Sydney has been showing off it's beautiful summer weather lately with blue skies and the sun shining down. It makes me want to come out of hibernation and head outside to enjoy the sun. Charm and I did exactly that when we headed out one weekend to check out the Little Black Jacket exhibition, and we grabbed a bite to eat beforehand at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Cafe.
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| Cafe interior |
We arrived quite late in the day and many of the menu items had already sold out. There were still some tempting dishes though, like the carb-on-carb Oven-baked mac & cheese with bread and the Pea & fontina arancini (which we immediately regretted not ordering when we saw it come out in an egg carton!). In the end, we decided to get two dishes to share which was the perfect amount for a light lunch.
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| Crispy salt and pepper cuttlefish with garlic aioli - $16 |
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| Smoked rainbow trout, baby cos, potato and quinoa salad - $18 |
We also ordered a healthy quinoa salad with fresh chunks of smoked trout, cos lettuce and potato. The mix of textures worked perfectly together, with the toothsome trout, the crisp cos and the soft potato. Occasional cherry tomato halves gave the salad a bit of acidity, and the parsley brought a freshness to the dish.
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| Sculpture Terrace |
It's a lovely cafe to sit, share some food between friends and admire the view. On the day we went, there was a cruise ship blocking views of the Opera House, but there are unobstructed views of the Harbour Bridge from the outdoor dining area on the Sculpture Terrace and through glass walls of the indoor dining area, so it would be the perfect place to take tourists. And don't forget to check out the art exhibitions while you're there as well!
MCA Cafe & Sculpture Terrace
Level 4, Museum of Contemporary Art
140 George Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
Ph: +61 2 9250 8443
Open 7 days from 10am to 5pm (9pm on Thursdays)
No bookings
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I think most people forget about the art in this place, which is a shame as the collections are great.
ReplyDeleteGeez it's been years since I last stepped into the MCA. The food looks very much what I'd expect and from your selection I'm liking the textured look of the salad. What a gorgeous view!
ReplyDeleteteeehee i want arrancini in an egg carton!
ReplyDeleteWe had walked through the cafe to take some mandatory selfies in front of the view but we were heading for a Yum Cha lunch so didnt stop in to eat. Looks good though!
ReplyDeleteThose dishes that you didn't order sounds like they would have been great dishes. I too have a thing for salt and pepper calamari - very hard to say no to especially when served with garlic aioli.
ReplyDeleteDear Jacq,
ReplyDeleteI have not been to the MCA since it has been refurbished. The salt pepper squid looks delicious and I agree with Joey about the wonderful art collection.
We walked past here during the Biennale of Sydney. Is this the cafe at the bottom level? I wasn't sure if there was one on the rooftop as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Mr C - The cafe is actually on the 4th floor; not quite the rooftop but there is a terrace area. The MCA also has a restaurant which I think is the one on ground floor.
ReplyDeleteThe rainbow trout and quinoa looks positively virtuous - perfect match for the S&P calamari :)
ReplyDelete