LOCATIONA ten-minute walk from Kings Cross station.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIASomewhere beyond the noise and neon lights of Kings Cross, on an unassuming street surrounded by simple suburban buildings, lies a surprisingly Manhattan-looking building. Its doorway is hooded by a curved shade; two lanterns stand guard at either side along with two plants in angular black pots. A few alfresco tables roam outside, breathing in the aroma of roasted coffee. This is “No.9”; an intimate cafe/restaurant which not so much burst, as strolled onto the Potts Point dining scene – and the locals couldn’t be more thrilled. Bringing a touch of London, Paris and Manhattan to its two-floor space, No.9 is rich in marble floors, paintings and classy brown tables.
The restaurant’s ground floor is home to a coffee machine, a kitchen and a handful of tables, while a bent staircase leads to more upstairs seating (and restrooms). The entirety has an Audrey Hepburn kind of cosmopolitan feel. If your appetite wants to catch up to your eyes, there is a delicious menu at your service. No. 9 offers cuisine that falls somewhere between modern Australian and international. For breakfast, the restaurant boasts traditional, old-fashioned (and ideally shaped) eggs Benedict. If you’re a vegetarian you might prefer organic rolled oats porridge with poached pear and nuts. And if you’re health conscious you’ll be glad to know that everything on the menu is organic. Lunch presents options such as seafood chowder with parsley-crusted crostini and lamb pie with asparagus, mint and fetta. Once again vegetarians are well catered for with a choice of salads. A dinner menu is currently being developed, so watch this space. As to the wine list, while No. 9 is still waiting on its license, you can expect a limited number of alcoholic beverages; instead visitors will be encouraged to bring their own.
Agnes Gajewska