Cafe Paci

Cafe Paci is sheer excellence. Every dish we had was outstanding, exploding with flavours and gorgeous to look at. The staff are friendly and super knowledgeable about the menu. The highlights and must try dishes are - the fermented carrot with nduja, the snapper crudo, the dumplings, the ancho with peppers and for dessert do not pass on the yogurt carrot sorbet with liquorice, hands down one of the best desserts ever. Lovely aesthetic with comfy bench searing all round. Great for dates, catch up with friends, casual Saturday lunches and special occasions.

Last night, we dined at Café Paci on King Street as a party of three. We opted to share our food, allowing us to sample a variety of dishes from the menu. Here’s what we ordered: • Potato and molasses bread with butter • Oyster with cumquat mignonette • Tuna with roasted capsicum and horseradish • Tonnarelli with shiitake, rocket, and parmesan • Whole chicken • Gnocchi • Carrot sorbet with yoghurt and liquorice • Crème brulee with raspberry granita Every dish we tried was delicious, well-balanced, and featured intriguing flavour combinations. The standout for me was the tuna, where the pairing of capsicum with the fish was exceptional. The oysters were very fresh and plump, and the subtle dressing offered a unique twist on serving oysters. The gnocchi had a pleasing firmness, avoiding the mushiness and stickiness that gnocchi can sometimes have. The chicken was tasty, tender, juicy, and had a great smoky flavour, though we all agreed it could have used a few more minutes of cooking to suit our preference. All the desserts provided a delightful finish to what was an excellent meal. The staff were efficient, knowledgeable, and very friendly, making us feel genuinely welcome. Despite the restaurant being full and very busy, we didn’t have to wait to be served. However, it was quite loud inside, so if you are looking for a quiet spot, this may not be the ideal venue. Portions were generous and well-priced. Overall, we had a wonderful night and are definitely looking forward to returning. I can highly recommend this restaurant.

Came here for my friend's birthday dinner and the food was scrumptious. The bread with molasses was so good. The devilled eggs were season perfectly, fresh oysters, ox tacos were generous with the meat portions, the tuna and blood orange went well together, the pasta special was so delicious we could have had another plate! The steak was cooked just right with a side of crunchy fries. The granita and nougat desserts were the perfect way to end the meal. The atmosphere was cosy, the staff were genuinely so friendly and the place was lively without being too loud. Definitely want to revisit.

Wonderful food. Throughly enjoyed the dishes we had, so much so that we ordered 2 desserts when we were already quite full. The chicken special that was fried then baked was executed perfectly, meat was juicy while skin was crisp and the chicken jus was flavourful yet not overly salty. One of those places where you feel confident trying dishes out of your comfort zone because you know they will be well executed and balanced.

Modern Aus by Finnish born chef. New establishment a few years after their og (same name) in Darlinghurst shut. Perfect for date night… dishes were hit and miss though, some a bit too weird (pickled carrots on bread?!) and not that value (~$30 for a plate of stracchiatella with bits of grape?!). Pasta was very average. Their sirloin steak was very good cut and perfectly cooked! (though $70…) and together with the tuna, were the only things we enjoyed tonight… just typical Sydney dining out prices. Desserts not that enticing so didn’t order. Service was hmmmm…..don’t get why they just brought the bill over (without our asking), straight after we declined to order dessert. It was Monday night and there were spare tables so not sure what the rush was. Dampened our experience.

One of my favourite restaurants in Sydney. I try to go at least quarterly. Awesome menu, great specials, amazing staff who are so friendly. I never remember to take enough photos, but so many stand out dishes.

This is my top 5 restaurant globally. Calling it a cafe is modest for the quality of food that this place produces. This should be an Australian institution. The food is perfection… modern contemporary with hints of Asian flavours. These guys at paci make me upset that I don’t live in Sydney so I can come every other day. Everytime I am in Sydney this is the first place and last place I hit. Must order the kingfish carpaccio, the prawns (omg the prawns), and the decadent cocktails. I am flying there now. Arghghh!

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.

Great food, service, and ambiance. A must-eat in Newtown. Specials that I forget to take note of: Some sort of ravioli: Delicious, possibly a liiiittle too buttery. Shishito peppers with anchovy: Great combo, like a fancier version of fish paste stuffed peppers. Potato & molasses bread, butter ($6): Not sure it needed the molasses on top, but was delicious bread (and butter). Fermented carrot, nduja, rye ($8): Very carrot-forward flavor. Snapper, tiger water ($30): Can't go wrong with well-dressed raw fish. King prawns, black pepper butter, lime ($46): The black pepper butter had a surprisingly smoky, warm taste to it that made me think of something I'd find in a Christmas spice mix. Cauliflower, chilli, garlic, rye, white rice ($36): Delicious version of a cauliflower steak, although the white rice sauce (???) came off a little gluey. Mignonette, maple dressing ($12): This was just a bunch of dressed large lettuce leaves. It was suggested as a lighter salad option for a main, but the lettuce being uncut/large made it inconvenient to eat.