I said I’d go back to Varga Bar to try their food menu and today was the day, or at least I thought it was. It was time for brunch, around 1030, 11 and I wanted a bit of breakfast, salmon eggs benedict to be exact but they were out of smoked salmon. Okay fine, I’ll just have ham. Sorry, out of that too? Not to worry, I can understand how difficult it is to find either of those two things in Newtown. The Deli is all of 2 minutes walk away, not to mention all of the other delicatessens and heck, even the IGA on King Street has both.

I ended up with a sandwich. Luckily it was tasty but given it was a bacon sandwich ($10), a little light on the bacon.

Bacon, Avocado, Tomato and Lettuce on Sourdough @ Varga Bar

Tags:Newtown, Bacon, Sandwich, Avocado, Review, Café

The lunchtimes of the IT Consultant tends to run along the lines of starting off at a new client, asking where the best place to have lunch is and going there every single day for the six weeks you’re on the job. Sometimes it’s hit and miss but sometimes you get lucky.

Peppermill Café, Milsons Point

At a recent contract I went out myself and failed miserably picking the Kirribilli Village Café and Restaurant. I tried their steak sandwich and it was just awful, chewy, tasteless and very overpriced. $25 off for the sandwich and a coffee. That’s when I asked. The team I was working with and I went around the corner to The Peppermill Café in Milsons Point, their coffee is a little to be desired considering it’s Campos Coffee, but it almost always seemed burnt but the service and food was always pretty good.

The first day I went I was recommended their regular special, a chicken and leek pie. Not what I expected in the presentation department but it was tasty. An individual baking dish with mashed potato on the bottom, a regular chicken and leek filling and a square of golden puff pastry balanced across the top. Almost every day since then I went to Peppermill for either lunch or breakfast, often for both. When I had breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea, I’d pick up a smoked salmon, ricotta and avocado croissant, the combination of the soft buttery pastry and the oily smokiness of the salmon was a winner.

Smoked Salmon Croissant @ Peppermill Café, Milsons Point

They serve an all day breakfast here, and the majority of the menu was based around breakfast but almost as often as I’d see someone have a burger I saw someone else have either the pancakes or french toast, both served with either bacon and maple syrup or a mixed berry compote. Delicious stuff and well worth a try if you want a bit of extra energy before hitting either the Kirribilli or North Sydney Markets one weekend (I worked weekends too). The beef burger is nice, standard fare, but the chicken burger was the winner, chicken, bacon, avocado. Damn tasty.

It’s also licensed and they won’t pass judgement if you have a Bloody Mary on a Monday!

Chicken & Bacon Burger @ Peppermill Café, Milsons Point

The Peppermill Café
30 Glenn Street, Milsons Point (map)

Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm
Saturday and Sunday 8am - 4pm

T: (02) 9954 1444
F: (02) 9954 1444
www.thepeppermillcafe.com.au

Tags:Coffee, Restaurant, Review, Chicken, Burgers, North Sydney, Milsons Point, Croissant, Smoked Salmon, Avocado, Bacon