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

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!

Bernadette Chan

Google

Couldn't fault a single thing, and wish we had more room to fit in the rest of the beautiful menu. Each dish was a flavour bomb; subtle but punchy with aroma. Mind blown.. to the point where we had no words. Too delicious, with combination of flavours that kept us guessing and wanting more. Coming back for date night! What a gem.

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.

Kim Ye

Google

Been waiting to try cafe paci for a long time and it did not disappoint. Everything was super tasty except the oysters - not very fresh and the fig and tomato dish, which was quite expensive for a few figs and not even one whole tomato. Otherwise all other dishes were outstanding. Bread, ceviche, ravioli, prawns and half roasted duck cooked to perfection and flavours well thought out. The pasi sour is like a dessert drink. Very fun. Would recommend for a special occasion.

Maya Hagras

Google

Cafe Paci had been on my list to visit for quite some time now and with high expectations, it didn’t disappoint. As soon as we were seated, we were greeted by the warm and charismatic Cam. He walked us through the menu in great detail whilst also recommending stand out dishes like the ox tongue taco and beef a la plancha. Cam’s witty banter and attentive service elevated our experience that evening. He made us feel right at home while keeping the experience fun and engaging 🙌🏼 The food? Impeccable. The molasses bread was pillowy, slightly sticky and insanely addictive. The tacos just melted in your mouth and exploded with flavour. The steak was incredibly tender and rich. We honestly had an absolute BLAST here. The service was a true highlight and the food genuinely surpassed even my (already high) expectations. I can’t wait to come back!