Bar Contessa, Balmain

Balmain is the home of many cafes and one of them is Bar Contessa. Located on the main Darling St (near Kazbah), we stumbled across this gem whilst looking for a lunch venue on a Sunday and to our delight it wasn’t packed out – yes to no long queues :).

Check that wall art!

Fruit Frappe – $6.90

We started off our meal with some fruit frappes off the daily blackboard specials. It was a fruity blend of orange juice, bananas and mixed berries. Although light and refreshing, I found the orange juice a bit of a weird mix with the other fruits and it was an average drink.

House Made Corn Cakes – $18.50

Onto food, three out of four of us on the table opted for the house made corn cakes. These are served with guacamole, rocket, tomato salsa and a balsamic reduction, along with a choice of either smoked bacon, smoked salmon (which I chose) or sautéed field mushrooms. I loved the presentation of this dish, stacking up the elements to create an inviting dish. The corn cakes were crispy on the outside, not that doughy and were packed full of corn. I personally found the cakes  a little bit oily but the avocado and smoked salmon balanced that out, and the tasty combination left me stuffed full. My other two friends who also ordered this dish were in agreement that it was a superb dish.

Rosa’s Breakfast Bruschetta – $13.50

Our one friend who didn’t get the corn cakes opted for a breakfast bruschetta consisting of toasting soy linseed sourdough with smashed avocado, fresh roma tomato, basil, rocket, extra virgin olive oil, a balsamic reduction and free range poached egg. The balsamic here really brings out the rocket, tomato and avocado and who can argue with a runny poached egg that brings it all together.

Overall I really enjoyed my dining experience at Bar Contessa and would be back in a heartbeat. It’s affordable, tasty and no queues, what more could you look for in the perfect cafe? There’s also plenty of free parking if you venture off the main Darling St and the outdoor seating is perfect for some people watching.

Bar Contessa
371b Darling St, Balmain NSW 2041
Ph: (02) 9555 7399

Bar Contessa on Urbanspoon

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