Citrus

@ 227 King Street, Newtown

I love Citrus. It's been ages since I ate at this place but I've no doubt it's still as delicious and unique as when I first tried its meals. It was a summer day and I was after something light. I ended up with a salmon and rocquette salad. The portion was huge (and I'm not just talking about the salad, it had a lot of salmon in it as well!) and was worth the price. In terms of taste, it was one for the tastebuds. What a great mixture of textures and taste!

The next coupole of times I came here, I went for something a little more humble. It didn't disappoint. The service is spot on and the atmosphere is casual and carefree. I hear from my friend that the desserts are good too. But that's for another trip.

Times hit: 3

Pho 236

@ 236 King Street, Newtown

This place is exactly what its name sounds like. It's a Vietnamese pho house @ 236 King Street. Exuding a typical Asian restaurant feel complete with black chairs, tiled flooring and simple tables, it's a narrow walk to the counter. There are only two rows of tables and chairs but it's almost always packed out during the big dinner hours.

Obviously, the signature dish was what I had to try. Beef pho, it came out steaming hot, filled with an addictive broth and cooked well. Great to satisfy any pho cravings.

Times hit: 1

FoodARama

@ 573 King Street, Newtown

The name sounds cheesy but don't let it fool you. This is another little gem of the south end. In the window is a delicious array of cakes that are made on the premises, also on the menu is Mexican and burgers/wraps that can come with wheat and dairy free option for the picky lot like me.

The feel of FoodARama is casual. Wooden chairs that can fit maybe 20 at the most with a blackboard of specials on the back wall. The service is extremely friendly and fast. I ordered a coffee and raspberry and apple bread on takeaway and it was delivered speedily.

The coffee was super hot and quite pleasant for the cold day that it was. The bread was nice, though only became special when I hit the caster sugar on the top of it. This is also one of the few cafes I've chanced upon that charge differently for eat-in and take-out on their coffees and treats, of which were so mouthwatering I'll definitely be returning to test some of the more dessert-based soon!

Times hit: 1

Soffritto

@ 367 King Street, Newtown

Every time I pass this place over the weekend it is packed. It looks swanky on the outside and intimate on the inside. We swung by on a Friday night and were told that the tables had all been booked however as we were early we were able to have a main and dessert before one of the booked parties arrived. It served us well.

The waiters seemed like they were trying to be attentive but seemed somewhat preoccupied. The decor was classic, maroon red with black gothic like chandeliers and was candlelit to the hilt.

Our chosen meals for the evening? Roast fillet of beef wrapped in pancetta with mushrooms and garlic spinach and a kingfish, oyster and tomato based gumbo. Dessert was warm chocolate pudding with strawberries and gelato and a berry crusted cinnamin ice-cream.

The food was light and delicately brewed and dessert definitely showed the meal up. Price wise, it is quite expensive for what we were served, but expected from a restaurant of this kind. At the end of the night we were satisfied though not stuffed. Oh, and by the way, shout out to Sandra Markovic, who designed Soffritto's logo. Crisp and modern, it encompasses the idea behind the restaurant well.

Times hit: 1

Deans Diner

@ 285 King Street, Newtown

**Renovated! Looks pretty swanky now. Gonna check this one out on a late-night burger binge. Stay tuned.

I've been avoiding this place for a while. On the outside it looks like one of those midnight crawl burger joints owned by an oversized old man who wipes his nose while he cooks and drips grease from his brow into the food. I was on the late night prowl one night and decided to suck it up and try it out. Firstoff, it doesn't advertise very well the name of the place. On the outside the sign readers: Hamburgers, so this is what I thought it was called. Wrong. It be Deans Diner and it be a very interesting place indeed.

A throwback to the days of US Rock 'n' Roll, which works out well considering this end of King is rife with second hand clothing stalls, punk clothing and the alternative, when glancing around the place it really does exude that diner feel. Sure, it doesn't have red shiny booths, but it does have pictures on pictures of the oldies and goodies like the Rat Pack and Elvis. The drink fridges at the back say something to the affect of 'old school milk bar' and the tagline to the diner is "best old skool burgers in Newtown."

Behind the counter is a man and woman, extremely friendly with a tad of hippy to them. And while burgers and wraps is what this place say it does best, it also has a nice collection of sweets that don't fit the feel of the place but look delicious. That to the effect of brownies and baklava.

