A perfect weekend…

Home in Sydney for the holidays and I’m making the most of all the things I love about Sydney weekends. Absorbed by the adventure of living in a foreign city, I hadn’t realized just how much I missed my Sydney (summer) weekends – brunches and dinners with friends, the beach – picnicking at beautiful Nielsen Park, or playing in the surf at Bronte.

Yes, I brunch out in Singapore on weekends with friends, and the food and coffee (and company :)) are great, but while surrounded by sea, the lines of container ships off shore and the lack of natural beaches leaves Singapore a little short of my summer ideal.

Sydney is naturally blessed, with over 100 beaches dotted around the harbor, from tiny coves with carpet sized patches of sand to the glorious golden stretches of Bondi and Manly.

My favourite harbour beach is Shark beach (complete with shark net) nestled in Nielsen Park, Vaucluse. This has always been our preferred spot for evening picnics with family and friends – no uber cool people here, just family groups and locals, shady trees replete with Kookaburras cackling, gorgeous views out to Mosman and Manly, yachts and ferries tacking back and forth, and the occasion sea plane swooping in from Palm Beach to its base at Rose Bay …

Nielsen Park. This is how Santa cools off on Christmas morning in Sydney...

Staying in Vaucluse on this visit home I was lucky enough to be able to walk to Nielsen Park every day for a swim – heaven. Shopping in Paddington, movies @ Palace Verona or even better under the stars at Moonlight Cinema in Centennial Park with a glass of wine in hand, browsing through a Saturday flea market at Rozelle or Bondi – pinch me now!

A few of my favourite places on this visit:

William Street, Paddington for amazing small boutiques – new and vintage clothes, jewellry and great food. While there, visit Di Nuovo, Sydney’s best high-end vintage store; designer sunglasses, hand bags and clothing – an Aladdin’s Cave for me

Refuel at Alimentari next door with coffee and a slice of Pasticceria Papas famous Ricotta Cheesecake. I was a bit devastated to find them closed for the holidays when I visited but I will forgive them ….

Head up the road to 10 William, for delicious Italian wines and Antipasti at any time of day or evening.

For a truly special dinner try the Paddington Inn, newly renovated with an inspired menu by Justin Schott – magical.

It’s hard to go past Shuk in North Bondi for their amazing Shakshuka or the Israeli Breakfast; so I didn’t (go past it that is). If there weren’t a hundred other reasons to live here, it would almost be worth moving to Bondi just to have this café as your local…

The Israeli breakfast at Shuk

Kingswood Coffee in the city at World Square, I have to mention as this was my daily haunt when I worked there – excellent coffee and friendly baristas.

Little Jean in Double Bay, for great coffee and the BEST Almond Croissants you will ever taste

Pretty flowers at Little Jean (I was too busy eating the Almond Croissant and forgot the photo!)

Sydney is spoilt for choice with many excellent pizzerias. My faves: Vacanza on Bourke St, great vibe and delicious pizza’s – a slice of Rome in Surry Hills; Lucio’s in Palmer Street Darlinghurst, certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana ♥ Try the Lucio – half pizza, half calzone.

China Diner, Hall Street Bondi – try the Lemongrass cocktail (with 2 inches of coconut cream on the top it really should be on the desert menu!) the Clams in XO sauce are sublime!

Madame Nhu’s, Darlinghurst for a Sydney’s best spicy Pho

Kawa Café, Surry Hills – always gorgeous. Vintage, garden décor with a French accent and delicious food and coffee

Acre – I returned to find the Camperdown Bowling Club gone and a lovely vegetable garden where the greens used to be, as well as an eatery serving home grown produce on site. I visited 3 times for breakfast and it was delicious each time – so lovely to see such wonderful green spaces popping up in the middle of the city…

The delicious charred Cauliflower Salad at Acre

No recommendation on where to eat in Sydney would be complete without mention of Gelato Messina – gelato bar extraordinaire! The finale for any dinner out in in Surry Hills, Darlinghurst or Bondi is always queuing for a scoop of one of the weekly specials. Try The Bosses Wife (coffee & hazelnut gelato with hazelnut and white chocolate praline) or P. Nutty (peanut butter gelato with peanut cookies and peanut fudge). Purists can have all the regular flavours of course and these are superb but how could you not order a Greek Tragedy (wild flower honey gelato smashed with honey soaked loukoumades and candied walnuts) or Mr Potato Head (Peanut butter gelato with white chocolate covered potato chips). Ok, so this one sounds like something only a 5 year old would dream up but live a little…!