Where to go when you want to sit for three hours and no one rushes you
There are a two kinds of restaurant experiences post Covid (Did I really use the Voldemort word)..
The kind where you’re aware, from the moment you sit down, that someone else is waiting for your table. There’s a strict time slot and you have to be in and out within 2 hours. The dessert menu usually arrives before you’ve finished your main, and the bill follows shortly after, unprompted. Then there’s the other kind, my favourite kind. Where the afternoon disappears, the wine keeps refilling and nobody is checking their watch.
I am in constant pursuit of the second kind.
In Sydney, most venues operate on booking windows of 1.5 to 2 hours, which is fine for a quick dinner but completely goes against the lingering slow lunch mentality Europeans have been perfecting for centuries. I understand the cost of living pressures, and the need to squeeze tables in and out to stay afloat. Although as a consumer, sometimes (where reasonable) you want to stay at a slower pace and not feel like a burden to anybody.
Here’s a few spots where I haven’t felt like an inconvenience recently:
Nico - Cammeray
This is the kind of neighbourhood restaurant that people who live nearby treat as a personal secret.
It’s warm, inviting, Italian and completely unpretentious. The hospitality is welcoming and the pasta is made fresh daily.
They also have personalised wine glasses (tick)! You better believe I bought two on the way out.
What to order: Honestly, any of the fresh pasta & their Portofino Passion.
Best for: A slow Saturday or Sunday lunch.
Nico Cammeray
via Nico
Nico Cammeray
via Nico
Felons Seafood Bar & Kitchen - Manly
Another one over the bridge, but I assure you after their takeover of the previous Bavarian location, the Felons Group have come out swinging.
If you book after 7:30PM there’s no booking duration. The evening is yours, which is exactly the kind of policy that should be advertised more prominently.
Views of the water in Manly, watching the sun set (or if it’s set already) you still feel like you’re transported out of Sydney.
What to order: I know it’s a seafood restaurant but just trust me and order the steak? And also the crumbed snapper special with tomato and feta. A word of warning on the tallow fried hand cut chips, they’re deeply addictive and aggressively fried. It’s hard to show restraint. I would also avoid anything beer-battered, it’s not where the kitchen shines.
Best for: Late dinners with a view, a leisurely Friday evening.
Felons Seafood
via Felons Brewing Co
Felons Seafood
via Felons Brewing Co
Homer Taverna - Cronulla
I love a Greek restaurant. But what I love more than a Greek restaurant is an authentic Greek restaurant. One where the food tastes like it was made by someone’s yia yia rather than by someone who visited Santorini once.
HOMER is that restaurant. It’s lively, generous and completely committed to doing things properly. The menu reads like a love letter to Greek food and then you eat it and realise the menu was underselling it.
It’s important to note, there’s three seatings. Lunch, Dinner 1 and Dinner 2. So to sit there for a bit without being rushed, you’d opt for Lunch and Dinner 2. Right?
What to order: Everything, technically, but if you’re building a table spread: The Dolmades Avgolemono (silky, lemony, deeply comforting), Souvlaki Octopus, Spanakopita flatbread with all of the spreads, Manouri cheese baked, and lemon potatoes that will ruin all other potatoes for you. There’s also a thoughtful selection of Greek wines, lean into it.
Best for: Celebrations, anyone who wants to eat a lot of very good food.
Homer Restaurant
via Homer Rogue Taverna
Homer
via Homer Rogue Taverna
Glass Brasserie - CBD
Tucked inside the Hilton on George Street, this is a typical business lunch type restaurant. It’s accustomed to the traditions of business meetings and the staff are well versed in catering to your timing requirements. It’s polished without being stiff. The long lunches feel quite natural. Wine pairing options are available too if you feel like a boozy afternoon.
What to order: The Victor Churchill Chicken Liver Parfait is the move if you’re feeling daring. The broader menu holds up well for a multi-spread course, take your time with it.
Best for: A celebratory long lunch mid-week or a business meal that doesn’t feel like one.
Wine Bar
via Glass Brasserie
Promenade - Bondi Beach
More specifically Etheus. Right on the beach. That’s the whole pitch really.
They recently re-branded because I’m almost certain they were the Promenade Dining Room. I visited when they first opened and I was intrigued by the transition to Greek, so obviously it was on the list again for a re-visit.
The light is good, the food is confident. And a long lunch here, with the ocean in the background, is one of Sydney’s great afternoon experiences.
What to order: The Saganaki and the Patates Tiganites. Both made for sharing and lingering over. Do you see a pattern here with my cheese and potato obsession?
Best for: A sunny Saturday long lunch. Bring someone you want to spend the afternoon with.
Promenade
via Promenade Bondi Beach
Etheus
via Etheus Sydney
A Few Tips for Dining Without A Watch
Before you go, a handful of things to consider.
Book late. Later reservations, especially after 7:30PM or 8PM are less likely to have strict turnaround requirements. Restaurants are winding down rather than turning tables.
Try bar or counter seating. Places like Bar Totti’s, Sokyo, Entrecote are excellent examples of venues where counter seating sidesteps the rigid booking windows that apply to full tables. It’s often a better, more relaxed experience particularly for pairs or solo dinners.
Look at neighbourhood spots with outdoor seating. Areas like Crows Nest, Potts Point and Newtown are full of casual eateries where the pace is slower and the 2 hour click isn’t ticking as loud.
Be upfront when you book. If you’re planning a celebration or want a genuinely long lunch, say so. Most restaurants will accomodate it. Just make sure you order substantially. Don’t go in for a plate and leave.
The long lunch has been with Europeans for generations. It’s not something new. Ask the French, the Greeks, the Spanish, The Portugese, the Maltese, the Italians, the Balkans..
It can exist in Sydney sometimes, if you know where to look.
