URBAN FOOD TRAIL … ROZELLE + BALMAIN
Reporter: SALLY OBERMEDER
Sal loves to shop … we all know that. BUT even more than that Sal loves food and shopping for food – well that’s when she’s at her happiest! This is the first in a series of ‘Urban Food Trail’ stories – where we uncover the foodie favourites hidden in the suburbs of Sydney.
Balmain
Balmain is one of Sydney’s oldest working-class suburbs, and the place where most of Sydney’s ferries were built. Balmain is now a colourful and artistic suburb, home to some of Australia’s best-known writers, actors, film directors, musicians and artists.
Stylish cafés, bistros, pubs and restaurants burst with creative energy and its pulsating nightlife is a magnet for a cosmopolitan crowd.
Steve Bisley
Steve Bisley is a well-known Australian actor, who attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art. His major television roles have included the Australian police dramas Water Rats and Police Rescue, as well as Halifax f.p.
He had a role in the Australian TV medical drama series Flying Doctors. He also appeared in the critically acclaimed Australian satiricalTV series Frontline.
In his youth and continuing to present day he has been close friends with actor Mel Gibson, with whom he starred in the movies Summer City and Mad Max.
Canteen
Steve Bisley officially took over as the new owner of Balmain’s favourite café, Canteen, at 332 Darling Street in May 2004. Steve who had been a regular at Canteen since it first opened about 7 years prior has continued the tradition of great coffee and café food (a wide selection ranging from breakfast to baguettes, large bowl salads, pasta’s, the legendary Canteen burger and more).
“Bizo”, who grew up in the ‘village’ of Lake Munmorah on the Central Coast says he loves the relaxed nature of Canteen and that fact that it is such a central meeting place in the Balmain Village.
He has put the skills learned at a Toby’s Estate barista’s course into practice at Canteen and has been hands on working across all areas of the café from coffee to the kitchen and serving customers and has hosted a number of Sunday night music evenings and film and pasta nights.
More Information
Canteen
332 Darling Street, Balmain
Telephone: (02) 9818 1521
Canteen is open 7 days a week from 6am to 5pm.
Victoire
Myriam Cordelier is the artisan bread maker at Victoire. The bread at Victoire is characterised by the incredible mixture of crustiness and sourness, which very few places are able to achieve. This bakery has a cult following thanks to the sublime bread which has a flavour all of its own.
On Saturday’s they make a special loaf, so be sure to pop in and treat yourself … it’s a 2kg loaf made with 3 Monts Belgian beer. 3 Monts is a classic Bière de Garde, which literally means "beer for aging or keeping" brewed by the brewery of St. Sylvestre (actually an old farmhouse) located in the heart of the French Flanders countryside. The beer, named after 3 small nearby hills on the farm, is an old fashioned, full flavoured beer brewed from strong aromatic Flemish hops and fermented using top yeasts. This beer has a distinct aromatic bitterness.
Also available at Victoire are croissants which are so fluffy and light … just like those that’d pick up in a Parisian bakery. Also very popular is the walnut bread.
There’s also a range of cakes that’s made on the premises, a small fromagerie and several interesting deli items.
Victoire is open Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm, Saturday from 7.30am to 6pm and Sunday from 7.30am to 4pm.
More Information
Victoire
285 Darling Street, Balmain
Telephone: (02) 9818 5529
Victoire is open Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm, Saturday from 7.30am to 6pm and Sunday from 7.30am to 4pm.
The Barn
Located in Darling Street, Rozelle, the heart of Sydney’s dynamic, diverse inner west, the barn cafe & grocery is a true food lover’s destination.
The focus here is on superior food at reasonable prices, from grocery shopping basics to specialty Deli items, to select regional produce and the freshest fruit and vegetables of the season.
Stop by for a cup of illy coffee and a freshly baked pastry or a gourmet sandwich in the Espresso Bar, or enjoy a superb meal at the barn cafe where the emphasis is on fresh, innovative menu selections prepared with the best of the region and best of the season ingredients. Al fresco dining is available in our food lovers’ courtyard, planted with aromatic herbs and heavily laden fruit trees.
All products used in the barn cafe dishes are available in the barn grocery, so you can recreate your favourites at home – you can even get recipes in store!
More Information
The Barn Cafe
731 – 735 Darling Street, Rozelle
Telephone: (02) 9810 1633
Open 7 days.
Belle Fleur
Belle Fleur makes exquisite handmade chocolates – fresh every day. To do this they draw on four generations of chocolate making expertise, a track record for more than 20 years in the business in Australia, and an ongoing passion for the art of chocolate making.
Using the best quality ingredients – high quality Belgian couverture, fresh local dairy products and ingredients sourced from around the globe. They handcraft traditional chocolates that would look right at home in a Belgian chocolate shop.
In response to the adventurous culinary spirit that exists in Australia, Belle Fleur created chocolates in contemporary flavours and shapes. There are more than 50 chocolates on display in the shop at any one time!
Belle Fleur is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, Saturday from 9am to 4pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
More Information
Belle Fleur
658 Darling Street, Rozelle
Telephone: (02) 9810 1633
Belle Fleur is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, Saturday from 9am to 4:30pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.