What I love even more than the stunning harbour views is the fact that this heavily forested outcrop is only 10mins drive from the CBD. What other metropolis in the world can claim that?

There is limited parking available but you shouldn’t have to wait too long for a spot. A lot of people come for a quick photo and then move on. You can also catch the North Shore train line to Waverton and then it’s about a 10-15 min walk. Don’t forget to pack your lunch as there is no cafe or shop in the reserve.

Take the time to walk around the reserve. It’s not that long and should only take you about 30min – you’ll pass the main vista of the harbour with sweeping views to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. You’ll also pass the small bay called Berry’s Bay and then take in views to the west of the harbour to the Gladesville Bridge.

Relish Cafe sits at the end of a small row of shops at North Avalon. The scene reminds me of many a coastal town but hard to believe we are still in Sydney. Parking out the front is easy and we can see the buzz around the cafe already. Locals are getting there take away coffee (more on the coffee later) or staying for a leisurely breakfast.

We get our seat just inside the cafe though with the doors wide open it still feels like we are outdoors and from our table we can command a good view over the patrons dining outside. We notice that there are quite a few tables swapping stories – yes definitely a popular cafe for the local Avalonians to catch up on the goss.

AK goes for the Kickstarter breakfast which is large shallow bowl of sauteed potatoes, mushrooms, chorizo sausage, chilli. It doesn’t have eggs but who needs it with all these delicious items. I go for the Vegetarian Breakfast. It’s very unlike me but it must have been the smell of mushrooms frying from the kitchen that makes me want to skip my normal bacon and sausage.

My favourite part of Relish Cafe is the coffee – a lovely blend called Sacred Grounds Organic coffee. It’s soo good that I go against my tradition and have two this morning. It’s a lovely smooth blend but has full coffee flavour.

Upon leaving we realised we didn’t have any of Relish Cafe’s homemade relish. This can only mean one thing – we’ll be back!

After breakfast we wandered up to a cliff top reserve called Careel Headland which is a real undiscovered gem of Sydney. I would definitely recommend that after your hearty Relish breakfast you wander up for beautiful views.

View Relish Cafe, Avalon in a larger map

Food I love is a cafe deli located on Blues Point Road.  I had driven past a couple of times but never stopped. Thanks to some random flicking through the Entertainment Book we decided to give it a try.

We were at the cafe at about 11.30am on Saturday morning. It’s that brunch time where you can swing either way between a full breakfast or a lunch snack. I was in two minds about which way to go, though after sitting down at the cafe the choice was made easier – it was the breakfast menu or we’d have to wait for all the lunch items to be bought out to the deli counters.

There was a good selection on the breakfast menu including the standard eggs and bacon, mushroom bruschetta etc. However it was the sight of an omelette being delivered to a neighbouring diner that caught both our eyes. Two omelettes it is. It was made with bacon, Swiss cheese, tomato and onion served on turkish bread. Boy was it filling.

Coffee was from the “coffee roaster” and was full body and quite strong.

A nice cafe, with great service.  Whilst not the most happening place on Blues Point Road it did satisfy.

We ventured out to Rangoon Colonial Club Restaurant sometime back in late 2009. I’ve been meaning to write this for a while but you know how life gets busy!! Over the years I’ve eaten in a few good Indian Restaurants in Sydney. Not all make the cut but Rangoon Colonial Club Restaurant is certainly way up there in the top 3 Indian Places to dine at in Sydney!

Rangoon Club is more of a place you go where you want to spend an easy couple of hours so its better to book ahead of time. You wouldn’t fully appreciate it if you were there for a quick meal and ran out the door. Unfortunately we hadn’t booked… but were lucky to have picked a weekday night for it. We were ushered into our seats and offered complimentary Papadums with a variety of mango chutney, yoghurt mint, Raita, lime/mixed pickles.

The interiors has a unique collection of memorabilia from the British raj and the essence of tropic living. Starting out with lo-rising palms in the interior walkway to photo-frames, weathered bookcases, tennis-rackets, cane couches, wooden floorboards, it has ambience of the by-gone era!

We ordered the Mixed Tandoori Platter (for two). Absolutely mouth watering! Lamb cutlets, chicken fillets, lamb shish kebab and prawns, cooked in the Tandoori oven & served on a bed sizzling onions.

