Where To Eat in August: Bistro Fitz, Fontana Redfern, Tombik and More

The crew that summed up short-term fun in Sydney’s dining scene finally has a permanent site. Fontana is the first full-time restaurant for the team behind Italian pop-ups Wilmer, Alfio’s and Don Peppino’s. Daniel Johnston, Ivey Wawn and Harry Levy are back with their winning take on regionally distinct Italian dishes – including their popular version of ceci e tria, a chickpea pasta from Lecce in the country’s south. That excellent dish has been a menu non-negotiable since their Wilmer days.

Mikiko Terasaki’s Omu market stall became ultra-popular just months after its Chinatown debut: there were 100-metre-long queues (and the viral TikTok posts) that made her omurice a social-media star. With her Omu restaurant now open in Ultimo, this egg dish is a menu headliner. The eatery also showcases yōshoku (Western-inspired) food from Japan, because it’s a cuisine she hasn’t seen represented in Sydney. So there’s spaghetti napolitan, coffee jelly and Mont-Blanc cakes (she admits the latter dessert is linked with Japan’s autumn’s chestnut season, but it’s something she loved all year round while growing up in Fukuoka).

Walk-ins only.

This Sydney institution will celebrate its 30^th birthday next year. It’s been a dependable fixture throughout the decades and developed a loyalty for its unfussy comfort food and enthusiastic showcasing of local producers. Sean’s even inspired a roasted broccoli sandwich at Brickfields bakery (it was a tribute to the shredded rocket, lemon and chilli pasta that was on Sean’s menu for years). Some things have changed over time – owner Sean Moran became quite popular for his stunning Instagram menu interpretations during lockdown – but the restaurant’s beloved roast chicken dish and farmhouse charm still endure.

In Australia, a kebab shop is stereotypically seen as a cheap drop-in spot after a late night of drinking or dancing. It’s not really reflective of the kebab shops Somer Sivrioğlu grew up with in Istanbul. With his stylish new Tombik eatery, he hopes to change that attitude. It’s open well before any nightclub is and is named after the puffy wood-fired Turkish bread that the doner kebabs are served with. There’s a focus on premium ingredients (like wagyu beef from Rangers Valley, NSW) and inventive twists (like a cocktail made with pickled turnip and chilli juice or chips flavoured with tarhana salt).

Walk-ins only.

Ever since Sixpenny scored three-hat status in 2018, it’s required a lot of diary co-ordination and planning to get a coveted reservation (set your alarm for 8am AEST for the first day of the month and you might get lucky). But it’s worth it, given the much-deserved acclaim this restaurant has received. Head chef Tony Schifilliti recently scored a rave review for his koji-inspired menu, with critic Callan Boys naming his roast Jerusalem artichoke tart as “snack of the year”. While you wait for your reservation to come through, you can pick up Schifilliti’s small-batch Cura Seasonings range at stockists (the liquid mushroom shio koji is a solid local alternative to Noma’s smoked mushroom garum).

Did you know that fish-shaped taiyaki are a Japanese symbol of good luck? Or that these fresh-grilled waffles inspired the country’s highest-selling single ever? They’re also one of the stars of Tsukiyo’s menu, and even come in parfait form with scoops of gelato. This eatery is brought to you by the people behind Dopa By Devon and Hakatamon Ramen, two Japanese eateries that can be found nearby in Darling Square. Tsukiyo means ‘moon-lit night’ in Japanese and is inspired by Osaka’s neon-bright Dotonbori district. So it’s apt that takoyaki – one of the city’s most famous street foods – is also a big fixture at this cute venue.

Walk-ins only

There are plenty of reasons to plot a return visit to Lankan Filling Station. There’s the newly available spiced kithul cake, its ten layers alternating between dulce de leche, various creams and smoky kithul (a sweetener drawn from kithul palm trees in Sri Lanka). It can comfortably feed a crowd and needs advance ordering. There are also the Biryani Tuesdays, Crab Curry Sundays and a chance to stock up on the curry powders, condiments and other things that make Lankan Filling Station special (like lamprais, the three-meat curry that reflects the diversity of Sri Lanka’s cuisine within the twists of its banana leaf parcel).

The Old Fitzroy has come a long way from its ‘laksa and a theatre show’ days. Acclaimed chefs Nicholas Hill and Anna Ugarte-Carral have ruled its kitchen and now Toby Stansfield (Fabbrica, Yellow) is in charge of its upstairs brasserie. At Bistro Fitz, you’ll find kombu-seasoned chips with the steak Diane, a brioche toast topped with roast chicken mayonnaise and dill, beetroot tartare with Holy Goat fromage frais and a towering crepe cake flavoured with dulce de leche and rosella.

Call (02) 8317 3057 for bookings.

Efe Topuzlu and Ozgur Sefkatli’s new Turkish grillhouse, Izgara, is getting a lot of attention – but don’t overlook their first eatery, Above Par. It’s also inspired by their Turkish dining experiences and memories of Istanbul. Try the pizza-like lahmacun, which was an everyday comfort food for Topuzlu when he was growing up in Turkey. There’s also spiced cauliflower, veal sucuk or lamb kofta with labne and shepherd’s salad. Or if you just feel like grazing, snack on the plate of cheese, fig jam and crispy za’atar bread.

Located right near a car wash and petrol station, 2 Foodies is a Vietnamese joint that is gaining a cult following for its rich and full-bodied pho. Its unassuming site adds to its hidden gem status, and its fans swear it’s a contender for one of the city’s best places for pho. The eatery also caters to people in the mood for sizzling beef salad, banh mi, steak, stews and Vietnamese coffee.