Newtown's Culinary Wonderland:

Newtown is a well-known cultural hub, tourist destination, and late-night district in Sydney. For the area's eateries, this means affordable, traditional meals free of ostentatious decor, fast-food bars improved by fresh ingredients and great vegan and vegetarian selections. There’s also a new wave of mid-range eateries delivering unassuming but high-quality and imaginative takes on supper staples like pizza, pasta and fried chicken. The restaurants in this list demonstrate why Newtown is still one of Sydney's top dining neighbourhoods, whether you're looking for a good deal on a pad thai or seasonally inspired burnt butter scallops.

1. Cafe Paci

RESTAURANT

131 King Street, Newtown

When Pasi Petanen, a Finnish-born chef, established his restaurant Cafe Paci in Darlinghurst in 2013, despite an innovative, à la carte menu and wines by Giorgio De Maria, everyone knew it wouldn’t last long. It was in a building that was about to be demolished and Cafe Paci 1.0 sadly closed in 2015.

In the Newtown reincarnation, the menu is à la carte, the wines are by Giorgio De Maria and the food is still as innovative as it was at the original. Petanen uses his ingenuity to create meals that not only push but destroy boundaries. A few items from the original Cafe Paci have made a comeback including the much-lauded potato and molasses bread, a tartare and the very popular carrot sorbet with liquorice cake.

2. Lonely Mouth by RaRa

RESTAURANT

275 Australia Street, Newtown

Lonely Mouth by RaRa is known for its Izakaya-style snacks and delectable ramens. Vegan ramen may be considered blasphemous among noodle purists, however, given that the Japanese masters and ramen consultants behind RaRa Ramen's secret tonkotsu recipe (which was passed down to Katie Shortland and Scott Gault to serve at their Redfern and Randwick RaRa locations) are completely on board with the non-meat ramen recipe, perhaps tradition shouldn't be the only criterion for what's acceptable.

3. Konak Turkish Kitchen

RESTAURANT

496 King Street Newtown

Konak is a Turkish restaurant that specialises in breakfast and cooking with a woodfired oven. Ceyda Selleck of Pasha's and Berkay Salur who is the pide chef from Erciyes in Surry Hills are co-owners.

It’s a great place for dinner as a group and also an amazing place for breakfast. Bread takes centre stage in the morning – it's your primary eating utensil and enhances everything else on the table which includes menemen (baked

eggs a la shakshuka), pide, sujuk, pastries, a selection of cheeses, olives, fruit, honey, house-made jams, butter, clotted cream, tahini; pekmez (a thick molasses-like syrup made from slow-cooked fruit) and unlimited tea all for the low price of $25. The only difficult part is finding a seat.

4. Continental Deli Bar and Bistro

RESTAURANT

210 Australia Street, Newtown

It's a deli, bar and restaurant all rolled into one. The lower area of the venue contains a bar that doubles as a deli counter providing premium deli items (wedged between Brickfields ciabatta or set up next to luxury imports of canned fish) as well as the tastiest cocktails in the suburb, including Continental’s own tinned classics (the Mar-tinny is THE classic). It's more French Bistro upstairs with saucy meats, chip-flanked tartares and cheese-pepped salads.

5. Bella Bruta

RESTAURANT

135 King Street, Newtown

Pizzas and wines from the same crew as Continental with the addition of Luke Powell from LP's Quality Meats as a new teammate. Pizzas topped with Powell's mortadella, premium canned seafood (including anchovies) and high-quality versions of all the classics are on the menu. The beautiful reflective concrete interior creates a lively atmosphere but for those who are noise sensitive, there are always spots in the rear garden courtyard.

6. Mary’s Newtown

BAR

6 Mary Street, Newtown

Mary's is the reason traditional American-style cheeseburgers are having a massive revival in Sydney. Its concept was to combine the comfort-trash sentiments of McDonalds in the 50's with high-quality grass-fed beef served in a grungy location with heavy metal music and cheap drinks alongside progressive local wines. It's dark and loud so a good first stop on a first date.

7. Gigi's Pizzeria

RESTAURANT

379 Kings Street, Newtown

Newtown went crazy when Gigi's, a traditional Neapolitan pizzeria, switched to 100% plant-based in 2015. Vegans

rejoiced while meat eaters fretted that the best pizza in the inner west had ceased to exist. But the meat eaters need

not have fretted, no flavour or character has been lost thanks to chef and owner Marco Matino's ingenuity. Expect

long lineups because the pizzeria is busier than ever.

