The Pie Tin, Newtown

You would never find the Pie Tin in Newtown unless you were looking for it, a discreet corner building in gun metal grey off the main King Street hub. But really there are plenty of reasons to visit, and all of them involve the word PIE.


Black forest meringue pie; apple rhubarb pie and The Pie Tin exterior

The wet and miserable Sydney weather of late has given us one great big silver lining - a chance to indulge in all our favourite comfort foods yet again. We duck into The Pie Tin one cold and blustery lunchtime seeking hot pies and flaky pastry. It's a warm and inviting space, the simplicity of exposed brick walls livened with prints on the wall, a large communal table in the middle of the room, and two enormous display cabinets groaning with sweet and savoury pies.


Vegetable korma style curry pie with mushy peas and kumera sweet potato mash $10

Savoury pies are $5.80 each but it's hard to resist the offer of two sides or salads for a total of ten dollars. The pies are all made on-site and baked throughout the day. Sides include Boston baked beans, kumera sweet potato mash, homestyle mashed potato, classic mushy peas and a mix of salads like coleslaw, potato and leafy greens.


Roasted vegetables with garlic and white sauce pie  $10
with Boston baked beans with speck and kumera sweet potato mash

We find both the vegetable pies we try a tad on the bland side, and reach for the salt and pepper shakers for some vigorous sprinkling. The vegetable korma style curry pie is more cream than spice, and the roasted vegetables with garlic and white sauce is in some serious need of seasoning.

Beef and dark ale pie with mashed potato top $10

with chips and gravy

The customer ahead of me beats me to the last slow roasted shredded pork pie with apple and barbecue sauce, and rather than wait an excruciating ten minutes for the next batch, I settle for the beef and dark ale pie. It's a worthwhile replacement, a huddle of hearty chunks of beef hidden below a layer of mashed potato.

Our sides are all delicious, although the kumera sweet potato mash is a little overly sweet, as though honey has been added. The Boston baked beans are brilliant - smoky and sweet with curls of sweet onion and surprise finds of speck littered throughout.

A cheese sauce is usually available on top of the chips, but they've already run out when we visit. We choose gravy, but cheese sauce would have been infinitely more rewarding.


Sweet pie cabinet

Even as we were eating our lunch, I couldn't stop surveying the sweet pie cabinet and debating what to order for dessert. If you've ever watched the American tv series Pushing Daisies, you will immediately think of the Pie Hole, a restaurant devoted to all things pie. It's easy enough to imagine Ned rolling out pastry in the kitchen.


Flaky pastry, pistachio and dark chocolate pie

The counter holds an assortment of sweet pastries and treats, but most customers zero in on the pies, a dizzying selection of all things sugar served with a dollop of double of cream on the side for good measure.


Seasonal rustica tart

Maltesers pie; American style sweet pumpkin pie; Creamy coconut custard pie;

and Oreo cookie pie $6.50 a slice with double cream

Dessert is not an easy decision, particularly when you're faced with choices that include Maltesers pie, Snickers pie, pineapple and baked ricotta pie and gooey caramel & chocolate ganache pie.


The apple pie that ate Newtown

There's one pie that's hard to ignore and that's The Apple Pie That Ate Newtown, a behemoth-sized apple pie that beggars belief.



The apple pie that could eat your iPhone


The apple pie that ate Newtown $6.50 a slice with double cream

This is a serious apple pie, stuffed with an impressive amount of cinnamon-spiced apple. Our only quibble was the apple was a little cold on the teeth -- warming it slightly would have worked wonders -- but the pastry on top is blissfully crisp and generously crusted with sugar.


Sour cherry pie $6.50 a slice with double cream

On another visit we had a slice of the sour cherry pie, not really as sour as it sounds, the plump Morello cherries balanced by ricotta and the sweet shortcrust pastry.

 Peanut butter and chocolate tart $6.50 a slice with double cream

And because gluttony loves company it can never hurt to take home a slice of pie too. The peanut butter and chocolate tart is like a giant Reeses peanut butter cup - but you can eat it with a spoon. This is the kind of tart you want to be alone with, cosied up on the couch together on a long rainy afternoon. Add a dollop of cream and who cares about the weather outside? Just bring me another piece of pie.


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The Pie Tin

1a Brown Street, Newtown

(off King Street, between Clem's Chicken Shop and the 7-Eleven)

Tel: +61 (02) 9519 7880

Opening hours:

Monday to Wednesday 10am-8pm

Thursday and Friday 10am-10pm
Saturday 9am-10pm

Sunday 10am-6pm

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