The Endeavour Tap Rooms, The Rocks, Sydney (15 Dec 2016)

39-41 Argyle St, The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000
http://www.taprooms.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/endeavourtaprooms/

Tapping into good food

First day of opening and the upstairs dining room was packed. Pretty cool decor and love the use of Australian floral arrangements on the tables. ETR Negroni ($18) is available on tap made up of Four Pillars rare dry gin, red Okar Bitter, Regal Rough Bold red vermouth, fresh orange. Very nice flavour, easy to drink and I appreciate how they didn't need to use Campari. Pacific oysters, parsley, verjuice & eschallot ($4) are coffin bay pacifics with a lovely flavour combo and a new Simon Favourite. Brisket Sandwich with pepper jack, fennel slaw & pickles ($18) add fries ($4) is a well composed sandwich with layers of tastiness. Buttered and toasted sourdough from Sonoma for extra guilty pleasure flavour. Tender and smoky meat. Melty cheese. Chips are crispy, tasty and well seasoned become worthy of a side. Service was helpful and friendly. The toilets upstairs are unisex with two cubicles each for guys and the ladies — I wonder if the fireplace still works in there. Plenty of seating outside to take advantage on a nice day. From first impressions this place seems to be a great addition to the dining scene in The Rocks.

Triple Pick Coffee, Bondi Junction (13 Dec 2016)

17 Gray St, Bondi Junction NSW 2022
http://www.triplepickcoffee.com.au

Freshly roasted coffee

“We are a boutique coffee roaster, specialising in high quality Indonesian Arabica Coffee. Currently, we are roasting "Single Origin Sumatran Mandheling 100% Arabica" processed by our sister company "Macehat" in Medan, North Sumatra - Indonesia. The beans are free of defects because they have been graded once by machine and then further hand-sorted three times by hand, hence the name "Triple Pick". They are also processed from 100% red(ripe) coffee cherries, that gives a cup full of flavour and lasting aftertaste.”

When you see the beans being roasting in the dining area you know these guys are passionate about their coffee. Cappuccino ($3.40) had bold strong flavours and doesn't hold back on the richness. Piccolo Latte ($3) not for the faint hearted. The Mrs had to tone it down with some sugar to make it more to her liking. Babyccino ($1) comes in a paper cup and with two marshmallows which is always a good start. Mostly milk is OK for the older child but an all froth for the two year old would be better suited for those clumsy hands. Ham and Cheese Croissant ($4.50) was very nice. Nice and flaky pastry and toasted just enough. Service was very friendly and efficient. Plenty of locals coming in and out for their caffeine fix here. It's a hot day outside and the heat of the roasting machine inside doesn't provide any relief for those dining in.

Cafe at the Gallery, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney (12 Dec 2016)

Art Gallery Rd, The Domain, Sydney NSW 2000
https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/venues/cafe/

Scones in the gallery

“The cafe has reopened with a brand-new look and menu. This stunning light-filled space on lower level 1 offers a casual dining experience in a relaxed environment. It’s a perfect stop before or after you enjoy an exhibition. The cafe serves great coffee and sweets, freshly prepared light snacks, sandwiches, salads and a beautiful selection of hot food.”

Looks like the cafe in the gallery has undergone a refurb since I last visited. Plenty of seating still and nice view from the terrace outside. Has the feel of more an upmarket cafeteria now. Scone with cream and jam ($6) caught my eye at the counter as it's hard to find cafes around the CBD that serve scones, especially just a single one. Pretty decent size that's makes it quite filling. A little on the dry side. A bit more cream would have been good. The jam is overly sweet for my liking making it taste a bit cheap. Chai Latte ($3.90) was quite nice with some flavour to be had but I do prefer a stronger flavoured chai. Service seemed friendly. Wasn't a fan of the seating inside which didn't have the right amount of lower back support coverage which became a bit uncomfortable for me after about 15 minutes. The seating outside and near the entrance way looked like it had better support. Found the background music a bit too loud and intrusive when trying to have a meeting with colleagues but for those having a casual chat it'll probably be OK. For food orders brought to your table they use the location devices which is pretty cool.