New Portuguese diner Lunas brings pastel de nata pancakes to Petersham

Portuguese food and Petersham have long gone hand-in-hand, but Lunas may be the first restaurant on Stanmore Road to offer the brunch crowd pastel de nata pancakes.

The team behind bakery Sweet Belem Cake Boutique and seafood restaurant Fich, Silva's Hospitality, have opened Lunas on the corner of Albert Street.

The casual all-day diner draws on Jose and Basia Silva's Portuguese heritage, using the traditional family recipe for broa (Portuguese corn bread), Jose's own piri-piri sauce on charcoal chicken burgers ($19) and Sweet Belem-baked Portuguese custard tarts served in hotcakes ($20).

"We love Petersham and this is a suburb that is central to the identity of Portuguese people and food in Sydney," says Jose Silva.

"The flavours are familiar but it is most importantly Portuguese, new and exciting."

Bennelong and Three Williams alum Jacqueline Ektoros heads up the kitchen, offering breakfast and lunch options designed to be shared amongst friends and family.

Standouts include chourico scrambled eggs with sobrasada (Portuguese salami) butter, herbs and gordal olives ($21.50), sardines on toast with broa (Portuguese corn bread) and beef espetada with molho verde (green sauce) ($28).

Dinner service is on the cards but a date is yet to be set.

The walk-in only brunch spot is housed in a charming brick corner terrace with a big, sunny backyard. Basia Silva says she hopes to have diners eating outside within the coming months, weather and staffing crisis permitting.

"It's usable now but we're waiting for the retractable awning to go up," she explains.

We asked Basia for her tips on how to get the most out of a visit to Lunas.

What are your must-order dishes?

As this is a brunch/lunch (all dayer) sort of venue, we recommend the piri piri spatchcock ($24) and espetada skewers ($28) … and the iconic Portuguese tart hotcakes as a dessert ($20). Everyone has been loving the hotcakes.

We [also] recommend the fresh orange juice – we have a fantastic custom juicer that is able to create the freshest OJ from Valencia oranges in seconds. They're amazing fresh.

Best seat in the house?

Best seat in the house is one of our large round tables, there's windows on all sides and the dining hall is a nice, light and airy space.

What's the best time to visit?

From 10am-1pm, the brunch through lunch hour. Keep an eye on the socials for when we're ready [for] dinner!

Open Wed-Sun 7am-3pmx, walk in only

316 Stanmore Road, Petersham