HARVEST RESTAURANT (INSIDE SEBEL HAWKESBURY) - WINDSOR, NSW

Harvest Restaurant
The Sebel Resort & Spa Hawkesbury Valley
61 Hawkesbury Valley Way
Windsor NSW

Harvest Restaurant is located within the gorgeous and picturesque Sebel Resort. The ambiance here is quiet, relaxing and oh so pretty.

You walk up an impressive grand entrance to an equally grand building and when inside - such a WOW factor.

The restaurant exudes simple elegance and the tables are well spaced.

We started our meal with some drinks - water from Tasmania (We love Tasmania) and Sir had a white - a Pinot Gris which he enjoyed - it was crisp and refreshing and went well with the entrees.

Mlady had an Argentinian Malbec that had a nice spicy aftertaste.

An amuse bouche started our journey - this is designed  to "stimulate the appetite" - and it certainly did.

The sweet cherry tomato, crème fraiche and fried shallots blended so well.

It was cool and fresh - and we loved the crunchiness of the fried shallots - a wonderful taste sensation!

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For entrée we had the Smoked Tasmanian salmon - chilli, salt, granny smith apple, celery, salted walnuts and witlof chicory.

With this we also had the Beetroot assiette - pickled golden beetroot, pickled green banana, yellow cherry tomatoes, red beetroot gel and spiced yoghurt.



Mlady especially being a HUGE fan of Salmon and beetroot raved about this. How good was this entrée! You could taste the salmon as well as the smokiness but this was a gentle smoke - did not overpower the taste of the salmon.
The Beetroot assiette was an amazing salad. Both entrees were vibrant in colour and they consolidated so well.

The Wildfire spiced scallops were next - parsnip puree, mango & coriander relish, sweet potato crisps and smoked cherry tomato.

This was elegantly presented and the scallops were cooked lightly - such a delicate dish. The tasty accompaniments enhanced this dainty dish.

Our last entrée was the Blood orange glazed duck breast - black garlic, broccolini, pearl couscous, kohlrabi puree. Sir as we know LOVES duck so he could not wait to try this. It was cooked to perfection. Beautifully pink and tender and was cooked with a gentle hand. The pearl couscous partnered the duck well.

We then both had a lovely Tolmer - an organic Cabernet. The one word to described this lovely drop - smooth!

For mains Sir had the Lamb backstrap - leek & spring onion mash, broccolini, tamarind & mint dressing and parsnip crisps.

This was a such an appetising dish. The lamb was nicely cooked - pink with a subtle hint of chimichurri.





Mlady had the Blackened Cajun spiced kingfish - rockmelon prosciutto & radish salad and olive pesto. This came with hand cut chips.This dish had the wonderful crispy skin which Mlady adores. It was delicious fish. The olive pesto and rockmelon prosciutto & radish salad enhanced the fish. This had really great flavours. As the hand cut chips - they were crisp and delectably fluffy.

As a dessert wine we had the superb Botrytis - a sweet dessert styled wine.





















For dessert Sir had - Redskin pannacotta - Hint of "explosion", rosella syrup and strawberry crumble.

We grew up with "Redskins" and this was a walk down memory lane. A childhood treat with an adult twist. It was beautifully presented with popping candy - release your inner childhood! Sir loved this!



Mlady as we know is a chocoholic - and she had the Dark Belgian chocolate & coconut parfait.

OMG this arrived in two glasses in a tower of sweet tasty deliciousness. Impressive!

It had the wonderfully yummy dark Belgian chocolate in one glass and the coconut in another. It was like two desserts in one!

You can eat the Dark Belgian first, then eat the coconut parfait afterwards, or the other way around, or combine them both together.

Such an innovative dessert and oh so mouth watering. One of the best!

The food here at Harvest is really exceptional and the servings are so generous.

This lovely restaurant and venue is well worth visiting - Harvest is in such tranquil and enchanting surroundings.

They even have delightful live music on the Baby Grand Piano on Friday and Saturday nights that provides great ambiance.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Harvest restaurant and The Sebel Resort & Spa Hawkesbury Valley. Special thank you to Peter Diego for inviting us and also thank you to Chef Pavan for taking time out from his busy schedule to chat with us.

GRAIN ORGANIC BAKERY - ROSEBERRY, SYDNEY

Grain Organic Bakery
Artisan Soudough & Seeded Breads
61-71 Mentmore Ave,
Rosebery, Sydney

Grain is a bakery first and foremost, producing a wide variety of lovely sourdough and seeded bread varieties on the premises.

