Cafe Giulia

This stretch of Abercrombie Street can be pretty desolate aside from the constant stream of cars and trucks, which makes Cafe Giulia’s lively atmosphere a refreshing antidote to the thoroughfare on which it sits. With a smart fit-out punctuated by shards of natural light, this former butcher’s shop is so narrow it’s actually difficult to believe that the entirety of the menu could be conjured from the scrawny open kitchen, but somehow they manage. The chalkboard menu is a formidable one and in the time you spend deciding what to eat, you’ll probably grow a whole new appetite.

If there’s any kind of strategy behind the food, it’s to offer all your basic categories with multiple options. It would be why their breakfast muffin has five variations and why options that are relatively elusive in inner city cafes – like fish burgers and a dedicated pasta list – make an appearance here.

With blue cornflower and Moroccan teas, hot apple cider and plenty of juices, the drinks don’t make for easy decisions either. Any waffle-obsessives in Sydney know how hard it is to hunt them down, but low and behold, they can be found here. The portions are generous and give you a real excuse to settle in, which might mean that brunch is the key time to hit up Café Giulia, especially in terms of being able to exploit dishes like French toast with bacon and bananas to their fullest extent.