For mains we had the Sultan Goat Curry. This was ABSOLUTELY gastronomic but very spicy too. In their own words: To think well you must eat well quoted Tipu Sultan known as the ‘Tiger of Mysore’ who won the many battles fought in Mysore during the Raj; this delicious goat curry cooked in an aromatic sauce garnished with fresh green chillies and coriander, is not to be missed.

We had Rangoon’s Pepper Chicken to add to that. This dish was created for the Moghul emperors. Cooked in exotic spices and red wine. Utterly delicious! Highly recommended. Indian Cooking doesn’t normally use wine. This definitely was an exception and it was beautiful. We also added Garlic Naan and Rangoon’s Saffron Pilau rice. Mmmmm, again outstanding. It was Basmati Rice along with saffron, cumin and light spices to help bring out the natural taste of rice. It was also garnished with crispy onions and almond flakes that make for a great taste sensation.

A true Indian non-vegetarian meal is never complete without an India beer. D had his beer. He loves a good beer and yes Kingfisher always makes the cut! Perfect after a nice hot day or after a days hard work. So there you have it make a booking and rock up. Needless to say the food was outstanding, the service was really nice. Don’t rush, enjoy your evening. Rangoon Colonial Club Restaurant was quite palatable and we would love to go back!

It seems like they are popping up everywhere. Crows Nest now has two – Grill’d and Counter Burger. Counter Burger is part of an American chain making it’s debut appearance in Australia.

Grill’d is part of an Australian chain that started in 2004 in Melbourne, and now has it’s first Sydney location in Crows Nest. Now – I wonder why in all of Sydney do two burger chains both decide to open in Crows Nest? It makes me think – are the people of Crows Nest mad for the burger??

So it’s Saturday night and we head up to Crows Nest to try Grill’d. The place is pumping, and it’s a very mixed crowd. Families, girls getting ready for a night on the town, the lads, a group of teenagers all wrestle for a table and chair. We secure a table for two right by the window and then digest the vast burger menu.

Do I go for the chicken, veggie, lamb or beef burger. It all looks too good, and looking at the burgers being delivered to the other tables doesn’t help. I end up opting for the beef burger, and choosing the crispy bacon and cheese offering. AK goes for the Moroccan lamb for an exotic twist.

The beef burger is really quite good, and with the wholemeal bun option actually tastes quite healthy (which is the restaurants tag line – Grilled Healthy Burgers). The side of chips is a winner, and the herbed salt gives it a unique edge.

The Moroccan Lamb burger looks good too, though AK consumes it soo quickly there isn’t any left for me to try.

My only disappointment is no milkshake options on the menu. For me, a burger and milkshake go together beautifully. Though, on the plus side you can have a beer with your burger and that’s a good alternative!

Next time I’ll try Counter Burger for comparison and let you know.

At either side of the entrance to the gallery, stand two large statues of horses with their riders. Ordinarily you’d only give it a fleeting glance, but thanks to the artist Tatzu Nishi a whole new lease of life is given to the statues. The look of the art installation from the street would have you thinking that restoration work is being carried out on the statues, but no, don’t judge too quickly.

Walk past the scaffolding,  up the wooden platform, and you’ll soon see what I’m talking about. Suddenly, you are in a domestic world in someone’s lounge room. Music is playing, the days news paper is tossed on the coffee table. Curtains blow softly in the breeze. But something unusual is on the coffee table and inside the T.V cabinet!

For a chance to touch and stand close to these statues come down to Art Gallery before the 14th Feb 2010. After that it will be back to looking from a distance.

Photo courtesy of Art Gallery of New South Wales Flickr Photostream

You may feel like your entering a private property, as Strickland House doesn’t exactly entice you from the street with a grand entrance.  A small sign on the fence however will set your mind at ease advising this is public property open from 9am to 5pm every day.

Once you head down the drive way you’ll soon spot the mansion called Strickland House. Now looking a little worst for wear, the house was originally called Carrara and built in the 1850′s. Over the years it’s been a grand formal residence, health care facility and old people’s home. Today it stands empty surrounded by an expanse of harbour front property and sweeping views. The grounds were declared an urban park in 1994 opening it up to the Sydney public.

There are picnic tables dotted around the property all offering views either towards Rose Bay or the main harbour. Take the time to wander and explore the grounds, and on a hot day bring the swimmers for a dip. The house is only open to the public during heritage week.

I only have one answer – Ja!

There are plenty of Austrian and German restaurants around Sydney, and I’ve found myself trying them all. From Maggies at Potts Point, to Una’s in Darlinghurst and even the Bavarian Bier Cafe on York Street, Sydney has no shortage of places to sample that delicious crumbed and deep fried schnitzel.

