Rosso Espresso wraps itself around the corner of Elizabeth and Devonshire Street and what it lacks…read morein size it makes up for in personality. The courtyard spills that spills out onto Devonshire Street is a great place for people watching (Surry Hills always guarantees an interesting crowd!). The guys that run Rosso Espresso can't be missed in their trademark red and white check shirts and are super friendly. The Morgan's Espresso Coffee is excellent and the Wraps are a fresh, delicious lunch option (try the Chicken and Haloumi $9). In winter they also do homemade soups with flatbread which are really nice but a bit on the small side.

The best thing about Paddo RSL is this is where they hold Big Bingay events. It's like bingo, but…read moreits hosted by a drag queen and involves dirty songs and lots of cheap alcohol. Did I mention cheap alcohol? Don't forget to yell bingay and not bingo. That is if you can actually see the numbers. Pub food is also cheap and you can join the oldies downstairs for a meal before the show gets on the road. Parking is usually free on street at night, or buses go straight to the city.

One of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life was at the front doors of Paddo RSL club…read more For those who aren't familiar with Returned Servicemen's Leagues clubs, they are venues dedicated to the memory of the ANZACs- fallen soldiers from both world wars. They have specific rules and regulations like signing in when you go there, no headwear allowed, and a minute's silence facing the West at sunset. In exchange for these things you get cheap food & drinks, usually a meat raffle, badge draw, bands, lawn bowls or similar. They also always have "pokies" or poker machines to bring in revenue (I think some of their revenue goes the the Lions Club charity but I could be wrong about that). So I was passing the Paddo RSL at about five to 10 on a Thursday morning, and like a scene straight out of South Park there were about 20 oldies- I'm talking purple hair and zimmerframes- crowded around the doors waiting to rush the pokies (it was obviously pension day). This joint is not just death's waiting room though, they have bands, yoga and all sorts of fun things for the young and funky. Just don't get run over in the doorway on pension day morning.

Service was fast and friendly, they answered all the questions I had and I decided on the grilled…read more(trying to be healthy) barramundi with chips. My order came with tartar sauce which was nice. The total came to about $30. I added chicken salt to my chips, yum! There are about 8 tables available for dine in purposes but the beach is right across the street so I took my lunch and sat on a bench overlooking the water.

Always fresh seafood the grilled octopus is amazing and fish freshly caught. Good outdoor seating…read moreoverlooking Balmoral Beach and bus stop at door.

Good prices & nice little cafe near the Lindfield train station…read more Chinese guy who owns it is the nicest person ever and will accommodate whatever you want for food / coffee. Food is delicious, and their mocha's are bomb! Highly recommend you check it out :)

SushiMan is a Balmain favourite…read more The tiny sushi shop on Darling St may not the best sushi you will get in Sydney, nor will it be the cheapest, but simply put, it's good. Prices aren't too steep for the area, the sushi is fresh and care is taken with each individual piece. SushiMan staff are cheery, and you've got the choice of picking from their pre-packaged boxes or designing your own meal. Come lunch time, SushiMan's modest shop fills up with Balmain's workers and quite often a line can be seen popping out beneath the shop's bright blue sign. Now, SushiMan's slightly schmancier sibling Mushiro (just up the road) is also gaining in popularity, its sushi train drawing in a new crowd of Balmain's sushi lovers.

Sushi Man! A man made of sushi! Flies around with a cape and saves orphans from fish-related…read moreperils... No I'm kidding, it's sushi restaurant. A pretty cool place too. They do both take away and dine in. I've done the take away option - good stuff. But not the cheapest sushi (price is an important factor for myself) around. It's a cool little neighbourhood restaurant, nice to have nearby, but I wouldn't travel to get there. The inside of the restaurant is nice, theres a few dishes to choose from, but it's nothing out of the ordinary. I recommend it for those sushi craving nights after work when you just want some fast takeaway or some simple dining; not too uppper class or dressy. Nice atmosphere place. I'd say, if you're in Balmain, walk the streets and see what else is around before deciding on this one - Balmain (Darling street in particular) has so much to offer by way of food.

