Not Bread Alone, Crows Nest

Seafood chowder

How do you decide if a restaurant is good?

Eating out is a subjective affair that depends on the mood of the diner and what they appreciate that evening. Sometimes my stomach is won over by the food. Other times it's the head that cheers on value for money. Few manage to win the heart.

Not Bread Alone manages to tug the heart strings on a cold, wet and rainy night. I'm half an hour early, but the staff sweep me inside with a smile. "Come in, come in" they say, their hospitality genuine, their welcome full of warmth.

The rain is unrelentless outside, gusts of wind shriek with bitter vengeance. The enclosed terrace area is like a insulated glasshouse though, heaters overhead on full blast make it toastily warm and cosy.


Antipasto plate $16.50
with smoked salmon, leg ham, roast pumpkin,
roasted eggplant, curry dip, feta cheese, sundried tomatoes,
olives, rocket salad and turkish bread

I share a seafood chowder with M for entrees. We ask for an extra bowl but the chef amiably splits the portion into two small servings. The soup is creamy but not as thick or potatoey as we'd expected. There's plenty of seafood. We each uncover a prawn, a mussel in shell, a giant scallop with roe attached, and plenty of baby clams in the bottom.

Six others share two antipasto plates: smoked salmon, leg ham, roasted vegetables, an intriguing curry dip and sundried tomatoes. The feta cheese strikes me as a little bland but there's plenty of nibble on and go around.


Lamb shanks $20.90
with creamy mashed potato, chef’s greens and jus

Our mains arrive in quick succession. My lamb shanks are meltingly tender, easily falling off the bone. They're not as salty as I'd expect but the mash is thick and creamy, and the beans are a vibrant crunchy green.


Chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto $20.50


Pasta of the day $18.90
with prawns, zucchini and sun-dried tomatoes
tossed in a creamy dill sauce

The pasta is apparently in need of seasoning and the seafood risotto isn't quite traditional in presentation, but M says it tastes great, and there's plenty of seafood in the rich sauce to keep him happy.


Seafood risotto $24.90
a selection of seafood in a rich tomato sauce


Eye fillet steak $25.90
with mashed potato, chef’s greens and a mushroom jus

I've been eyeing the dessert blackboard all night. All their desserts are made by the restaurant, a welcome change for the usual trucked-in factory-made fare (twang!, goes another heart string). They even roast their own coffee (twang! twang!).


Vanilla bean creme brulee with tuille and strawberries $10.50


Blueberry bread and butter pudding $10.50
with butterscotch sauce and ice cream

I end up with the blueberry bread and butter pudding, thick cubes of sugar dusted bread resting on a bed of baked custard. The butterscotch sauce is drizzled over generously by my photography assistant. It matches well with the mild sweetness of the purple stained blueberries.


Flourless chocolate cake with ice cream $10.50

I'm not sure why I'm so sentimental about this place. The food isn't spectacular, the prices aren't dirt cheap and it's only my first ever visit.

But then the menu is approachable, this is the North Shore, and somehow I feel like a long-time local.

It's the last point that gets my heart, I think. Everything's homemade, fresh and served with honesty. It's like the comfort of home without the peril of dishes.

And who doesn't want to feel loved every now and then?


Sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and ice cream $10.50

Not Bread Alone
Shop 2, 376 Pacific Highway (entrance on Hume Street)
Crows Nest, Sydney

Tel: +61 (02) 9966 9788

Breakfast: 7 days 7.30am - 5.00pm
Lunch: 7 days 11.00am - 5.00pm
Dinner: 6 days 5.00pm - 10.30pm