West Juliett

On a lovely sun-stroked corner of Marrickville lies a cafe with the heart and soul of a neighbourhood restaurant. With a mantra of ‘made-in-house’, John and Kathryn Stavropolous take cafe life up a notch with their spacious, light-filled room, open kitchen and not-your-usual-suspects menu. The whacking great grass-fed beef burgers are the go, speared with a steak knife; the colourful West Juliett salad, a bright and crunchy pile-up of raw kale, cabbage, avocado, nuts and seeds, is among the best in Sydney. White Horse coffee is mandatory, as is a football-shaped macaroon and/or a giant chocolate chip cookie. Made in-house, of course.