But it’s important to also realise that this is a café too, with a great menu and a lot of quirky recycled furnishings giving the whole place huge charm and appeal.

It may be a bit hard to find as there is no signage allowed on the building but it’s definitely worth making the effort to find this great place.

The décor is really delightful and certainly interesting, with a row of old cinema seats down one side and both modern and antique furniture living happily together.

The large window, which shows part of the bakery workings, is a nice feature.

To start the experience, Dame K chose a Single Origin Ceylon tea and Dame M had her fix of a flat white from Cabrito coffee beans.

Both were very nice drops.

The breakfast menu is offered until 11.30 each day and the lunch menu follows, with really tempting sandwich and salad options.

Dame K decided on the toasted brioche roll with free-range bacon and eggs, tomato relish, BBQ sauce and Swiss cheese. The combination sounded so good! The brioche roll turned out to be big and beautiful. Despite the size, the brioche was soft and light so it wasn’t a heavy meal. The filling was tasty, the bacon was crispy and the eggs oozed to perfection!

For Dame M, it was the smashed avocado, Persian feta, soft boiled eggs, pistachio and basil.

This smashed avo dish was just as impressive with great visual appeal.

The Persian feta was silky and combined so well with the beautifully cooked eggs and the toast gave it a nice crunch.

What a delicious dish!























We couldn’t leave without trying something from the lunch menu, so we opted for a sandwich with slow roasted pork loin, spring onion salsa, hummus and sesame. It was a very substantial sandwich, stuffed full of goodies which really complemented each other. It was also a winner. We also saw some amazing looking salads come out while we were grazing so we’ve made a mental note to try some next time.

And the bread!!

Where do we start when it comes to talking about the delicious goodies they have here.

We had to take some home - it was impossible to resist!

The Dames love good sourdough and these loaves impressed us with their light centres and authentic flavour.














Grain is open 6 days a week currently (closed Sunday) between 8am and 4pm and is located in a large brick warehouse building.

The building is being renovated to house other specialty businesses which will move in soon and give visitors a gourmet centre experience.

Well done to owner Brian Horgan for bringing this to the people and to the lovely Alfie and staff who looked after us so well.

 Those Dames, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, were guests of Grain. Special thanks to Clive Morley for arranging this visit.

BEE'S KNEES VINTAGE CAFE - HORNSBY, SYDNEY

Bees Knees Vintage Cafe
14 Coronation St
Hornsby, Sydney

This place is like stepping back in time almost. It has a 1970's retro feel to it - making you think that you're on set for That 70's Show. Kelso will walk out any second and so will Red.

It's quaint, cute and memorable here. They also have an all day breakfast menu too. Most of their seating is indoors, but that's where all the retro stuff is anyway.

We sat at a round wooden table with a gaudy green and brown beach umbrella sticking out of the middle. It was so 1970's and also so much fun.

It was the middle of the day but we still all headed straight to the breakfast choices - as you invariably do on a weekend.

The three of us studied the blackboard menu and chose our meals. You order at the counter here but it's well signposted so you don't end up just sitting there like an idiot waiting.

Mlady went healthy again and had the big yoghurt with premium granola and berries. It's a combination she's had before and one she likes. The meal arrived in a kitsch bowl that looked like something out of grandma's china cabinet. But deliberately everything here looks like this. It was a good sized serving of berries, yoghurt and crunchy granola. Her coffee, a Pablo and Rusty's soy cap, was very tasty.

 The Duke grabbed his usual, an egg and bacon on a Turkish roll. These come in two sizes here, regular and double, and surprisingly he ordered regular. It was a nice fresh bun and had plenty of filling too. A latte capped off this meal nicely.




















The prize for prettiest meal was undoubtedly Sir's. He had the avocado salsa on sourdough. There was the added option of having smoked salmon with this too - which he of course had. This looked amazing and tasted just as good.

The salsa was a lovely mix of avocado, tomato and spices and there was plenty of smoked salmon too.

Bee's Knees Vintage Cafe certainly lives up to its name. Its decor is a step back in time and you can't help ogling all the retro stuff around the walls there and the furniture. An added bonus is that the food is good and so is the coffee!