They have upped their game. More sweets, better atmosphere, and Pablo & Rusty coffee!read more

The coffee is excellent and the staff are all very friendly. They remember regular's orders well…read more The food is delicious and very good value. It has a comfortable and communal atmosphere which fits in perfectly with the rest of Marrickville.

What...? Woolstonecraft has a cafe..? You must be kidding me. I have been there tonnes of times and…read morenever seen it... Well sure enough, on the north bound side of the station, past the gate and up the hill is indeed a little cafe. When I walked in here I was buffeted by delicious smells of bacon frying. Glad I ate at home so I could avoid the temptation, I sat down and ordered a dbl mac. "A what...??" Yeah... so they don't really tick the passion box, but serving Toby's Estate helps them out a lot. So what did I get? Well naturally it was over espressed. They only used one shot espressed twice... and there was a bit too much milk foam, but they got brownie points for not adding too much milk. All up, if you are running for the train and need a coffee, these guys won't do you wrong. Cafe Summary ------------------------ Passion for Coffee - 5/10 Coffee beans - Toby's Estate Crema (1=burnt, 10=velvet) - 6/10 Special coffees avail? - N/A

Stopped here for a coffee and brunch after a late night out. Large flat white was weak and was more…read morelike a latte. We ordered the English breakfast and a smoked salmon fetta crepe. The English was reasonably priced but pretty basic and unfortunately did not feature the obligatory black pudding. Crepe was tasty and light. Located on the walkway to the station, the cafe has some indoor and outdoor seating, or if it's particularly nice you can sit on the grassy space. Recommend trying a crepe. Keep the coffee regular size to increase your chances of a reasonable strength brew.

So this place is weird... when I first walked in here, I thought I was going to hate it. The layout…read moreof the place feels strange and slightly disjointed. But then you try their cocktails and everything changes. Firstly, the staff here are awesome! Super friendly, super attentive. Even though the place was extremely busy, they kept coming up to us letting us know how far our food or drinks are. If you come here you have to try the whisky sour - because it comes out on a smokey dish. Yep your drinking is smoking. And the wait staff do a bit of a strange little ceremony when that drink comes out. Saying that it is actually quite tasty. The only problem is I don't have a sweet tooth, and the majority of their cocktails were on the sweet end. However, the staff were accomodating and made some concotions to benefit me. They serve 'nibble' food. We ordered the soft shell crab sliders, and even though they looked small - they were extremely filling. All the food here was delicious and tasty. So it is worth coming here, but they only do small foods - no mains.

Smoking Panda is a must visit cocktail bar in the heart of the city. The decor is a little odd, it…read morereflective of an old school Chinese restaurant with a sprinkle of the sunset strip. They serve up some of the tastiest bar bites you will come across. Even better, they now have a specialty cocktail menu paying homage to a classic, the Old Fashioned. With 228 different types of Old Fashioned's to be precise. This is partly due to Smoking Panda having the largest collection of bitters of any bar in Australia. Smoking Panda is serving up the Old Fashioned with a range of spirit's including vodka, rum, gin and all types of whisky including a quality collection of scotch, bourbon and rye. There is surely an old fashioned to suit anyones taste. If Old Fashioned's are not your thing, there are plenty of other drink options, with beer, wine and a range of cocktails. If you are a whisky fan you are in for a real treat. The smoking panda 2.0 is a must, if you are an Old Fashioned fan. With Iain the bar keeper going all out on this cocktail, without blowing out the price. Not only does Somking Panda have an amazing drink list, the food on offer is sublime. The menu reflecting the decor, with a mix of American and asian selections, perfect to enjoy with a few bevvies. The sticky USA pork ribs were mind blowing, it would be almost impossible for the meat to be anymore tender. We were surprised the meat was still hanging onto the bone. The sticky BBQ sauce was damn tasty too. On par were the Panda Kuro prawns coated in a bamboo charcoal infused panko crumb, there bad boys were incredibly more-ish. Other notables include the sliders, the devil wings and the Panda San choy bau with a Smokey asian sauce, this dish perfectly sums up The Smoking Panda. With a great drink selection, including an impressive list of whisky and bitters. This combining this with some rediculously tasty food. The Smoking Panda is up there on our favourite bar list and is well worth a visit.