Cafe Paci

Restaurant · Newtown

Cafe Paci

Restaurant · Newtown

131 King St, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia

Highlights

Gourmet Modern Australian dishes, standout potato bread, cod

131 King St, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia Get directions

cafepaci.com.au

@cafepaci

$$$ · Menu

Reserve

@eater

The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia | Eater

"When Cafe Paci first emerged in Darlinghurst as a low-key pop-up in 2013, the restaurant was painted an underwhelming low-cost gray — but chef Pasi Petanen’s dishes brought the color, flavor, and humor. While his brilliant popcorn fairy floss with butter salt didn’t make the transition when he moved things to his full-time Newtown site in 2019, two star dishes earned permanent residency on the menu: The Finnish rye bread with trademark molasses coating (ranked as one of the city’s defining dishes by the Good Food Guide) and his brilliant carrot, yogurt mousse and salted licorice dessert (which also deserves to be in Sydney’s culinary hall of fame). Know before you go: The grapefruit and gin Lonkero soda is an ultra-refreshing taste of Petanen’s birthplace. The pre-mixed beverage was designed for 1952’s Helsinki Olympic Games and is still frequently consumed in Finnish saunas." - Lee Tran Lam

https://www.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-sydney-australia

View Postcard for Cafe Paci

Nicole Cadiz

Google

It’s been a while since I rated a place 5/5! I’m actually not sure where to start. Ok firstly the warm welcome from Georgia was so nice. Seated at one of Shiela’s tables was just pure luck! Dinner - starters the incredible rye bread and creamed butter. Followed by the Barrata mini calzones, tender asparagus in the must scrumptious cream and finally the tuna with blood orange segments. If that wasn’t enough to blow your mind - the most tender of silky carpaccio with organic rocket and Parmesan was sensational. The finale for us was the plate of cauliflower steak with burnt butter and garlic. We spoke about this dinner all the way home and it was tough choosing our best dish. Only regret is not having the space for dessert. Huge thanks to Celia, Cam and the team for what can only be described as my treat out for the month. Thank you.

Paul Girot

Google

Fantastic experience! Had a stunning lunch here in August and we have to say that is the most intelligent, elegant food we have had for years. The restaurant has a great casual vibe, excellent staff and service and a Newtown edge, however the food was next level! A big shout out to the crab blini, it looked stunning, was light as clouds and we had one of those moments of silence where you think where am I, how did they do this! A must do experience. Lunch 30 Aug

Ibrahim Saada

Google

From start to finish, our dinner here was just a fantastic experience. The restaurant has a super cool and vibrant atmosphere without being overwhelming, making it the perfect spot for a special night out. We'd heard great things, and Cafe Paci absolutely delivered on all fronts. The food was the real star of the show. You can tell a lot of thought and creativity goes into every single dish. We loved everything we tried; each plate was inventive, beautifully presented, and packed with flavour. It’s the kind of meal you talk about for days after. To top it all off, the service was wonderful. Everyone was so friendly and attentive, which really completed the perfect dining experience. It's rare to find a place where the food, the vibe, and the staff are all this good. Can't wait to be back again soon!

Gailda Lui

Google

Quite possibly one of my absolute favourite restaurants in Australia. Visited for the first time last week on a Friday night and it exceeded all expectations. Every dish was incredible - no lulls in courses or improvements needed. Loved the holistic balance of flavours while the punchiness of the star ingredients really shone through (I'm going to need to get myself some calabrian chilli's for my own pantry...). They somehow even transformed asparagus into one of my favourite dishes of the night (a hard task, as everything was so good). All in all, a fantastic restaurant with a a comfortable yet slightly upscale ambience and exceptionally warm service.

Bryan D

Google

Outstanding restaurant on King Street, Newtown. The food is delicious and inventive, whilst the staff are knowledgeable and attentive. The menu is best shared as there are so many delicious dishes to try. There is always a vibrant and bustling atmosphere in the place. Make sure you try out some of the weekly specials. It is always busy, so make a booking.

Agnes

Google

Wow!!! 5 out of 5 stars!! We have been meaning to try out Cafe Paci for so long and finally decided to make a reservation. The place was packed. Everyone in lively conversation. Very good vibes. We were seated by the bar and was served by the lovely bartender. We orders a pasi sour and cool as a kurkku. Both were phenomenal and so unique. We then ordered food: potato molasses bread, oysters, devilled eggs, tuna, stracciatella, potato dumplings, market fish (Murray cod) and the grape granita with amaretto ice cream. No notes, not a single fault. We enjoyed everything, particularly the potato dumplings and the cod. Would definitely revisit and would definitely recommend.

Lauren Jansson

Google

Perfect place for a low key, luxurious long lunch. All the dishes were delicious but the absolute standout was the market fish which was an incredibly generous 300g portion of Murray Cod. Dessert was oddly delicious. We both love chocolate and passion fruit but haven’t had the two flavours together somehow it worked really well. Thanks for a fab lunch and accomodating our food and seating preferences! Highly recommend.

Michelle Ko

Google

We had a wonderful time dining here - the food was unique and really delicious without a ridiculous price tag! We really enjoyed the specials we ordered (the pasta and the Wagyu). The wait staff were warm and friendly. Would definitely come back again.