COFFEE TRADERS - TOP RYDE, SYDNEY

Coffee Traders
Top Ryde Shopping Centre
Blaxland Rd, Ryde

Coffee Traders is located at Top Ryde City and has both indoor and outdoor seating for approximately 80. It has an industrial feel with its exposed ceiling and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. There is  a personal touch on the tables as the flowers are from James' (the owner) garden.

All of the lovely cakes are freshly made and there is also gluten free products which includes burger buns. Coffee Traders has a weekend menu too.When we arrived we had not had our all important first coffee of the day so, being a high priority we ordered our usual beverages. Mlady ordered a half strength soy cappuccino and Sir had his skim flat white. We both ordered "large" and we were so happy that we did. The coffee was great!!!! It definitely was an Ahhh moment when we took our first sips.The coffee was Pablo and Rusty's and  arrived in brightly coloured large cups with saucers which added to their appeal. We also have to mention - isn't "coffee art" cute!

Mlady ordered the smoked salmon, chives and cream omelette served with crispy bagel. This was served on a colourful plate enhancing the vibrancy of the omelette. This was a very tasty dish. It was also light and had nicely crisped croutons. The ingredients were fresh and the capers and Spanish onion went so well with the flavoursome, light and fluffy omelette.

Sir chose the spicy beef kofta skewers served on a bed of roasted vegetable cous cous and  also had a serving of crispy lavosh bread with creamy hummus for dipping.

This dish was beautifully presented. It was full of flavour and there certainly was plenty of it. The textures all combined well and it was very tasty, tender and juicy inside.

We were very full after our delicious meals but we really just had to try the Waffles. This consisted of  crispy hot Waffles with fresh fruit, maple syrup and was drizzled with an oh so yummy butterscotch sauce. The waffles were fluffy inside and nicely crisped on the outside. When it arrived it looked so good and tasted even better.

Coffee Traders is a great place with a lovely feel to it. The food and coffee is worth the visit too.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Coffee Traders. We would like to say a special thank you to James for chatting with us. We would also like to thank Helena, their chef, for taking time out from her busy schedule to chat with us and to Sonja for looking after us. Big thanks also to Claire McPherson of CPM Online Marketing for arranging our visit.

 

PABLO'S VICE - DARLINGHURST, SYDNEY

Pablo's Vice
3/257 Crown St
Darlinghurst, Sydney

Eggs cooked to perfection.

Got your attention.

Well this all started with toast of course, spread with smashed avocado then butter spinach and stacks of halloumi was added.


This was then drizzled with housemade aioli and finally topped with those beautiful eggs that oozed molten golden orange yolk when cut.

Ok - now we've teased you a bit lets talk about this place a little bit more. Pablo's Vice is a name you can easily remember - it's certainly unusual. It actually sits on a gently sloping part of Goulburn Street just around the corner from Crown Street and they have used the slope well to put a few well levelled tables and bench seats there. It's small though - probably only seating around 30 people max.

Breakfast number two was just as good as the first one! It was one of their daily specials. Called Bush Dukka Eggs it again started with toast - sourdough - with smashed avocado then rocket on top. A generous spread of blistered sweet whole cherry tomatoes added zing to the colours and this was all topped off with two beautifully poached eggs dusted with dukka. Lovely. 

A couple of tasty Campos coffee's kept us going during the meal.

We couldn't resist and actually ordered seconds of this drop too! 

It's a nice coffee and it's done well here - as the steady stream of take away orders proved.

Pablo's Vice is a sin worth experiencing. They have great coffee and food there that looks and tastes great and comes in good sized servings. Lets finish with a few more of those delish breakfasts again! It's a quaint place with a real charm to it too. 

Sir and Count N dined as guests of Pablo's Vice. Thanks to the crew there who looked after us so well and to Maz Coote of Coote Connex for arranging our visit.

 

WOOLPACK HOTEL - REDFERN, SYDNEY

Woolpack Hotel
229 Chalmers St
Redfern, Sydney

The Woolpack Hotel and Lounge in Redfern has been around for so long, you could almost call it a city landmark. But don’t let its solid history fool you into thinking it’s an everyday local pub. The Woolpack Hotel has not only revamped its interior, it has created a tantalising new Spanish Tapas menu.

Now, before we go on, let’s get a few things straight. The Woolpack is still a pub, so if craft beers and steak or schnitzels are your thing, then this place definitely has you covered. Their traditional pub menu is quite comprehensive and there are about eight rotating craft taps on offer, guaranteed to satisfy any thirst.

