The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Restaurants, markets and food trucks: Parramatta's best dining

Sydney's 'second city' is stepping up to - and loading - the plate with its burgeoning, vibrant and diverse culinary culture, asserting itself as a foodie hub.

Callan Boys
Callan Boys

Sweet Street treats: Parramatta has plenty to satisfy those sugar cravings.
Sweet Street treats: Parramatta has plenty to satisfy those sugar cravings.Danielle Smith

When Circa was handed the gong for best cafe at the Good Cafe Guide awards earlier this year, city dwellers raised eyebrows in unison: ''What is this malarkey, George? Quality coffee in Parramatta?'' Not only is there brill coffee, there's a bevy of other new happenings for those who like to eat and drink (that is, everyone). As local resident Arthur Tong, of artisan tea wholesaler Tea Craft, reports: ''It hasn't taken long for the food trucks to arrive here, and food events in laneways and unused buildings are now a regular feature. The Parra food scene has asserted itself as an important binding element of our community.''

The farmers' market has been revamped with a focus on organic produce and, in the past year or so, there's been an increase in good cafes, including hole-in-the-wall espresso bars. ''The feeling lately here is quite electric,'' Tong says. ''We're on the brink of major change and the excitement is palpable. This is the first time locals are feeling like we're finally stepping up as truly Sydney's second city.''

Circa

Cocoa hit: The truffle is king at Adora.
Cocoa hit: The truffle is king at Adora.Danielle Smith
Advertisement

One sign of a well-made long black is a nice layer of crema. Double points, then, to a barista who can transform these frothy surface fractals into a handsome fox face. The space is hip and the food totally satisfying. Particular mention to sourdough with Paesanella ricotta and nuts, seeds and chewy honeycomb; it's so damned homespun I want to move to the Catskills, record with Bob Dylan and fix screen doors. Younger-sibling cafe Three Ropes Espresso is just on the other side of the tracks, and the guys will have a wine bar opening nearby soon.

Mon-Fri, 7am-4pm, 21 Wentworth Street, Parramatta

Farmers' market

Cold hit: Sabu's saki shots.
Cold hit: Sabu's saki shots.Danielle Smith

Held on the site of Australia's first growers' market, which started trading piglets for rum rations in 1791, the Parra Farmers' Market brings the town centre to life every Friday morning. There's not a smartphone cover or onesie in sight, only produce sourced from the Sydney basin and regional NSW. Apart from stocking up on minestrone ingredients, shoppers can grab all things swine related at the Farmgate tent, sample some beeswax from Summerland Honey and maybe pick up a Thirlmere chook. Stallholders are more than happy to answer any vexing questions about produce.

Advertisement

Fri, 7.30am-2pm, Church Street Mall, Parramatta

Food trucks

To be honest, Parramatta probably doesn't need another yum cha option. But needs and wants are different things, and the lunch crowd's looking pretty chuffed with the Lets Do Yum Cha truck and the no-funny-business selection of gow gees, dumplings and buns. It rolls into Church Street Mall every Thursday with a caravan of cohorts including the Eat Art, Veggie Patch and Street Slider mobiles - all four now are permanent additions to the weekly calendar. Eat Art is MasterChef-inspired through to September 19, giving punters the chance to try creations hot off the box from the latest season, plus a few cameo numbers from years past.

Thurs, 11am-2pm, Church Street Mall, Parramatta

Sweet Street

Advertisement

The pies. Oh, my stars, they're good. These fat little orbs are so invitingly plump it's a small surprise that, when removing the lid of choice pastry (everyone eats pies differently, OK?), I'm not smacked in the face by a squadron of four and 20 blackbirds. Instead there's hunks of steak, root vegetables and chicken, depending on what pie master Musta is whipping up that day. NB: all meat is halal, too, a rare thing in the baking world. Leanne Beck of Sweet Infinity cred is at the helm here, so the quality level isn't unexpected. Neither is the range of diet-evaporating cakes, tarts, eclairs and marshmallow logs.

Mon-Fri, 7am-5pm, Sat, 8am-4pm, Shop 17, 162-172 Church Street, Parramatta

Harris Park

With so many Indian restaurants and retailers setting up shop in Harris Park over the past few years, it may be time we dubbed this Parra 'burb ''Sydney's Little India''. It's a great sight at night when Wigram Street is transformed into a western Sydney wonderland - the string of restaurants resplendent in every coloured Griswold light conceivable. Billu's has long been a cheap-eats favourite, but Haveli is worth a visit, too. The south Indian thali - a rotary dial of curries and sambhar - is killer value at $11.90 and the accompanying sauce-mopping puri are so light and airy there's a high risk they might actually float up and take residence on the ceiling.

Hungry Baker

Advertisement

Another joint found a literal stone's throw from the station. These guys offer a swell range of sandwiches and baguettes for the nine-to-fivers in the offices above and around; a croque-monsieur with fleshy bits of braised ham-hock meat would be the go-to here. Although they're not advertised, ask nicely enough and you might be able to take home a whole loaf of the rye or wholemeal sourdoughs behind the counter. An off-duty wine bar dishing up such treats as baby octopus with green olives is imminent, too.

Mon-Fri, 6am-4pm, Eclipse Building, 60 Station Street, Parramatta

Adora

The sisters behind Adora have brought their award-winning handmade chocolates to the west. While there's all manner of clusters, cubes, pyramids and slices waiting to be ribboned and bowed, the truffle is king and there's more to be sniffed out here than on a wet forest floor in south-east France. The Good Company truffle is just that: dessert wine blended with white chocolate, coated in rich dark chocolate and rolled around in pistachio. It is not what you could call a ''session sweet''. That title could go to the Ben Hur, a splendid white- chocolate bell encasing fresh mocha cream and a surprise walnut.

Mon-Sat, 8am-4.30pm, Corner of Charles and Union streets, Parramatta

Advertisement

Sabu

Sabu is the newest kid on the Parramatta block and has a solid selection of Japanese hits, many with Western makeovers. The ''Snow'' dessert is a fun standout: a yuletide-esque tree of yuzu parfait, pistachio ice-cream and pine foam. A fine range of sakes is available by the flight if sampling fun times are what the fermenter ordered, for there are far worse afternoons to be had than knocking down sashimi and a Dassai 23 or two.

Tues-Sun, noon-3pm, 5-11pm, 321 Church Street, Parramatta

Villiers St Canteen

A short stroll north through Prince Alfred Park and up a block or two sits Villiers St Canteen. This is the third venture from owners Geoff Moody and George Dannaoui, who, at the Moody Chef, have been dishing up such goodies as orange and blueberry pancakes to the St Leonards faithful since 2004. It's a fine place to sip on a Tea Craft chai while taking some time out from the lunch throng of Parra central, though the high-octane (and excellently done) graf mural might elevate those calmed nerves slightly. Certainly one for the health-conscious, with a range of clean-eating-esque salads, wraps and sandwiches, and, if you glance above the counter, there's a pleasing selection of house-made relishes, jams and sauces waiting to be taken home.

Mon-Fri, 6am-4pm, 2-4 Villiers Street, Parramatta

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up
Callan BoysCallan Boys is editor of SMH Good Food Guide, restaurant critic for Good Weekend and Good Food writer.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement