a restaurant that’s especially suited to Winter feasting, with hearty portions and a cosy warm wood and leather interior. The pub is only steps away from the glamour of Woolloomooloo wharf but offers a more casual and less wallet busting dining experience.
With a Sunday roast available for $35 from midday to 5pm The Tilbury is a popular end of weekend spot for locals. The set scheduled rotations of different meats means there’s no risk of a surprise if you plan in advance – yes its juicy duck on the first Sunday of the month, tender beef on the second, pork on the third and Chef’s choice on the fourth. They even cater for non-meat eaters with a vegetarian roast available on request. Reservations aren’t essential but are recommended as they can be fully booked.
The Tilbury
12-18 Nicholson Street, Woolloomooloo +61 2 9368 1955
A top five for Sydney wouldn’t be complete without featuring a spot in the Inner West. Booth St Bistro is owned and managed by husband and wife team Wayne and Teresa Borgese-Coom. They established the restaurant as a modern neighbourhood local way before the latest wave of Inner West foodie hotspots arrived. The dining room is vintage-chic and the food European style.
Their popular Sunday roast is served from 11.30am - 3pm and then from 6pm onwards. With a meat menu that changes weekly be sure to visit with an open mind – it could be chicken, lamb, pork or beef. But rest assured you’re guaranteed heaps of vegetables and a Yorkshire pudding. The price tag? At $26 it’s so reasonable you’ll have plenty of wallet room to enjoy their award winning wine list. So go and find out for yourself why they keep locals coming back for more.
Booth Street Bistro
127 Booth Street, Annandale +61 2 9660 6652
The Charing Cross Hotel & Dining Room
Every Sunday throughout Winter The Charing Cross Hotel serves up what’s possibly the best Sunday roast in the Eastern Suburbs. With Chef Matthew Kemp behind the scenes you can also be confident that it’s one of the most traditional roasts around. Why? His British heritage of course. We’re talking O'Connor's pasture fed sirloin of roast beef served with ‘proper tatties, yorkies and all the trimmings’.
Every Sunday they also serve a roast special. Not salivating yet? You will be soon – the special could be belly of Berkshire pork with cider braised apples, roast leg of free range chicken with real bread sauce or Suffolk lamb leg roasted with garlic, rosemary & anchovies.
Kemp has designed and priced a menu so 'The Charo' can welcome guests weekly. He says the food is driven by their "desire to satisfy and nourish our guests". So don’t hold back – let Matt satisfy your cravings for an authentic Sunday roast with all the trimmings.
The Charing Cross Hotel
81 Carrington Street, Waverly +61 2 9389 3093
Photo courtesy of Booth Street Bistro
