South, Newtown

We sought refuge from the unseasonally searing 38C Sydney heat at South for an early dinner. A new addition to Newtown's increasingly gentrified King Street, South is Yet Another Cafe (replacing Zimi's... if our memory serves us correctly). *EDIT Oct 15, 2004: See note at end of this entry

Inside are lounges, a couple of booths and the standard sofa against the wall/chairs on the other side of the tables. The look is Ikea with a couple of lamp shades serving as arty hanging light shades.

We shared the rocket salad, penne arrabiata and lamb souvlaki. The grilled haloumi on our salad was rather rubbery and the arrangement of the olives and kidney beans on-the-side was strange. The tiny shreds of sun-dried tomato didn't add much festivity to the salad either. The lamb was quite gamey in flavour but fairly ordinary otherwise. Thankfully the pasta was cooked al dente.

Service was questionable with the waitress often staring into space when we tried to ask for more water, and then for the bill. This is average food on a very competitive strip. Who knows whether we'll still be able to head South come winter?

EDIT Oct 15, 2004: Our memory doesn't serve us correctly, and as Sean clarifies in his comment below, South has been open for a year (it just looks like a new tenant with bumbling food and service, I guess). Nor is it residing on ex-Zimi premises. Zimi's has been replaced by a new restaurant, but not South. GYF stands corrected but still unsatiated and even less impressed :-)


Rocket salad with grilled haloumi, red kidney beans, olives and sun dried tomatoes with citrus balsamic dressing $11.90


Penne Arrabiata with olives, anchovies and chilli in plum tomato and basil sauce $13.90


Lamb souvlaki served with fetta salad, fries and tzatziki $17.90

South Cafe
232 King Street, Newtown
Tel: 02 9557 8839