Lunch: it's no joke. Long luncheons, accompanied by carafes of wine until you conveniently make the stretch into the late afternoon, or brisk, twenty-minute trots into your local to hog something down before you set back into the office. I'm a fan of both. There's no such thing as a free lunch, but there is such a thing as a good one. I've laved on in the past about the importance of breakfast, and dinner is always a baroque affair. But lunch? Not too small, not too big. Just, just right.
There are two camps I fall into when it comes to lunching. One: healthy, mobile, portably and comfortably eaten at an accelerated speed. Pokes and salads with a heft of protein are my go-tos in this category. The second: something nourishing, carb-loaded, that will send me into a slack-eyed state by 2pm. There's no wrong way to lunch, but there certainly are ways to hijack your way to the best. I've done the crucial research of assembling. On this list, the rest is for you to go forth and conquer. for your degustational perusal, these are the lunch spots in Sydney right now.
1. Small's Deli (Potts Point)
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Known for: Al Green and Bon Jambon sandwiches, great joe, and dog-friendly seating
Small's packs a big flavour punch. Their rotating roster of sandwich specials are not to be trifled with. A cheerful corner off of Potts Point makes some of the best sandwiches on this side of town.
2. The Mandoo (Strathfield)
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Known for: Dumplings galore, tightly rounded out spaces, and enough goodness to last the trip
Mandoo has earned the rep it deserves. Strathfield's best Korean dumpling joint is the go-to spot for a lunch of moreish, kimchi-stuffed dumplings. Get a serve of their cold naengmyon along with the prawn dumplings and you're set until dinner calls.
3. Mishys (Surry Hills)
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Known for: Salads made in house, neighbourhood dining and a community-forward approach
Mishy Powell has worked in kitchens across the world. Coming back to Surry Hills, Sydney, the globetrotting eye behind the business decided to turn her sights to home cooking. All lunches are nutritiously balanced, ready to grab and go, and of course, eye-wateringly delicious.
4. Lox in a Box (Marrickville & Bondi)
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Known for: bagels of every shape and size, a killer chicken schnitzel bagel and potato latkes to share
There is no better carb-loader of a lunch than the humble bagel. Lox in a box's OG bagel of course comes with a hefty shaving of smoked salmon and red onion, just the way I like it. Make room for the potato latkes. They're no regular holiday fare.
5. Cairo Takeaway (Newtown)
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Known for: Pita bread pockets, Egyptian fare in a mid-casual setting, meats off the grill
Yes, this is a popular spot for dinner as well when Enmore Road is waxied with the street lamps and foot traffic ramps up. But nothing beats a window nook lunchtime with a warm pita stuffed with cauliflower and falafel. We would know: we've featured the eatery in this issue of RUSSH Home.
6. Saint Peter (Paddington)
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Known for: A trove of seafood, oysters and deep-sea delights dreamed up in an opulent setting.
Josh Niland's first establishment is the most well-rounded and luxe of them all. If you have a couple hours to kill and enough to kit out a la carte - I suggest you do so. And madeleines round off the end of every meal. That's all we need to go off our decision-making.
7. Cafe Kentaro (Surry Hills)
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Known for: Japanese-hybrid lunch and brunch options in a leafy courtyard
Cafe Kentaro is one of the original stalwarts of Japanese brunch and lunch in Sydney. Their Omurice is velvety on the tongue and lusciously creamy. For those of us who can't make it to Osaka, this would be a great place to start for for any Nippon cravings.
8. Poké Mix (Rose Bay)
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Known for: Stacked, customisable Poke bowls, freshly made to order sashimi and inventive sushi rolls
I stumbled wayside into this eatery at 1pm one Saturday after a particularly sweltering swim at Kutti's Beach, and the rest was history. Their poke bowls are generously crafted, heaped with wasabi peas (for those of us who favour a crunch to their meals) and whatever else you fancy from their pick 'n mix section.
9. Fabbrica (Darlinghurst)
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Known for: Handcut pasta, activations with Penny's Cheese Shop, foccaccia lunch deals
Fabbrica Pasta Bar is a bit of an institution Sydney-side. With a rotating specials menu and handmade sourdough cultivated in house, there's a lot of options wedged into one cosy corner of Darlinghurst. The lumache shells with sausage and beans are my go-to every time I need to carb load.