For us, any opportunity to try a new menu is exciting so tonight, we’re happy to ditch the pub grub and get our forks into some delicious Spanish Tapas, created by Barcelona trained, Head Chef, John Howard.


We arrived on a busy Friday night but found a table inside quite quickly. The Woolpack has a lovely outdoor area out the front, a large main area inside and a cosy, intimate room around the back which is perfect if you are after a somewhat quieter space. There was some live music happening too.





















We started our Spanish journey with a jug of Sangria. True to its tradition it was not too sweet and full of flavour, First up, some Iberico Jamon, a specific type of ham which is basically a Spanish legend. Made from Iberico free range pork and cured according to a specific process, Iberico Jamon is a thin leg of ham, with a deep golden hue to its fat. It’s absolutely delicious and far superior to any ham we have tasted till now.





















Some grilled Octopus followed. Huge chunks of Octopus cooked in paprika and vinegar and marinated with Olives.

It’s so easy to over cook Octopus on the grill but thankfully this wasn’t the case here.

The paprika added a real smokey taste to the dish.



Following on the seafood theme, we also tried some fish croquettes and let us tell you these were AMAZING.

Bite size pieces of fresh salty fish, deep fried and served with the most creamy aioli.

Just one word of advice folks, these are dangerously addictive.




You can’t have a Spanish tapas experience without some famous patatas bravas, and the ones here at the Woolpack hotel don’t fail to impress.

The potatoes were golden and crispy and smothered in that creamy sauce that’s so delicious.

We were scraping everything off the plate.

We decided to have a short break from the food whilst enjoying our beautiful wine. We had a deliciously crisp rose produced in Orange NSW, by a Portuguese wine maker. Portuguese and Orange - a great combination.

Our next dish was the char-grilled beef. Thick carvings of delicious Hereford beef cooked in a very tasty salsa. They say Hereford beef is one of the best types of beef, we can definitely attest to that. It was tender, perfectly cooked on the more rare side of medium and perfectly carved and presented.

A perfect accompaniment to the beef were green beans which were cooked in a beautiful garlic and butter base, and also a chickpea dish cooked with cauliflower, spinach and aged cheese. A very impressive choice and one we would highly recommend. We couldn’t get enough of it.

Our last (but not least) dish for the evening was the stuffed Zucchini Flowers. Evidently fresh, these succulent flowers were filled with ricotta and Manchego cheese and again served with an aioli, but this time a chilli one.

After all this amazing food, we definitely were ready for a siesta so we decided to call it a night. The Woolpack hotel in Redfern is the perfect choice for your next meal no matter what the occasion as it offers a great balance between high quality Spanish Tapas and a solid, traditional pub menu, all within a relaxed atmosphere with friendly, efficient service.

Ole.

The Counts, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, were guests of The Woolpack Hotel. Big thanks to Mel Fryer for the invitation.

 

THE MORRISON BAR AND OYSTER ROOM - SYDNEY CBD

The Morrison Bar and Oyster Room
Christmas Party Soiree
225 George St,
Sydney CBD

The Morrison really turned it on for hundreds of guests at their annual Christmas bash, which is always a big event.

There were celebrities, actors, media and foodies filing in to the stylish venue from 6pm, ready and willing to party. We were there too - enjoying the festivities.

The music was pumping and the drinks were flowing and the room filled to capacity almost as soon as it started. The team at The Morrison know how to throw a great bash and when it's on people want to be there!

As a specialty oyster bar with over 30 varieties of Australian oysters on offer, we were excited when a lovely platter came by.

It was no surprise that the juicy and plump Wallis Lake oysters were popular with all the guests!

The cheese profiteroles were a particular highlight for these Dames – little balls of choux pastry filled with a tasty cheese mixture and drizzled with a touch of crispy toffee. So delicious they were hard to get hold of.  Fortunately there were other tasty offerings circulating, such as duck fat chips with garlic aioli and crispy chicken drumettes. The chicken had a slightly spicy kick and lots of flavour.

The staff were working tirelessly and trays of drinks were constantly being manoeuvred through the sea of people. We tried some “black widow sliders” which were made with amazing black charcoal buns. They looked and tasted great. After an appearance from Santa, we were thinking about where we might go for dinner. Since we loved the canapés, we wanted to stay here.













