Favourite Sydney Restaurant - Via NYC and Paris

Yesterday I visited Felix, a new Sydney restaurant. It's reminiscent of a Parisian bistro, and also felt just like I was in Balthazar in New York. The marbled entryway is similar to the one at Balthazar:

Sorry about the poor quality of this image - you can just see the lovely timber ceiling:

The decor is classic, with white subway tiles, Thonet chairs, white tablecloths:

A mural:

And white chicken wire tiles on the floor:

I had the chicken soup with barley, lemon and peas, which was delicious:

And the best Reuben sandwich this side of a New York deli:

The service was just as impressive as the decor and food, even though the restaurant was really busy. I would thoroughly recommend a visit, especially if you need a Manhattan fix.

New York 2 - The Food

I must confess right now that, aside from the Virginia Woolf Conference that drew me to New York in early June, my secondary motivation for the trip was - the food. I meticulously researched the food scene and here is a sample of some places where we ate. At Amy's Bread on Bleecker St, I enjoyed the Red Velvet cupcakes:



The breakfast at Katz Deli was delicious, with either eggs, toast, coffee and orange juice or pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee each good value at under $10.00. The deli is very atmospheric and a fun place to eat:



The highlight of the trip was a special meal at Balthazar restaurant. I had a typical Parisienne bistro meal: Onion Soup and Steak Frites, and I felt like I was in Paris:

New York

Now that I'm officially 'back', I want to post about my trip to New York and the fact that I didn't feel that I had to compromise on accommodation. I stayed at Tempo, also called Woogo, on West 73rd St near the corner of Broadway, for only $AUD1500 for 8 nights. The 72nd St subway was just around the corner. The apartment had a kitchen, so I was able to buy and cook food from the wonderful Fairway, also around the corner. I have to say that, in Australia, we have nothing like Fairway. The range of deli items, pastries, breads and pre-cooked meals astounds me. And it's all delicious.





The other thing about Tempo is the decor. For such a reasonable price, I like the fittings more than just about every other accommodation I've stayed in (and paid a lot more for). It also has a very big walk-in closet with ironing-board and iron. I think the reason I like it is that some of the tenants own their apartments. I often saw a dog-walker in the elevator. And there is a Gymboree in the lobby where neighbourhood children are brought by their mothers and nannies. Basically, you don't feel like you're in a hotel, but more like your own apartment. The staff in the lobby are helpful and friendly and it feels like home.