BLACK BIRD CAFE, COCKLE BAY WHARF
Located on one of the most admirable positions of Cockle Bay wharf, Black Bird Café is right at the very top of my list when it comes to places that have a real energy about them.
More often than not I like to pre-plan my destination, book a table and attend, but back in August some friends and I decided to just wing it and arrived at one of my favourite restaurants of 2016.
On this occasion we were seated immediately and presented with a very impressive cocktail list. As luck should have it we arrived during happy hour – happy hour we later learnt is every day, between the hours of 3-6pm. With $8 cocktails how could we possibly complain?
With a Modern Australian menu there is a wide variety of food to choose from and on this occasion we were more focused on the cocktails and thoroughly enjoyed them with a few of their popular pizzas.
After this amazing experience we knew we had to come back and four months later that’s exactly what we’ve done.
What we love about this place is the layout. You could go with a big group of twenty or simply book a table for two.
As you look around the room everyone appears to be enjoying themselves – the place is always busy which is not a bad thing, this says to me everyone else loves it just as much as we do.
On our most recent visit we decided to go all out (Christmas treat) and order the following dishes
Oven Baked Brie | W. apple chutney, honey + side of toasted bread $15
Arancini Balls | Traditional risotto balls of pumpkin peas, mozzarella w. chilli mayo $17
Pepperoni | Spicy pepperoni, cherry tomato + buffalo mozzarella $24
Kangaroo (gf)|Chargrilled served rare w. truffle mash potato w. Jack Daniels sauce $31
Beef Ribs | Half rack w. house basting sauce + chips $34
Chicken Espatada (gf) | Skewered chicken marinated in lemon, garlic, w. red wine chilli sauce + creamy mash potatoes $35
Fettucini Palermo |Chicken, bacon, pesto, mushroom & snow peas tossed w. a light cream sauce + parmesan cheese $25
From these dishes our two favorites were the Arancini Balls and Chicken Espatada.
The Arancini Balls were a decent size, filled with mouth-watering cheesy goodness. One entree would be enough for three to share.
The Chicken Espatada, this was so beautifully presented. The chicken was tender and flavoursome. It did have a bit of bite to it so chilli lovers, you will be in heaven.
It’s pretty obvious I have a thing for Cocktails as that's what caught my attention the first time around. So lets have a look at the selection we chose on this occasion:
Oreo Crunch - khalua, baileys, frangelico, oreo cookies & ice cream $17
Fairy Floss Cosmo - vanilla vodka, cointreau, sweet + sour, cranberry juice & garnished w. fairy floss $17
Sangria - The classic spanish drink... red wine, brandy & cointreau finished w. macerated fruit, strawberry liqueur & lemonade $26 for a jug.
Virgin Bloody Mary (Mocktail) Seasoned tomato juice, tabasco, worcestershire, lemon juice, salt & pepper $9
Toblerone - Frangelico, Baileys,Kahlua & ice cream finished w. honey & chocolate sauce $17
Tell me what you’ve just read sounds like cocktail heaven! The prices I’ve listed are the prices on the menu, but don’t forget what I mentioned earlier about happy hour.
Toblerone is my winner! To me this is like sipping on liquid gold.
On both occasions we attended Blackbird’s we’ve had an absolute blast! If you’re after a dim lit, quiet and intimate setting this place offers quite the opposite. This restaurant is social, fun and a great place to go with friends, family or partner for a good time, delicious food and fantastic service.
I will be back going back early 2017! See you guys there!
Black Bird Cafe
201 Sussex street, Cockle Bay Wharf
Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW 2000
Website - http://blackbirdcafe.com.au/
