We had planned this outing a week in advance, my friend and I - exploring the arts around Sydney, then dining out and ticking a place of her (endless) list of places to go - or as it seems to me.
(Aside: hopefully she's not ticked off by that when she reads this... :P)
Exploring Sydney's Biennale (18th Biennale of Sydney) was wonderful - art exhibits everywhere! Unfortunately the weather turned on us, making a sunny day out on Cockatoo Island into a "sunny but windy and freezing" day out. We cut our losses though - went through most of the Cockatoo Island exhibits, before heading back to the Museum of Contemporary Art and exploring the renovated buildings.
Simply. Stunning.
(Aside: hopefully she's not ticked off by that when she reads this... :P)
Exploring Sydney's Biennale (18th Biennale of Sydney) was wonderful - art exhibits everywhere! Unfortunately the weather turned on us, making a sunny day out on Cockatoo Island into a "sunny but windy and freezing" day out. We cut our losses though - went through most of the Cockatoo Island exhibits, before heading back to the Museum of Contemporary Art and exploring the renovated buildings.
Simply. Stunning.
To more important things - dinner!
So after a day of savouring the arts, we were cold, tired and hungry. It was a windy day, we'd been walking everywhere, and chose to skip lunch. Our plan had us ending up at The Rocks (MCA), so it's a short walk down George St and turning just onto Bridge St in Wynyard north, down to Fratelli Fresh.
Cafe Sopra is the dining aspect of Fratelli Fresh open for dinner from 6pm - which gave us a little bit of time to grab the car, get caught up in traffic for a little bit, then finding metered street parking for an hour or two. I'm not going to rant here about parking in Sydney, just simply "it's a nightmare at times".
So after a day of savouring the arts, we were cold, tired and hungry. It was a windy day, we'd been walking everywhere, and chose to skip lunch. Our plan had us ending up at The Rocks (MCA), so it's a short walk down George St and turning just onto Bridge St in Wynyard north, down to Fratelli Fresh.
Cafe Sopra is the dining aspect of Fratelli Fresh open for dinner from 6pm - which gave us a little bit of time to grab the car, get caught up in traffic for a little bit, then finding metered street parking for an hour or two. I'm not going to rant here about parking in Sydney, just simply "it's a nightmare at times".
We headed in at 6.10pm, joining the short queue at the door - oops, the place was already packed on a Friday night... I should have known. The maitre d' found us places within a few moments, though - right in front of the dessert chef! She couldn't have found us a better place to sit!! =)
Even though I love Italian food, choosing the right thing to eat isn't easy - being a Muslim and foods with sausages, proscuitto and other such delicacies don't mix =( Eventually we settled on our selection, then sat back to chatter, unwind and savouring the atmosphere.
Overall, it IS a Friday night - allowances need to be made. The place was full - and rather too noisy for my liking, but mainly as everyone else is there to unwind after a long week and enjoy a drink and a bite to eat. So either the Cafe is understaffed or (as I suspect), there were simply too many demands on the waitresses' attention.
Our selections:
Overall, it IS a Friday night - allowances need to be made. The place was full - and rather too noisy for my liking, but mainly as everyone else is there to unwind after a long week and enjoy a drink and a bite to eat. So either the Cafe is understaffed or (as I suspect), there were simply too many demands on the waitresses' attention.
Our selections:
Zucchini flower... this was an interesting experience. And cheesy too - zucchini with five assorted cheeses, some as topping, some inside! Worth a try... though too cheesy for my liking =P
Roasted Chicken Penne: this one I loved - succulent roasted chicken pieces, balanced nicely in the tomato sauce! I could go on and on about this... or I could by the same roasted Chicken from . Which means I need to learn to cook.
For a simple dish, this was good.
For a simple dish, this was good.
The lamb ragu was a let down for me - I was hoping for something more. What I received was (and I'm over-simplifying and not doing it any justice) stewed lamb in tomato sauce. The flavour, the texture... was all rather average - nothing about it made me go 'wow'. In fact, I much preferred her selection of the Roasted Chicken.
Desserts... they do look tantalising, especially sitting in front of the dessert chef. Unforunately for them (and us too, I guess), I had plans elsewhere that night - Cheeky Chocolate! (Link to that visit is here)
Well, that's it from me here.
Overall opinion - isn't too high, to be honest. I've had better meals elsewhere. Throw in the noise and the crowd, so I wouldn't be coming back 'soon'. I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt though - picking two pasta dishes doesn't do the rest of the menu any justice.
Café Sopra @ Fratelli Fresh, Bridge St
11 Bridge St
Location: on the southern/Town Hall side of Bridge St, just off George St. Plenty of street parking with timed meters, else look for a decent carpark after 7pm - Wilson Parking Australia Square, etc. Or, public transport (Train/Bus/Ferry even).
Hours:
Monday to Friday:
Breakfast from 7:30am - 11am -- Cafe only
Cafe, Bar, Pizzeria and Mozzarella Bar:
Monday to Friday:
Lunch from 12pm to 3pm
Dinner from 6pm to 10pm
Saturday:
Dinner only from 6pm, bookings ok.
Well, that's it from me here.
Overall opinion - isn't too high, to be honest. I've had better meals elsewhere. Throw in the noise and the crowd, so I wouldn't be coming back 'soon'. I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt though - picking two pasta dishes doesn't do the rest of the menu any justice.
Café Sopra @ Fratelli Fresh, Bridge St
11 Bridge St
Location: on the southern/Town Hall side of Bridge St, just off George St. Plenty of street parking with timed meters, else look for a decent carpark after 7pm - Wilson Parking Australia Square, etc. Or, public transport (Train/Bus/Ferry even).
Hours:
Monday to Friday:
Breakfast from 7:30am - 11am -- Cafe only
Cafe, Bar, Pizzeria and Mozzarella Bar:
Monday to Friday:
Lunch from 12pm to 3pm
Dinner from 6pm to 10pm
Saturday:
Dinner only from 6pm, bookings ok.
Great shots! loving it!
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