The burger names are cheesy but cool, everything from Macdonna to Blue Hawaii to Greece Lightnin to Bee Gees, I think this was the most enjoyable part of my experience with Deans Diner. I chose a vego option tonight, Cat Stevens: grilled haloumi, lettuce, onion and tzatziki. The damage? $7.50.

The buns are nothing special, just plain sugar buns kind of along the lines of Maccas, but larger. The fillings were much better. The haloumi was grilled just right, the lettuce and onion fell messily as I chowed on down and the tzatziki was just enough keep the burger moist. Would I return again? For the atmosphere, service and the kick of ordering a Lamb of God or Love Shack, sure. In terms of burgers, they're good but not gourmet. If fancy is what you seek, try Moo.

Times hit: 1

Coffee Bean on King

@ 615 King Street, Erskinville

This cafe is found at the very end of King Street near Sydney Park and St Peter's train station. At first I thought it was purely a cafe, but upon entering the whole back wall is covered with breads for purchase and there is a basket at the front selling cookies by the bulk.

At first glance, this place is nothing special. White walls and decor and a smallish interior. It can sit a maximum of 15 people comfortable enough but on a Saturday morning it attract more takeaway orders than most from joggers seeking that early morning fix.

The variety of baked goods for a place this small is quite astounding. From crossants to muffins to breads to brownies to cupcakes, there's something delectable for everyone here. The service was nice though being caught in the early morning rush, they had to be prompted to deliver my muffin. A coffee and a banana muffin is what was on order. The coffee was well brewed and the muffin nicely baked, although didn't taste too heavily of banana (not quite sure if that's a good or a bad thing). In the end, I couldn't finish it. It was way to heavy and way to big for the little un to complete.

Times hit: 1

The Organic Pomegranate

@ 534 King Street, Newtown

**Changes changes changes. the Organic Pomegranate is now a Thai restaurant called The Hot Pepper. Full review soon.

Previously Bump 'n' Grind, this cafe has had a facelift and has been renamed The Organic Pomegranate. Sporting a healthier menu complete with organic eggs, the owners and quality of food remain the same.

From the outside BNG looks like two cafes and in a way it is. On the left is the counter as well as the takeaway section and on the right is an open area laid out with wooden chairs for those choosing to dine in.

It was early morning and there was only one other seated customer, so the service was quick and friendly. I ordered a coffee and some cinnamon toast (not quite knowing what exactly that entailed, but intrigued by the idea).

The coffee was good and the cinnamon toast consisting of toasted Turkish bread with slathered with cinnamon. Needless to say I am a fan of the stuff so it was nice. The atmosphere was good, very open and comfortable. The takeaway menu consisted of muffins, breads and coffees that looked so appealing I was tempted to grab one as a snack for later on in the day.

Times hit:2

Janet's Pies

@ 283 King Street, Newtown

For as long as I can remember, this shop has always been about pies. It began as Shakespeares Pies (truly awesome), then changed to Jester's Pies, and now, it's all on Janet. My fondest memories will always lie with Shakespeare's Pies though in all honestly the taste compared with Janet's is much the same. Most of the pies are traditional, though there are sometimes more interesting ones. They also sell other delights like muffins and quiches. It's open to late and is a often a choice place for those on the late night prowl.

Times hit: 1

Cafe Martini

Cafe Martini @ 529A King Street, newtown

It's a narrow little front into Glinelli and so it's no surprise that once you're inside the tables are arranged perfectly in rows to maximise space. Two rows of tables and then the barista to the right. There was only one waitress manning the cafe when I arrived and it took a while for her to make my coffee and take another table's order, which isn't her fault. Her memory was spot on and she did aim to please.

The coffee was nice, the toast was a little soft but buttered well. Sadly there really is no atmosphere to this cafe, I'd probably suggest it be better served as a grab 'n' run brekky place personally.

Times hit: 1

South End Cafe

@ 644 King Street, Newtown

Walking down this end of King Street at 7 in the morning searching for a coffee hole can be hard to do. Good thing there's South End. True, it's a bit of a hike from the station, but it opens at 6.45am and is a godsend when searching for that early morning caffeine fix.

At this time in the morning, the staff is a little drowsy, but who can blame them really? They were very helpful nonetheless and prompt in their delivery of food. The turkish toast was toasted perfectly though at $4 for a slab a little on the pricey side. The cafe's interior is simple, wooden chairs, wooden floorboards with a "lived in" feel. There's a wall leading to the kitchen riddled with poetic verse and the food behind the counter looks mouthwateringly to die for. The coffee was nice, though not piping hot and the food enough to fill.

Times hit: 1