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Cafe XXII

3.5 (21 reviews)
Open 7:30 am - 11:00 pm

Cafe XXII Photos

CAFE XXII ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - Cafe XXII

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Reviews With Photos

Paul J.

Nestled in an unassuming sandstone cottage, Café XXII is a marvelous little restaurant in the heart of Pyrmont. I was attracted by the lovely outdoor seating area, which had a very European feel. Rotate your chairs toward the street if people-watching is your thing, here's a good place to do it. But even if you're sitting outside enjoying the weather, check out the inside of the café. Extremely cozy and rustic, this restaurant is the perfect place for a romantic date or an intimate dinner with friends. It was kind of an awkward time--too late for lunch yet too early for dinner--as we couldn't order from the kitchen until later. Nonetheless, our French waiter was very accommodating as we ordered coffees and munched on some sweets. My cappuccino was good, but a bit too milky and weak. The banana bread was scrumptiously moist and so was the orange fig tart. My friends had enjoyed brunch here before and can attest that it was very good. As for dinner, our waiter mentioned that the menu changes every other day and offers Mediterranean fare with an Australian twist. I definitely plan on returning to feast upon their dinner offerings.

Glynis M.

Great restaurant, great staff. It doesn't matter if you go for coffee or go for lunch, everybody is treated the same way. The staff have a laugh with you and the guy at the register (who I think is the owner) is very friendly. The best restaurant by far in an area that is swamped with mediocre offerings. The fish dish of the day is always good and the honey and herb roast pumpkin salad is great for vegetarians or you have can have it with chicken if you're not.

Rachel C.

This cafe/restaurant in Pyrmont wears a barnhouse look that really works for me. The beautiful little building is made of giant sandstones bricks with jutting (dormant) fireplaces and wooden floorboards, decorated with swinging barn house doors and windows. This charming outfit makes the potentially pretentious joint appear cosy and homely, which is a comfort on rainy days (such as this one). The courtyard out the back would be a beautiful open space on sunny days but closes up nicely when it's miserable outside. The menu and its accompanying prices caters to Pyrmont's corporate crowd, and come lunch time the building is filled with work parties who've come to XXII for their three course break. The building is beautiful and the staff are friendly, and whilst I don't think I'd head there for lunch, I would definitely return for a night time affair. Sharing entrees of goats cheese stuffed zucchini flowers, kingfish carpaccio and Sydney rock oysters, followed by either the truffle risotto or Tasmanian ocean trout and finished with a dark chocolate fondant inside a beautifully lit old barnhouse sounds like the perfect night to me.

Robert C.

I used to come here regularly but hadn't been back for a while. Decided to come here with my cousin as she was visiting from out of town as I was craving their delicious Sweetcorn Fritters. Located on Union Street in Pyrmont, it was a lovely day outside so we sat in the open area of the inside seating as the temperature was just right for here. If it had been colder or raining we would've retreated to the indoor seating area. The service is very friendly and welcoming. The waitresses were all attentive and personable. My cousin ordered Two Free Range Eggs Any Style On Toast. She went with scrambled and chose rye. Scrambled eggs came out but she ended with sourdough instead. I told her she should ask for the rye like she ordered but didn't want to kick up a fuss and said the sourdough was delicious anyway and the Pepe Saya butter that went with it was nice. The eggs were also seasoned very well. My fritters were as how I remembered them. Soft and falling apart it went with the avocado salsa and sour cream. Bacon adds a nice touch to it. The coffee is nice here too.

Alice T.

A sandstone cottage turned cafe perfection? It's time to relearn your roman numerals. XXII might take its name from its address, but I like to think it's a cheeky nod to The Star casino which resides just next door. After all, XXII is so much better than hitting blackjack. Go here for coffee, for brunch, in fact, for every meal they serve. You won't be disappointed. Peopled with delightful staff and delicious menus, it's a Pyrmont spot you'll come back to time and time again. So far I've sampled the breakfast stack (two free range poached eggs on sour dough/oven roasted tomato/haloumi/fresh avocado/rocket/basil pesto & aioli - $16.00), the sweetcorn fritters (with smoked bacon/avocado salsa/sour crème/sweet chilli - $15.50), the chicken breast romesco & rocket sandwich ($12.50) and the grilled haloumi, sweet potato cherry tomato & asparagus salad ($14.50). I've yet to experience anything but luck with XXII, and knowing that it's BYO will surely see me double down for dinner.

Union Square, Pyrmont

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1 year ago

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13 years ago

Excellent food and nice neighborhood restaurant. eggs, bacon, toast delicious....good solid place

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Review Highlights - Cafe XXII

Union Square is a main pathway through Pyrmont to Darling Harbour or the city; it's a busy square and has that European feel to it.

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The Rocks Cafe - Eggs Benedict and a long black.

The Rocks Cafe

4.1(203 reviews)
1.7 kmThe Rocks
$$

Really popular place. They have street seating and indoor. The only thing available when we went…read morewithout waiting was inside. Inside wasn't bad, the table was big and the chairs comfortable. We were waited on immediately. Servers fly around like dancers, it's actually pretty impressive. Our food arrived in no time. My wife had fish and chips and I had lamb and rosemary pie. She enjoyed her meal. Mine was different than I've had before. It was still ok but I wouldn't order it again. Others would probably like it, it just wasn't for me. We didn't have any dessert but as you walk in the door they have some wonderful looking pies and cakes. Do yourself a favor and save room for one of those. I messed up and didn't try something. This is actually a really cool restaurant that I would like to try again. I wouldn't let one dish that didn't hit my taste buds keep me away.

