Stanley Street Station

LOCATION
On the corner of Crown and Stanley Streets in East Sydney.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
The overriding criticism of restaurants in Sydney is that they are soulless – more fancy furniture than genuine feeling. Stanley Street Station definitely does not fall into this category. As a devout believer in “psychogeography” – the notion that interactive, arty surroundings can create a new awareness of the urban landscape – it aims to combine relaxed foodie spaces with stimuli for the brain to evoke new perspectives. Everything at this restaurant – from a menu of games (Scrabble anyone?) to the art on the walls, to flexible cuisine options is geared to allow patrons to carve their own way.

The menu is broken up into “the smalls”, “the biggins”, “the greens” and “the sweetie treats”, meaning that diners can approach it in any way they like. They can order a selection from “the smalls” (like crispy spicy squid with rocket and mango coulis; white anchovies with green olives, baby cucumbers and pane croccante and grilled chorizo and pumpkin tossed with rocket and Murray River salt flakes, for example) and treat it like a tapas menu. Alternatively these can act as an introduction (or entree) to a second course from “the biggins” like lamb shanks cooked in a dozen herbs and spices served with green vegetable broth and mash or roast Atlantic salmon with puy lentils, vege broth and balsamic jus. Equally, Stanley Street Station can be used as a place to catch up for drinks and boasts a carefully-chosen wine list that travels around boutique Australian wineries and into the world, bringing a well-priced opportunity to try various drops…that is if you can resist the cocktail menu. This features fantastic mixes like the signature “The Moore Club” (a mix of house-made raspberry syrup, gin, fortified Grenache and lemon juice)...and maybe after a few of those you will feel like a game of Scrabble.

Agnes Gajewska