Revolver Café

LOCATION
Annandale is an inner city western suburb, five minutes from the CBD, close to Sydney University.

DETAILS
This elegant north Annandale edifice was originally built in 1893 designed to be a pub, but later opened as a general store called ‘Kierwan the Grocer'. The location is perfect - high on a corner hill with ample no timed street parking, a leafy outlook of the neighbouring Victorian terraces and a wide footpath for al fresco dining.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Nestled on a quiet corner of North Annandale, Revolver Cafe is a suburban gem. The name comes from two great loves – The Beatles famous album “Revolver” and owner Rod Jones’ fascination with cogs and gyrating machinery.

Despite its eclectic fit out, complete with gilt vintage mirrors, mismatched wooden furnishings and cogwheel motifs, Revolver Cafe exudes a surprisingly tranquil vibe.
The weekends are incredibly popular and it is difficult to find a table. Waiting time aside, everything else is faultless. Ah, if only I lived in the inner west - the service is efficient, welcoming and the staff are simply delightful.

The eatery offers benchmark Sydney cafe fare with epic big breakfasts and an interesting selection of salads such as free-range confit duck on roast beetroot purée with green lentil, hazelnut and radicchio, as well as harrisa poached chicken on red quinoa.

I opt for the nine hour slow-roasted lamb bruschetta with house-made hummus, fire roasted capsicum relish and almonds. It’s as good as it sounds. The tender shreds of lamb sit snugly on thickly sliced, seed-studded bread, with a voluminous layer of hummus and fresh tomatoes.

The Revolver baristas brew an excellent cup of coffee, served in a sortie of retro cups and saucers. The Morgan’s Handcrafted beans are top-notch and there is also an extended range of house-blended teas, smoothies, old-school shakes and frappes. The Ginger Spice blend of lemongrass, calendula flower, ginger, rose, orange, cinnamon and sarsaparilla root is the perfect accompaniment to a moist slice of orange and almond syrup cake. It is worth extending your cafe stay simply to ogle at the selection of counter-top sweets – chocolate-studded macrons, nut-dappled biscuits and voluptuous pastries tease patrons with their beauty.

It’s a timelessly warm environment that makes you feel happy and affirms that hospitality is not just the name of the industry; it’s actually what’s on offer.

Sami-Jo Adelman