At Perry Lane Cafe / Function Venue / Art Gallery Paddington
Cafe of the Month May 2009
Paddington, Cafe & Coffee Shop, Art Gallery, Function Venue
Address: Rear, 264 Oxford
St, Paddington
NSW 2021
Phone: (02) 8354 1222
Hours: Fri-Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 8am-5pm
If you find yourself on Oxford Street in Paddington, make sure you seek out the café "At Perry Lane". You’ll have to search it out though, as it's hidden away in a very discreet and ramshackle Paddo laneway only frequented by locals in-the-know - as well as some intrepid travellers who’ve recently discovered At Perry Lane through the Lonely Planet.
At Perry Lane is best found at the rear of 264 Oxford Street, via the laneway
directly adjacent, which sure enough is called Perry Lane. Not your typical
café,
it's a contemporary space over three tiers, with a retractable shade
cloth
and
bougainvillea
forming
an
occasional ‘roof’ to
a large portion of the space. Only in inclement weather, mind. When the
sun's shining, it's blue sky all the way.
Our adorable host and co-owner Chris Davies was extremely welcoming and
served a couple of their perfect Campos Coffees more quickly than we
could take in the surroundings. The grey-blue walls allow the splashes
of green
and
the view of the sky to open up the space into a fine-food-addict's
oasis where relaxing is the only option.
Chris, with a background at ninemsn and Microsoft (London) partnered
with Gillian Morris, who previously owned cafes and hair salons, to
create At Perry Lane. They set off at a running
start in February 2009 thanks to a very strong local and community connection
which sees the place almost constantly buzzing with casual diners - and
coffee-aholics often literally queuing for their take-aways.
We were there for brunch, so after some consideration we decided to leave
it up to At Perry Lane to bring us their most spectacular dishes. As I
anticipated from the skilful vibe of the place, we weren’t disappointed.
The big breakfast included perfectly poached eggs, bacon, tomato, sliced
field
mushrooms
and chorizo,
while
I made a mental note to return for my dining partner’s breakfast
of poached eggs, wilted spinach and cumin lentils with Moroccan tomato
relish. Scouring the lunch menu I was also intrigued by their squid, chorizo
and rocket salad - for next time!
Beyond the trendiferous surroundings and delicious food, what sets
At Perry Lane apart is the art space. Designed with emerging artists
in
mind, the
gallery section changes its artist every two weeks. And when night falls,
the café’s
subtle lighting helps turn the space into an arty function
venue (something far too rare in Sydney), morphing into the perfect location
for boutique events, private parties and product launches (see photo below
left for a very funky recent event). At Perry Lane seats 55 yet can cater
for up to 130 standing with drinks and
canapés.
Also they're just as happy acting as off-site caterers, catering for groups
of ten upwards – contact
At Perry Lane for more details.
Another unique offering At Perry Lane provides is tarot and jewellery readings!
These are by appointment and can be for an individual or group.
At Perry Lane describes itself as “sophisticated, charming and cheekily
hedonistic but never pretentious”. I couldn’t sum it up better
myself.
At Perry Lane is open Fri-Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 8am-5pm.
Rear 264 Oxford Street, via Perry Lane
Ph: 02 8354 1222
Email: atperrylane@live.com.au
- text by Jane Louise / pics by Stewart Dawes & Chris Davies
At Perry Lane Cafe Paddington Sydney: Function Venues Art Gallery Cafes Caterers Catering Coffee Shop
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