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Fleetwood Macchiato

Sally Webb

Fleetwood Macchiato cafe in Erskineville.
Fleetwood Macchiato cafe in Erskineville.Marco Del Grande

Contemporary

The first thing I learn at Fleetwood Macchiato is that they are out of ricotta. The second thing I learn is the reason: ''We're just making it now.''

So this is serious do-it-from-scratch territory, and the jars of pickled watermelon and cucumber, preserved fruit, jams and colourful cordials lining the shelves are clearly not just for decoration.

I confess I was initially drawn to Fleetwood Macchiato by its name. But it's the ethos of this small Erskineville cafe - to be seasonal, sustainable and health conscious - that will bring me back.

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Poached smoked eggs  with green olive and artichoke tapenade, watercress, native purslane, celery & giant croutons.
Poached smoked eggs with green olive and artichoke tapenade, watercress, native purslane, celery & giant croutons.Marco Del Grande

The trio of owners, Tara Byrne, Jai Pyne and David Gilfillan, met when working at Darlinghurst eatery, Forbes & Burton. Gilfillan owns The Golden Cobra coffee roaster and supplies the specialty beans.

They make their own yoghurt, labna and soft drinks - including a deliciously tart and zingy limeade soda. They grow herbs out the back and chef Lachlan Peachey is a keen urban forager, who collects wild fennel, native purslane and nasturtiums to use in his dishes.

Despite its modest size, the cafe is light and airy with two large windows opening on to the street and a reclaimed/recycled aesthetic with varnished plywood tables, vintage metal chairs and water glasses fashioned from cut-off wine bottles.

Coffee is a definite highlight. The house blend, Debut de Siecle, combines single-origin Guatemalan and Ethiopian beans and was designed with milky coffee in mind. Two additional single-origin coffees are also available for espresso, while aficionados have a choice of two single-origin brews from the Aeropress filter.

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There's also a nice selection of Larsen & Thompson black and green teas brewed - as they should be - in a pot.

Poached smoked eggs with green olive and artichoke tapenade and peppery watercress are a delight, with giant croutons cut and toasted to order, crunchy celery batons and minerally native purslane leaves.

Other brunch dishes include a smashed egg roll with soffrito and mustard mayo; white beans with preserved lemon, oregano and smoked onion relish; and the elusive Jersey milk ricotta with blood plum compote, almonds, thyme, lavender and pumpernickel.

Foraged purslane appears again in an unusual but lovely bonito salad, the fish lightly smoked over paperbark - also foraged - with cucumber, semi-dried grapes and lemon balm.

Less successful is a barbecued beetroot salad with pickled strawberries, cacao nibs and black quinoa. Its sweet and bitter flavours seem to fight and it's ultimately unbalanced.

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Three baguettes and a daily selection of cakes and muffins round out the menu. A gluten-free Belgian chocolate and hazelnut brownie is spectacularly wicked, with an ethereal meringue-like top and unctuous, fudgy centre. It's a perfect partner to Santa Isabel filter coffee from El Salvador, served in a fine glass tumbler.

The menu lists Fleetwood Macchiato's suppliers as well as everything the staff make on site - including the elusive ricotta. I'll be back for that.

Do Try one of the single-origin filter coffees.

Don't Expect a standard egg-and-bacon brekky fry-up; this menu is more unique.

Dish Poached smoked eggs.

Vibe Inner west chillaxed, with food made and served with care.

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