Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta was founded by the British in 1788 and is the oldest inland settlement in Australia. Sydney’s second CBD (Central Business District) lies 23 kilometers west of Central Sydney, in the city of Parramatta.
Parramatta is easily accessible by bus, train, and the more scenic ferry route. In addition to claiming the oldest surviving public building in all of Australia, Parramatta also has a diverse population, resulting in a plethora is different food options. Here is a list of bakeries, cafes, and sit-down restaurants that reflect the diverse culture of Parramatta.
Kanzo Fresh Sushi
Adora Handmade Chocolates
Darcy St Project
The Ginger Tiger
khatoon cuisine restaurant
Bourke Street Bakery Parramatta
The Grounds Keeper cafe Parramatta
Holy Basil
The Ginger Tiger
Serving recipes from the owner’s childhood in a small Lao village, Ginger Tiger offers an array of stir-fry dishes as well as curries, salads, and soups. It’s part of the Collector Hotel, which has a full bar near the restaurant entrance. The interior design is among the most memorable in Sydney. The walls are lined with murals, as well as movie posters and tourism flyers from both Laos and Thailand.
Khatoon Cuisine
Situated along Church Street, which is known to the locals as “Eat Street,” Khatoon still stands out with its opulent interior. Once inside, one can be forgiven for thinking that he or she is somewhere between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. On their menu, dishes are spelled out in both English and Persian.
Most of the entrees have meat, but there are enough vegetarian appetizers and salads to call this restaurant vegetarian-friendly. If you’ve never had Persian desserts, you shouldn’t leave without trying the shole zard and traditional Persian ice cream. For an edible art project that’s less filling, try the 3D flower jelly.
Kanzo Fresh Sushi
At Kanzo, everything is made to order. You won’t find that box of sushi that’s been sitting on display for who knows how long, with hard, stale rice, waiting for that unsuspecting customer. The indoor dining area is pretty compact, so take advantage of the outdoor seating and do some people watching.
Darcy Street Project
The Darcy Street Project is a combination coffee shop and social enterprise. They serve their own blend using beans from Colombia, India, and Kenya. The result is a fruity and earthy flavor with a hint of caramel. In addition to their own blend, which spans three different continents, they also serve quirky combinations like coffee and tonic water. The shop is distinguishable from the outside by the funny quotes on the windows. They also serve tea.
Bourke Street Bakery Parramatta
With more than ten locations, Bourke Street Bakery has been serving the Greater Sydney area since 2004. All of their pastries are handmade. In addition to pastries, they also serve ice cream and Aussie staples like meat pies and sausage rolls. Their Parramatta location is next to the town hall at Centenary Square.
Adora Handmade Chocolates
In 1993, two Greek sisters started making handmade chocolates from home. 25 years later, they have four locations throughout greater Sydney. At Adora, you’ll find traditional sweets like ganaches, marzipan, and pralines side by side with chocolates infused with ingredients native to Australia like wattleseed and macadamia nuts. All pastries are made on site. Don’t leave without trying their hot chocolate. It’s topped with chocolate shavings which almost melt in the cup.
The Grounds Keeper Cafe Parramatta
Located at the southeast entrance to the lovely 70-acre Parramatta Park, The Grounds Keeper Cafe offers breakfast and lunch with outdoor seating just steps from the Parramatta River and Old Government House. They serve a variety of teas and award-winning, locally roasted Di Gabriel coffee. Their lunch menu consists of mostly middle eastern dishes. You can see their cakes in the display case. The Moroccan orange and Persian pavlova cakes are delectable.
Holy Basil
Lao food is not difficult to find in Sydney, but every Lao-owned restaurant seems to have Thai attached to it in both name and menu. The cuisines are very similar and you can get the best of both worlds at Holy Basil. All the usual Thai curries, as well as noodle and rice dishes, are available. If you’re looking for something more Lao, try some of the grilled dishes like Lao sausage or ox tongue. You can also try their beef jerky which is a common Lao snack. Going to a Lao restaurant without trying a salad is like skipping the pasta course at an Italian restaurant. The Lao papaya salad includes anchovies, but you can get more adventurous with chicken feet or beef tripe salad. If you’ve never had toasted rice, check out naem khao (toasted rice salad).
This post was sponsored by Taste Food Tours. For a list of their tours, click here.
What a great selection of places to visit to eat. I love the sound of the fresh sushi that must be pretty yummy. I avoid places where it’s left to sit out for ages. The hot chocolate sounds wonderful I’d love to try that at Adora handmade chocolate, yum!!!!!
That’s a very informative article for people who are visiting there soon. For me, if I visit there someday, I would definitely visit Adora Handmade Chocolates and probably get loads of them back home. 🙂
Kanzo looks like my favourite! Anywhere that makes sushi to order is a winner for me – The best! You have amazing food taste 🙂
I am sold! Let’s go! I’d love to sample all the places you mention and if I ever make it to Australia I hope I will!
Daddy street sounds amazing! What a great combination of food!
Wow! It looks like a great place to visit and those foods really look so delicious and I hope to be there someday!
Lovely! I love guides like this because one of the things that I look forward to whenever we travel is the food. This is a great list and there’s so much to try!
I’d love to visit Sydney one day, it’s definitely a bucket list place. And you can’t beat a good bakery and chocolate shop x
Australia is deffo on my bucket list! Ill have to try and remember this post because it just looks so good.
Sydney is always a dream for me…but still is far away! But if I ever visit the city, definately I will try this jelly flower! It looks amazing and I trust you, it will taste amazing! And after that, Adora handmade chocolates for me please!!!
This guide is amazing! One of the first things I do when traveling to a new location is to put a list of places where I want to eat – so this is very helpful. Thank you!
I love to travel not just to explore place but to taste the local food as well. A guide like this is awesome especially since we haven’t been to Australia before! I would love to go there someday and just taste test my way through the place!
That edible art is insane. I love the whole creativity and design that has gone into it. Finding new spots that serve something new, different and tasty I love.
I am not sure what it is about Sydney at the moment but everyone I know seems to be moving there at the moment and a lot of them from the UK. So it makes sense that Parramatta is one of the oldest British settlements. It is truly beautiful as well.
This is a great guide! The food and establishments in Sydney look and sound amazing. I liked the video of you trying the Ox Tongue for the first time, I’d be more interested in trying that Duck Curry! 🌞
I love experiencing foods while I travel!! These selections look amazing and oh so yummy. 🙂
Food and travel experience are both my favorites and I always make sure to try the best foods in the city I am visiting (including those food joints). This place look awesome that Kanzo fresh sushi looks interesting as well.
That sushi place looks unique and awesome! Thanks for this list. We are hoping to go to Australia next year, mostly in Melbourne, but I think we have to enter through Sydney. We will check some of these places out. 😀