The Book Kitchen Devonshire Street Surry Hills

The Book Kitchen sits at the bottom of Devonshire Street and on the corner of Bourke Street, but only a couple minutes walk from the action on Crown St Surry Hills. With its pastel yellows and iron grilled windows, The Book kitchen has a decidedly rustic look to it and on a spring afternoon it’s a perfect place for lunch. There are a couple tables outside, but the main action is inside with a dark cosy room lined with books of a culinary nature. There’s a buzz to The Book Kitchen but it stays civil and doesn’t get too boisterous, a very welcoming atmosphere!
My cappuccino is served in an almost circular cup with an oblong side. The coffee has slight acidic bite to it, and has a strength but that quickly dissipates, almost too quickly. There are some fruity notes to it and there’s a nice aroma and texture to the cup. It’s a very pleasant cappuccino, and as the wife notes, I am quick to empty the cup, but for me does not the scale upper echelons of coffee in Sydney, but if there was my daily cup I would be more than happy. For me, it’s hard to nail it, but it’s just short of that complete coffee experience.

The food is immaculately presented with a vibrancy and freshness that is very appealing. I choose a trio of corn fritters. My first fritter is topped with an avocado salsa. The creamy avocado is nicely balanced by the Spanish onion and has a spicy kick to it. The second fritter is a poached egg which oozes over the rocket. The third fritter is generously topped with smoked salmon. The fritters are soft yet the crunchiness of he corns adds dimension and depth to the dish. At $20 it’s worth every cent. It reminds me of tasting plate and is very accomplished for cafe food. I try the wife’s spanner omelette topped with asparagus. The spanner crab is sweet and completed with enoki mushrooms again has a gourmet feel to the dish.
The service at The Book Kitchen is very efficient and friendly. Its website warns it gets busy on the weekend, yet despite a full cafe, the waiter is quick to clear our tables, our orders are promptly taken, our coffees and smoothie arrive without much delay, and our food again is promptly delivered. The team go about their work with a smile and are very courteous.

The open layout of the cafe, allows you to peruse the books, and many of the quintessential recipe books can be found on the shelf.

Recommendation : If you’re looking for a place that’s cool, serves delicious food and decent coffee only minutes from the city, The Book Kitchen definitely ticks quite a few boxes!