Campos Coffee - Newtown, Sydney, Australia

There is always a sense of nostalgia when I step into Campos , it brings me back to the time of being a student and just having no worries. New Town in Sydney is the hippest part of town, where you have a Moore Theological College at one end, a row of gyspy like shops lining the streets.

Stepping into this tiny little café, it’s always bustling full of people, chinks of cups against the saucer, the tink of the fork against the plate, everything here feels like there’s a certain buzz in the air which you can’t ascertain where it is from.

Let’s get down to what this place does best, the coffee, oh liquid elixir of life, oh sweet sweet black gold.

To truly appreciate a good cup, is to have it black, unadulterated , straight from the very beans that lend its’ perfume to the heady aroma that surrounds you. 

As you could see from above, the crema is thick, the aroma is deep and dark for the roast is a dark one. Taking a sip, you are then surrounded by a fruity aroma with just the right hint of bitterness that counterbalances the fruity taste. This is one good cup of coffee.

If you're more into having some milk in your cup of joe (I ain't judging here), The coffee art in this place is on point. Australia produces one of the best milk I've tired so far, so you're not getting added water to your lovely cup of coffee. Adding milk brings out different notes to the coffee, there's a kind of unctuous due the high fat content of the milk used. It lends a kind of silkiness to the overall sensation when drunk.

One step up from having milk with your coffee, is....having ice cream with your coffee! 

House Made Vanilla Ice Cream + One Shot of Espresso = Say "HELLO!!!" to a party in my mouth

The contrast of hot and cold, sweet and bitter, the different sensations, the different taste. Goodness!!! 

If you're in Sydney, exploring Newtown, do drop by Campos. You'll never be disappointed. 

Address:

193 Missenden Rd, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia

Phone:

+61 2 9516 3361

Opening Hours  : 

Mon -Fri 7am-4pm

Sat - Sun 8am-4pm

Palings Kitchen and Bar - Sydney Special

Palings Kitchen and Bar (pronounced Pae-Lings) was the first dinner spot we hit in Sydney during our short getaway there. We were pretty excited with Palings since it’s a new spot and we were all first timers there. 

Without further ado, time to talk food. 

Yum filled potato skins

First came the Roasted Potato Skins. Its potato skins, stuffed with mashed potatoes, ricotta cheese and salsa, with a melted cheese crust, topped with chipotle sour cream and fresh chives. This is definitely an appetizer that tickled our taste buds. You have the saltiness from the mashed potatoes, the sourness from the chipotle sour cream and the salsa gives the sweetness and the little bit of heat to bring it all together. Definitely something we recommend to open your meal with.

Meaty galore 

Next dish on our table was the Smoked Beef Ribs. Hickory smoked beef back ribs with a honeyed maple sear, served with a barbequed corn salad. What can we say? Its fall off the bone tender, moist and the honeyed sear really gave us that big punch in flavor. The sweet corn salad is also worth mentioning as it brings another dimension of sweetness to the dish. DE-LI-CIOUS!!! 

Oh sweet tender goodness!

The Rump Steak was next to the table. It’s a 300g, grain fed rump steak, grilled medium, served with barbeque sauce, fries and a side salad. The meat was beautifully seared with a nice flavorful crust whilst maintaining a juicy and tender steak. Their homemade barbeque sauce was a wonderful surprise to us. Usually, in barbeque sauces, you get sweetness from brown sugar and molasses, however from this barbeque sauce; the sweetness is from caramelized onions. The oniony flavor in the sauce gets a thumbs up from us.

Guess the Smurfs gave up their home for a good cause

Last but not least, Roasted Mushrooms! The simplest dish just happens to be the best dish of the night. It’s mushrooms, roasted with salt and pepper. Execution is key here, and Palings did a mighty fine job. The mushrooms were perfectly roasted, beautifully seasoned and most importantly, the essential mushroomy-ness was not lost in the cooking process. Second helpings anyone?

Palings is everything you hope for in a kitchen and bar spot; good food, good music and brilliant ambiance. Palings is definitely worth a visit if you are looking for a place to eat and chill for the night.