The Rocks Cafe is set in an adorable part of Sydney. I could see parking being a little challenging…read moreat times, but it's worth the effort and walk to make it to The Rocks Cafe! I understand it can get a little busy at times too, so there might be a wait. PRO TIP: make an online reservation and get seated right away! I had a couple of goals when visiting Australia... and one of them was to try kangaroo. The Rocks Cafe delivers with their Kangaroo Filet! And you can get it gluten-free! The sauce is a bit rich for me, but you can brush some of the sauce off with your fork. If kangaroo is not your thing, then there are plenty of other options on the menu... and the crowd around us all looked pleased with their orders. After you are done with your meal, you just go to the front/reception area and pay your bill. Easy peasy! Overall rating: ****FOUR STARS**** Gluten-free rating: ****FOUR STARS****

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The Rocks Cafe - Art

Art

The Rocks Cafe - Avocado toast and cappuccino

Avocado toast and cappuccino

The Rocks Cafe - Dirty martinis after a long day of travel

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Dirty martinis after a long day of travel

Alfie's - ALFIE'S BUBBLE AND SQUEAK SLAW - Brussel sprouts, pumpkin seeds, red and green cabbage, squash, fennel.

Alfie's

2.5(2 reviews)
1.5 kmSydney

everything happens for a reason…read more bistecca was not meant to be and under their redirection, i get to try out a new steak joint! a much more casual, what you see is what you get kinda place. a patio drinking and waiting before getting seated area, or for those who just want a drink and some simple bar bites? a spacious interior with a bar as centre piece divider offset to the left. a small dj console to the other side on the right but well manned by a hot dj! sat at the bar without reservations, no worries mate! fun and chatty bar/wait staff entertains. simple menu, one cut of beef(sirloin), not my favourite :( special of the day was another cut(spit roast beefetta) but sold out early on :( staff reassured that their sirloin has been aged and that i would enjoy it's tenderness. ordered two half portion sides(because i wanted to try more), an alfie's bubble and squeak slaw and also a roast mushrooms to accompany my lonely 220g sirloin with green mustard(unique), medium rare. but first up, scones and butter! definitely whipped up my appetite. oh yes, the phone camera was happy too, no need to hand it over ala bisteccca. a cute french wait staff brought my chow not too long after. and it was a satisfying one. was also told to save space for dessert, which i did and did not regret. a f**k off gelato-on-a-stick - burnt honey, beef fat, rosemary, a collab with ciccone & sons. definitely can so do this all day! ;) if sirloin is your thing, alfie's a win!

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Alfie's - A small console, a hot DJ!

A small console, a hot DJ!

Alfie's - ROAST MUSHROOMS - Field, swiss brown, button mushrooms, fried enoki, goddess cream, pickled Shimeji, mushroom salt.

ROAST MUSHROOMS - Field, swiss brown, button mushrooms, fried enoki, goddess cream, pickled Shimeji, mushroom salt.

Alfie's - A rather chill place with DJ to boot!

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A rather chill place with DJ to boot!

Restaurant Hubert - Crabe et Espelette

Restaurant Hubert

4.3(46 reviews)
1.5 kmSydney
$$$

A couple of my friends recently returned from Sydney, and they said if there was only one place…read morethey suggest I go to eat - it was Restaurant Hubert. Specifically the happy hour. So I did! They don't take reservations for their 5-6pm happy hour. You can only line up at 5pm when they open. We got there right before 5pm, and there were probably 10 to 12 people in line. Once the doors opened we were led downstairs to the bar area. It's a very dark, and feels like you've been transported to another time and place. We decided to try one of each of the food items on the happy hour: - Duck Parfait - Good. Classic French item and they do it well. - Brandade d'anguilles fumée - OK. I know it's eel, but wasn't very distinct from any other fish. My least favourite dish. - Saucisson Sec - Good. Simple. - Fleur de Courgette - Very good. Delicate and delicious. I should've ordered two of these. - Normandy Burger - Very good. The one item my friends raved about, and it was clear why. A burger with the best ingredients is hard to matched. I got the extra side of fries which is equally good. Best dish of the meal. Service was relatively good, except at one point they asked if I wanted mayo for my fries (very French) and I said yes, but it never came. Other than that, quite good. This was easily my favourite meal of my trip, holding up to high expectations. I would return on my next trip to Sydney.

I have dreams of Restaurant Hubert's Chicken Fricassée…read more Note: Happy Hour is walk-in only from 5PM - 6PM. We came on a Thursday evening and there was a line inside prior to opening. I highly recommend getting here early to get a seat during Happy Hour and stay after to enjoy some live jazz after 6PM. The restaurant was easy to locate with a sign upfront. The entrance is just a door in the wall with spiraling stairs leading you to an underground jazz bar and restaurant. It's upscale and romantic, but several other people were dressed casually. We sat on a shared table with three other strangers until we ordered off the full menu and our Chicken Fricassée arrived. The service is top notch and everyone was attentive, polite, and kind. We started off with the happy hour menu and ordered the Duck Parfait. I didn't know what to expect. The croutons were crispy and delicate and the duck liver was easy to spread and airy. The Normandy Burger was juicy and the bread was fluffy. But the star of the night Chicken Fricassée - wow! Incredibly tender, juicy, and garlicy. The sauce had a mashed potato buttery, smooth texture. Absolute must get.

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Restaurant Hubert
Restaurant Hubert - Pommes Anna

Pommes Anna

Restaurant Hubert

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Cafe XXII - modern_australian - Updated May 2026

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