10. Chef Chen's Dumplings (Haymarket)
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Known for: Lunch deals galore, an excellent seaweed crumbed tofu, dumplings on dumplings in the heart of the city
This is me thwarting any gatekeeping tendencies I might have previously kept. Yes, we all love Chinese Dumpling House, but did you know that mere steps away an arguably better dumpling outpost lives on that intersection of Quay street as well? Chef Chen's boasts an impressive array of dumplings, as well as excellent entrees to accompany any juicy pockets. I'd order two servings of the sambal eggplant and seaweed crumbed tofu to start.
11. Sushi Hub (multiple locations)
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Known for: Cropping up in every corner of the CBD, affordable sushi on the go, and conveyor train sushi for $3.90
Why lie? Lunch is sometimes an entirely unglamorous affair. When you're not in the mood to wax poetic and ruminate about what to fill your belly with, Sushi Hub is the answer. The branch off of Railway Square has sustained many student years and indecisive, on-the-move grub for when I need a quick fix that's still balanced and delicious. My order: Brown rice on salmon avo and two sushi triangles.
11. Brasserie 1930 (CBD)
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Known for: French province-style classics in a lush antechamber, business-appropriate and celebratory lunches both
Brasserie is top-brass when it comes to our city's long lunch fleet. And even better yet: they're now kicking things off with a $35 lunch deal: half of a BBQ Bannockburn Chicken from the Woodfired Grill, with your choice of side. Sign us up.
12. Either Or (Newtown)
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Known for: Ploughman plates, an all-grey fitted sleek interior, creative dishes featuring haloumi schnitzel and nduja octopus
Either Or is the spot for a dainty lunch to chat sh*t with the girls. We're fans of their heaping ploughman's plate, which comes dressed with pickled onions and leg ham. Sit out in the back in the sun-filtered courtyard with a cuppa joe. You're set.
13. Otogo (Ultimo)
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Known for: Quick fix Japanese, onigiri and soba combos, and a long shelf list of matcha drinks
Healthy and convenient, Otogo is a speedy option on an office day that satisfies. With onigiri deals that start at $9, they also offer karaage chicken on the side and cup-filled sobas topped with smoked duck breast. Sit in their Japanese garden style communal kitchen, or grab a konbini bag for one.
14. Il Baretto (Paddington)
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Known for: Carpaccio and pasta, a kicking tiramisu, swordfish crudo topped with jerusalem artichokes
Il Barretto is the classic spot for any trattoria-style feeds. The food is hearty but elegant, and making room for the tiramisu after is a non-negotiable.
15. Good Ways Deli (Redfern and Alexandria)
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Known for: Deli sandwiches with an Australian twist, Iced Milo mochas, and take home batch brew coffee
With two joints in Sydney, Good Ways is not slowing down any time soon. I am a devotee when it comes to their curried egg sandwich special, which is wedged between two slices of thick malt bread. Sit outside with your laptop on your WFH days with their excellent batch brew, and you'll find yourself very affable after your first bite.
16. Four Hundred (North Sydney)
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Known for: Upscale Mexican favourites in a breezy terrace of terracotta over the bridge, churros dipped in leche caramel, and an unbeatable taco deal
Every Tuesday, grab 3 tacos for only $18. You can pick from asada beef, pork el Cerdo, or something seafood, chicken, or even veg-heavy. Otherwise, the Mojo Cubana Torta is a loaded entrypoint for a lunch that'll have you undoing some buttons when you finish. In the mood for a lunchtime libation? A spicy marg will pick anything up.
17. Salma's Canteen (Rosebery)
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Known for: Made-to-order salads, pastas, and sandwiches in an open-air deli
Whether you're after a seasonal salad or a something sweet, Salma's has it all. If it's a side of koshari rice to go with a main of chicken schnitzel or a potato salad spiked with ocean trout, there's something for everyone at Salma's. The canteen also stocks a rotational crib sheet of baked goods, cakes and chocolate chip cookies for anyone who's after a midday kick of sugar.
