I’m staying in the Central Business District (CBD) of Sydney whilst my new husband undertakes 2 weeks of work. On our honeymoon. But let’s talk about that later. As an utter foodie, I’ve very much enjoyed getting lost in the food malls and little streets, trying fresh juices (they have fresh feijoa juice here!) and sampling the fruit and many many food outlets. However, it was all the same. I was looking for something a little bit different. And that’s when I was recommended to take a trip down to Paddington.
Paddington is a short walk from CBD; it took me approximately 40 minutes from the QT Hotel on Market Street. And this was at a leisurely pace with a 10 minute period of angst as I debated whether to buy a little book I’d found in a newsagents so really, it takes 30 minutes. Or less if you’re walking with purpose.
I had been through Paddington in a car a few days earlier. It was full of cute little terraced houses and had a Notting Hill-esque feel.
If you’ve ever got a couple of hours in Paddington then you must stop and try the food at these 3 healthy cafes:
Ampersand
A bookstore-cum-cafe, Ampersand is the perfect place to lose yourself. Grab a book (a cooking book?) and cosy yourself up in the ‘library’ or sit outside and soak up the chilled atmosphere. Open every day, morning to late afternoon.
Must try: Any of the salads – often with a quinoa or lentil base, they’re chunky, filling and packed with beg.
Address: 78 Oxford Street, Paddington
The veggie ‘casserole’ and my new book.
Books & Food. The perfect mix.
Orchard St
Orchard St is found in 3 locations with Paddington being known as its ‘raw takeaway’. Upon entering, there’s a wall of different teas, superfood supplements and activated nuts. It offers a wide selection of cold-press juices, take-away raw lunches (including a cashew mozarella salad) and chia pots. Many of the juices and pudding pots are infused with Ayruvedic herbs, such as Ashwagandha and Triphala. Best of all, this vegan establishment also boasts a selection of hot chocolates packed with ‘superfoods’ such as maca and beautiful-looking raw desserts. Juice cleanses are available also. The downside? There’s nowhere to sit! Open every day, morning to late afternoon.
Must try: The chia pots.
Address: Shop 2, 2-16 Glenmore Rd, Paddington
Raw cakes, cold-pressed juices, superfood hot chocolates, raw salads and healing teas. It’s a foodie haven.
Juices, chia pots, salads and fermented food.
Organic Avenue
Regarding themselves as #agentsofchange , Organic Avenue offers as many cold-pressed juices as you can think of (there’s about 30 on the menu), as well as healthy salads and snackbars. The place is airy and calm with plenty of seats. Their USP is that all their food and juices are pesticide, chemical, preservative and toxin-free. They also do juice cleanses.
Must try: The dandelion chai.
Address: Five Ways , 224A Glenmore Road, Paddington
If you like your cold-pressed juices, this is the place for you.
And here’s one last must-visit spot…
Ovvio Organic Tea Room
You don’t have to be English to love tea. And the teas that Ovvio stock aren’t just any tea. ‘Ovvio’ means ‘obvious’ or ‘naturally’ and that’s the ethos for everything in this shop. Founded by naturopath and herbalist Anthia Koullouros, each tea is therapeutically created according to the principles of traditional herbal medicine. In each tea emotional, physical and mental health benefits are offered, covering areas around calmness, energy, clarity, restoration and detoxification. From this tea showroom, Anthia also runs her naturopathy clinic.
Tea heaven.
Must try: No 10 Paddington, a blend of tea containing liquorice root which helps calms the body and the gut.
Address: 2 Heeley St, Paddington
Orchard St. is actually amazing! Always used to go there when I worked nearby!