Cafe Paci is a modern Australian restaurant serving unique and gourmet ingredients on the busy corner of Newtown, Sydney. We were very lucky to get a table as a walk-in of 3 people on a Saturday afternoon at 6 pm. We didn’t order much here because we had another restaurant booking but when in Rome…
Food
We were craving carbs so got some potato & molasses bread, butter for $5 each. It was surprisingly sweet and sticky, with an amazing chew on the crust. The bread had a little bit of bitterness to it, which added a nice depth of flavor to the overall taste. The inside of the bread was soft and fluffy.
Now the butter… 🤤🤤🤤 It was an extremely airy and creamy butter, with a mild dairy flavour. It only had a touch of salt, which complemented the sweet bread perfectly.
Now the butter… 🤤🤤🤤 It was an extremely airy and creamy butter, with a mild dairy flavour. It only had a touch of salt, which complemented the sweet bread perfectly.
We treated ourselves to oyster, kumquat mignonette for $5 each. These were fresh and creamy crustaceans, elevated by the sweet and tangy drops of kumquat. It was one of the cleaner and more delicious oysters we’ve had in Sydney. We really enjoyed this combination.
The famous Rye taco, ox tongue, sauerkraut for $10 each was a small serving of tender tongue on a bed of soft, chewy taco. The ox tongue had an intense, savoury flavour, complemented by the sauerkraut. It welcomed acidity, adding a refreshing zing to the dish. Overall we enjoyed this but I don’t know about paying $10 for one again.
Our last dish was this potato dumplings, XO trout for $28. After our first bite, we were immediately impressed by the texture of the dumplings. They were incredibly tender and fluffy, with a melt-in-your-mouth quality that made them feel almost ethereal.
The XO flavor was also outstanding. It had a strong, punchy flavor that was full of umami, and the combination of the trout made for a truly explosive flavor experience. The sauce coated the dumplings perfectly, ensuring that each bite was filled with a rich, complex flavor profile that was both savory and satisfying.
The XO flavor was also outstanding. It had a strong, punchy flavor that was full of umami, and the combination of the trout made for a truly explosive flavor experience. The sauce coated the dumplings perfectly, ensuring that each bite was filled with a rich, complex flavor profile that was both savory and satisfying.
Service
The service was ok but a little pushy. We ordered $110 for food + $40 for drinks for 3 people but the server kept asking us to add on another 2 dishes like bro… some people don’t have big appetites 🤨 Also, it was already a $150 bill during a recession – are you living under a rock 🤨🤨🤨 .
Also, I get that we were a walk-in but they squeezed us into the corner of the bar so we didn’t even have enough room to fit 3 plates on the table comfortably. I was eating out of my lap for most of the hour. And the server expected me to pay more 🤨🤨🤨
Also, I get that we were a walk-in but they squeezed us into the corner of the bar so we didn’t even have enough room to fit 3 plates on the table comfortably. I was eating out of my lap for most of the hour. And the server expected me to pay more 🤨🤨🤨
Review
Overall the food was delicious, the service was meh and the vibes was hip. It makes sense why Instagram rates this place highly but if it was up to us, we would only come back during quiet times – which is not a good thing for a restaurant. This means they do have the capacity to handle peak traffic while effectively giving out consistent great service. 😬
Thank you for reading! Happy eating.
Thank you for reading! Happy eating.