Dame K and Dame M decided to try the a la carte menu in the lovely restaurant at the rear of the premises. It is a light and airy spot with elegant glass walls and an opening ceiling.

Dame M chose the Chilli Crab Linguine, which was absolutely delicious and pretty as a picture. The combination of snow crab, parsley, mint, chilli and lemon butter sauce was a real winner. Dame K said the Beef and Lamb Ragout was superb. The pappardelle pasta was served with succulent slow-cooked meats in a basil and Parmesan sauce. We couldn’t fault the friendly service either, which was spot on.

It was such a fun and rewarding evening and I’m sure all the party guests would agree. Everything we ate was really tasty and Dame M is keen for more of that linguine!

The Morrison has a great atmosphere and is certainly worth a visit for drinks and oysters after work or dinner at the restaurant.

Those Dames, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, were guests of The Morrison.

SILVERBEAN - ENMORE, SYDNEY

Silverbean
99 Enmore Rd
Enmore, Sydney

Silverbean is a vintage style cafe in the popular suburb of Enmore, a place where the restaurants and cafes are as diverse as its residents.

The space is intimate and the ambience is warm and relaxed. It's old bentwood chairs and copper lights give it a real rustic look.

Silverbean's menu is inspired by the Southwest of America and if that makes you think of food full of meat, beans and corn, think again.

Silverbean's menu is quite diverse, with lots of delicious options for vegetarian and vegan diets too.

We arrived for brunch on a Saturday morning and we choose to sit inside.

We could have easily chosen a table outside (perfect for people watching) but we were drawn to the lovely wooden furniture and warm interior.

We started with two long blacks whilst we looked at the menu - fairly normal for us. 

They serve organic fair trade coffee from PNG here. 

It was smooth and was arrived with a beautiful crema - a sure indication your long black is going to be superb. 

We loved it.

We don't come across vegan dishes very often, so we opted to try the Vegan breakfast. It seemed weird that we were ordering a breakfast dish that didn't come with any eggs or bacon but we love trying new things so we were somewhat excited. If we could describe the Vegan breakfast in a few words, we would say healthy and fresh. It was loaded with homemade things like baked beans, mushrooms and avocado. The sourdough toast was crisp and accompanied with the most delicious walnut oil, made on right on premises.

Next up a massive smoked salmon stack (and when we say massive we mean massive). Loaded with a hash brown, chorizo and of course poached eggs, this dish is the one to go for if you are in the mood for a big meal. Obviously freshly prepared, the hash brown was crunchy and the smoked salmon had just the right amount of saltiness to it. Count N also enjoyed the chipotle mayo that came with it.

Now, If there's one thing you can always count on with The Counts, it's that there's always room for something sweet - even after a huge meal.

So, to finish up, we ordered some hot cakes without much persuasion at all.

These fluffy hot cakes were served with crispy bacon, berry compote, ricotta and were drizzled with a very unique chamomile maple.

We've had hotcakes served with bacon many times, usually drowned in maple syrup and cream but these had just the right amount of maple and the ricotta instead of cream gave the dish a slightly less sweet sugary taste. We had also never tried camomile maple before and we loved it's fruity and vanilla like scent.

As we finished our meals, we took a look around the cafe, admiring some of the interesting pictures on the wall.

We came across a lovely couch area at the back of the cafe (wish we had seen that from the beginning). It's a perfect spot for some privacy or an intimate catch up.

Silverbean impressed us with their fresh and tasty food, their great service and a real warm atmosphere, a place p where you can just sit back and relax.


We definitely will be back, probably to try a few things from the lunch menu next time. Silverbean is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch.

The Counts, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of Silverbean. Special thanks to Elijah for this invitation.

 

JAMAICA BLUE - HORNSBY, SYDNEY

Jamaica Blue
Westfield Hornsby
Hornsby, Sydney

One of the more prolific chains of cafes around Sydney is Jamaica Blue. They actually have 16 outlets in Sydney alone, and others across Australia in just about every state. They even have two in Westfield Hornsby alone.

We've often drifted past one or the other of their Hornsby outlets but usually on our way somewhere else.

Sometimes we've simply stopped to grab a quick take away coffee.

This time we decided to drop in for a quick bite and of course a coffee.

Mlady had the salmon quiche which came served hot with a wedge of lemon and a side salad. It was a decent sized serving. Sir had the smoked salmon wrap that also came served toasted and warm with a side salad. Both dishes were nice.