Westside Laundry

This crew is nailing the sandwich brief. Hospitality guns Fletcher Scott and Dom Walsh (ex-Willing Bros) put their heads together working at Mona’s experimental fine diner Faro. The result? This intimate New York-style spot, pumping out deli fodder with a twist.

The menu is short and sweet – expect sangas by day and small plates by night. For lunch, the sardine bagel is a beauty, with salsa verde, Spanish sardines and crisp lettuce. The mortadella sandwich pays homage to Scott’s beloved childhood favourite. There’s pesto and crushed pistachios on focaccia, with mortadella sliced paper-thin on the manual Italian slicer, then lightly seared. For a later bite, the chicken waffle with peppered maple and the New Orleans-inspired caviar hash browns are winners. And to drink there are Big Apple-style cocktails like the teeny-weeny Martini, New York Sour and Bloody Mary with house-made pickle brine and chilli.

The space is aglow and buzzing in a heritage-listed art deco building that was once a laundromat. It’s nostalgic and cosy with dark wood panelling, wraparound mirrors, a burgundy and cream colour palette, and a granite bar to perch at. A true time machine to 1940s New York.