Though my heart always belongs to the Austrian Schnitzel Haus located in Gladesville. It’s become a Christmas catch up tradition for my friends and I, and because once a year seems a bit long between drinks (well, schnitzels really) we’ve taken to having a Christmas in July catch up there as well.

The Wiener Schnitzel here is not too oily and fatty, and is served with delicious sauteed potatoes and fresh lemon. I’ve only once strayed to other options on the menu and that was for the Farmers Platter. The Farmers Platter is a pork lovers paradise – pork knuckle, pork cutlet, frankfurt and mountains of red cabbage and sauerkraut. Whilst it was nice to try something different, it’s the schnitzel that keeps me coming back.

Even though I love the schnitzel, I’ve not been game to try the famous Schnitzel Challenge yet. It involves eating a kilo of schintzel and drinking a litre of beer. Oh and if that doesn’t fill you up,  you do get chips as well! The lucky winner gets a free dessert (just in case a kilo of fried meat isn’t enough), a t-shirt and a picture on the hall of shame…opps sorry..fame.

The Austrian Schnitzel Haus is situated in a picturesque sandstone cottage at
163 Victoria road, Gladesville.

Opening hours:
LUNCH 12.00 – 2.00 Tues – Sat
DINNER 6.00 – 9.30 Mon – Sat

(Closed on Sundays, Monday lunches and public holidays.)

PS.  On Friday and Saturday nights there are two sittings. One at 6pm and the other 8pm.

It’s Friday night in Sydney, and winter is well and truly entrenched. This cold weather has me craving Indian food for it’s spices, warmth and comfort.

We head to Crows Nest and choose the restaurant Cumin for two reasons. It accepts “entertainment card” discount and it’s also one of the few Indian restaurants we haven’t tried in a suburb that is rich in it’s Indian eateries. We hadn’t made a reservation however when we get there only one other couple are seated and we’re shown to a table quickly. However, it doesn’t take long to fill up and by 7.30pm every table is taken — a good sign one hopes.

The menu is neatly presented, and starts off with the story of Cumin. The owner, Ravi Gandhi, has run a successful chain of restaurants in India and three years back started this establishment in Crows Nest. The selection of food on the menu is very standard Indian fare with a couple of Ravi’s signature dishes added to make it stand out from your average high street Indian.

Our first selection is the Lahoree Champ — which is basically lamb cutlets. I have a real weakness for lamb cutlets. These ones were ok but lacked a punch. I’m a little disappointed after the starter but optimistic it will pick up for the main event.

For mains we order Murg Peshawari and Balti Beef. The Murg Peshawari is a chicken dish cooked in Ravi’s secret marinade. It has a two chilli rating on the menu but like the lamb cutlets could actually do with an extra kick. The Batli beef is the standout of the night with the beef so tender, and the gravy so tempting that we clean the balti dry. Balti means “pot” in Punjabi and that’s exactly what the dish is served in – a little pot. It’s not a spicy dish but the flavour and texture of the dish do well to make it a winner. Presentation of all dishes in tin pots and trays, as well as a generous serving of rice make this restaurant an enjoyable night out.

Firstly, thanks must go to the Sunday Telegraph Magazine for writing a review of this café a couple of Sundays ago. It would have remained hidden from us, as unlike the address suggests, this café isn’t on Military Road at all. It is fact located in a little street behind Spit Junction. Look for the Mosman Council Chambers and you’ll soon find it tucked away in a little pedestrian lane filled with cafes, restaurants and boutiques.

We took a stroll up to The Penny Royal this morning. After securing an outside table, we then had a waiter come over with the menu. If you like your café to serve eggs and bacon in the morning then keep going, as The Penny Royal serves up an array of exotic treats and not your basic café items. The menu is limited but still doesn’t make the decision process easier. Amit chooses the Sourdough, ricotta, mushroom, pesto sandwich.

I go for the banana bread – lightly toasted. Ok, so this does sound a bit pedestrian as what cafe in Sydney doesn’t do Banana bread, but this one is a real meal in itself with a smattering of blueberries to add to the flavour.

Campos coffee is served which means no more trips across the bridge to Newtown to have your fix. Another good sign is this cafe attracts a lot of cyclists – I don’t know what it is but they always seem to find the best places serving coffee. Actually that’s a good tip when in a foreign city – look for the cyclists and see what café they gravitate to (though given my fitness levels let’s hope I find them at the end of their run).