8. Bloodwood

RESTAURANT

416 King Street, Newtown

The first restaurant in Newtown to push the limits of what mid-range dining can be, as well as an early proponent of

the modern-Australian share-plate style, it also boasts an industrial fit-out and an excellent choice of organic and

biodynamic wines. It has become something of a Sydney institution and it's still one of Newtown's best and most

inventive eateries. This is a great first date dinner spot if you aim to impress.

9. Rising Sun Workshop

CAFE

1c Whateley Street, Newtown

An all-day restaurant with three distinct culinary personalities. Breakfasts served in the mornings are inspired by

Australia's link with Asia. At lunch there are a trio of non-traditional ramens and two burgers and in the evenings you

can expect a menu that defies tradition and convention including spaghetti ramenese, anchovy-spiced Caesar salads,

and vegan jerky. This restaurant has large tables that are very well spaced. It is ideal for a group of people either for a

creative office lunch or a get together with a larger social group or family. The distance between tables could also be

seen as good for a date night.

10. Flying Tong

RESTAURANT

99 Enmore Rd, Newtown

Modernized Korean fried kitchen. Still as saucy and spicy as you want it to be but with the addition of bulgogi fries,

gochujang-chicken tacos, and cheesy corn, which is exactly what it sounds like. Beers, the most traditional Korean

fried chicken accompaniment, are available in cans imported from Korea or locally brewed in Sydney.

11. Cairo Takeaway

RESTAURANT

81 Enmore Rd, Enmore

One of Sydney's few eateries that makes fresh falafels (also known as taameyya in Egypt) for every order. They

should be as green as a Granny Smith apple skin and as crumbly and moist as a slice of roasted eggplant according

to Egyptian tradition. If you're on the go, shove them inside a pita pocket with tahini and pickles. Get a plate of these,

or some charcoal-grilled chicken skewers with bronzed cauliflower and hibiscus tea if you're sitting down.

12. Hartsyard

RESTAURANT

33 Enmore Road, Newtown

Seasonality, fresh produce and Australian seafood are all priorities at this bistro. Chef Jarrod Walsh's kangaroo

tartare and sake-buttered calamari are recommended. The innovative menu is complemented by a sleek design that

includes potted plants and naked hanging globes.

13. Belly Bao

RESTAURANT

184 King Street, Newtown

The bao-bun burgers, as well as the spicy bao-noodles and the deep-fried Golden Gaytime-inspired dessert bao, are

entirely unique in Sydney, if not the world. It may sound gimmicky, and it is, but that name betrays how amazing it is.

It also has a colourful pan Asian-inspired bar menu that is vegetarian and vegan friendly with eggplant bao burgers,

tofu bao, and noodle options.

14. La Favola

RESTAURANT

170 King Street, Newtown

On weekends expect to wait for a seat at La Favola for the $22 to $26 choose-your-own house-made pastas and

fresh focaccia from a chef who formerly worked in Fico and fine-dining kitchens in Europe.

15. Rosso Antico

RESTAURANT

2/52 - 60 Enmore Road, Newtown

Authentically and vehemently Neapolitan pizzas featuring blistered, thick, bready crusts and rich saucy bases

covered with San Marzano tomatoes and only the toppings you'd find in Naples. They also serve delicious pasta

including recipes from the owner's mother. Despite the large, minimalist space you can expect lengthier wait times on

busy days.

16. Pistou

BAR

601 King Street, Newtown

Small producers and simple decisions are the focus of this laid-back Provençal wine bar. There are only three

cocktails on the always changing cocktail list, a small food menu and a small wine list. On the weekends there is a

breakfast plate with a pick-your-own-adventure option.

17. Odd Culture

262-266 King Street Newtown 2042

BAR

This enormous King Street bar from the same people who brought you the Old Fitz and the Oxford Tavern boasts a

staggering range of unique farmhouse ales, ciders and natural wines, as well as an all-day food menu prepared by a

formidable cooking staff. It's a far cry from its previous incarnation as Happy Chef, a popular Chinese restaurant in

the area.

18. Thai Pothong

RESTAURANT

294 King Street, Newtown

The streets of Newtown are lined with Thai eateries, but Thai Pothong has been a neighbourhood favourite for over

20 years. This King Street institution serves all of the standard curries, stir fries and noodle meals as well as a slew of

chef's specialities like barramundi curry, banana blossom salad and crab meat fried rice. The restaurant also offers a

variety of banquet menus starting at $30 per person, as well as monthly specials.

19. Emma’s Snack Bar

RESTAURANT

59 Liberty Street, Enmore

Emma's on Liberty has reopened as Emma's Snack Bar, much to the delight of the surrounding community. This is

Lebanese that is sure to please with a warm, informal feel and a fresh mezze menu.

The retro decor is based on the local takeaway style with fluorescent signage, a chalkboard menu, counter dinin, and

a takeaway window for when you're too tired to go inside.