Best of Surry Hills and surrounds

With more restaurants and cafes in each square kilometre than any other suburb, Surry Hills is perpetually buzzing. In recent months, a raft of restaurants run by established chefs have opened. In addition, an innovative takeaway initiative, which feeds hungry diners on nights when chefs and table staff are having a rest, has gained a legion of fans, as have the quirky cafes and pop-ups tucked into the laneways. Here is our guide to the best.

Albion Street Kitchen

48 Albion Street, Surry Hills, 9212 7979

Chef Warren Turnbull has morphed his Assiette on Albion Street into the more casual Albion Street Kitchen, presently open for dinner (lunch opening soon). Entrees focus on the produce: Pyengana cheddar is served on toast with truffle, asparagus, Pedro Ximenez and raisins; a plate of seared veal tongue and sweetbreads is accompanied by pickled turnip, salsa verde and almonds. Mains include pork belly, with salted caramel apple, heirloom carrots and gingerbread spice. Turnbull's side project, Chur Burgers, a takeaway hole in the wall tucked into Beauchamp Lane, is set to open in coming weeks. A menu of five burgers and a selection of milkshakes will be on offer – listen for the blaring ghetto blaster to find your way there.

Kepos Street Kitchen

96 Kepos Street (corner Phillip Street), Redfern, 9319 3919

Israeli-born chef Michael Rantissi has been surprised by the enthusiasm for his Middle Eastern home-style fare. "Customers profess their love for the food," Rantissi says. "They love the cuisine, which is new to many of them." Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (BYO), Kepos Street Kitchen's menu is comprised of Israeli comfort food, including "Dad's Breakfast", a homage to Rantissi's father. "It's a plate of my dad's favourite breakfast items – labna, dukkah, hard-boiled egg and tomato salad." Rantissi, who has cooked at Vue de Monde and Bathers' Pavilion, has built the lunch and dinner menus around Israeli staples – hummus, tabouli and a lamb kibbeh, tossed at the table with burghul and dressed with pomegranate molasses and walnuts, are all tastes of home.

Ho.mei

Shop 8, 38-52 Waterloo Street, Surry Hills, 8021 4806, homei.com.au

Ho.mei translates as "delicious", owner Romi Kwan says. He and chef Thomas Ly opened the Asian tapas restaurant late last year, taking over the Waterloo Street site formerly occupied by El Capo, neighbouring busy Izakaya Fujiyama and the Orto Trading Co. Kwan has worked the floor of many Surry Hills restaurants, including the Mahjong Room and more recently Bar H. Lunchtime at ho.mei brings a line of locals to collect bento lunch-boxes, packed with kim chi, lotus root salad and wasabi mushroom with rice or chargrilled lemongrass chicken. Those who have time to sit share duck pancakes and lettuce leaves stuffed with steamed snapper.

Cleveland's

311 Cleveland Street, Redfern, 9698 8449, clevelandsoncleveland.com

This quirky place is a barber shop-cum-cafe. A glass wall separates the cafe from the salon, where hairdresser Patrick Casey, who has snipped and coiffed in salons from London to Paris, does haircuts, colours and blow-dries until 10pm some nights. Co-owner Harry Levy looks after the cafe from 7am, turning out coffees between tending to relishes and fruit compote. "I try to do everything from scratch," he says. Avocado on toast with feta that Levy marinates with lemon zest, garlic and rosemary is a popular breakfast choice, as are croissants filled with jamon, machego and tomato relish. The cafe also acts as a pick-up point for Hungry Mondays meals (see right).

Suzie Q Coffee and Records

1/18 Hutchinson, Surry Hills, 9332 2739

DJ Jordan Deck has opened a cafe and record store catering to local music-lovers. "Most of what we play is funk, soul and jazz," Deck says. Chef Jenny Shaw turns out hearty breakfasts including "Eggs and Sausage in a Cadillac with Susan Mitchelson" (chorizo, fried eggs and salsa) or "The Ghosts of Saturday Night" breakfast platter. Sundays are "Slow-Cooked", with music from 10am. Deck and friends play blues, funk and a little electronica. "It's a great place to sit and have a glass of wine or a beer in the afternoon, or to listen to tunes over breakfast," he says.

Baccomatto Osteria

212 Riley Street, Surry Hills, 9215 5140, baccomattoosteria.com.au

Restaurateur Mauro Marcucci of Enopizzeria, Neutral Bay, and formerly of restaurants Pizza e Birra and Mille Vini in Crown Street, has opened cafe, restaurant and wine bar Baccomatto Osteria on Riley Street. "I love the area – it's exciting to be back in the neighbourhood," Marucci says. At lunch, there are panini and slices of pizza to take away. By night, the marble island bar is the centrepiece, and the blackboard menu features specials. Spuntini (eggplant croquettes, whitebait, mozzarella and anchovies) and plates of Pino's Dolce Vita salumi are followed by squid ink gnocchetti with baby calamari, chilli, garlic and basil.

Pachamama House

Corner of Riley and Goulburn streets, Surry Hills, 9261 8799

Owner Tony Maia and executive chef and co-owner Danny Parrenoco have opened this Latino restaurant. Parrenoco's menu includes Peruvian staples such as ceviche and lamb slow-cooked in the wood oven. Then there are pizzas. "Locals saw the wood oven and started asking for pizza," Maia says. "So Danny has created a takeaway pizza menu."

MoVida

50 Holt Street, Surry Hills, 8964 7642

Frank Camorra has opened the long-awaited sister restaurant to his successful Melbourne outposts. The kitchen is headed by chef James Campbell, who has worked with Camorra since MoVida first opened. Plates of great tapas include many grades of jamon and Bull Negra, pork and liver sausage.