Confiteria Lion D’Or, Carramar

Meet the Uruguayan steak sambo. Aussies call it a steak sambo. Uruguayans call it a chivito. Except we’re not just talking about a minute steak between two bits of white bread. The chivito ($12) is more like a skyscraper. Scotch fillet, bacon, ham, grilled onions, grilled red capsicum, fried egg, tomato, lettuce and mayo are all jammed into a glazed, soft bread roll. Try and get all that into your gob without making a mess.

Homesick Uruguayans flock to Lion D’Or in Carramar for a taste of home. It’s a simple eat-in bakery café stocked with breads and sweets out the front. A small kitchen in the back sends out hot meals for cheap.


Milanesa $11

The Milanesa ($11) is another Uruguayan classic, a veal schnitzel in a bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo. Order the plate version ($18) of either to swap out the bun for a pile of chips and a set of cutlery.


Chacarero $11

And the chacarero ($11) is worth a look-in too – a steak sandwich variation that adds green beans to the standard lettuce, tomato and mayo combo. Eating your greens never felt so good.



Uruguayan empanada $4.10

Empanadas come in both Chilean and Uruguayan versions. The latter has a softer pastry and omits the cumin found in the Chilean recipe.


Inside the Uruguayan empanada 


Churros $1.20, cruasán $1.20 and alfajores $3.50

Make sure you save room for dessert. Bizcochos are a national pastime, little pastries eaten for breakfast, afternoon tea and snacks in-between. They range from savoury – like the cruasán which looks and tastes like a distant cousin of the French croissant – to sweet, filled or covered in dulce de leche caramel, quince paste, custard cream or crystallised sugar. Bizcochos are what you bring when you meet up with friends and family. At $1.20 each, there’s no excuse not to bring a whole bagful.


Alfajores $3.50

Ask about the churros, piped donuts smothered in cinnamon and sugar usually kept on a tray behind the counter. And don’t forget their alfajores, two soft shortbread rounds sandwiched with dulce de leche and encrusted around the edges with dessicated coconut.


Rosca de chichiarrones $6

There’s one last thing you’ll want to take home. The rosca de chicharrones is a bread loaf studded with pork crackling.

Seriously. Take. My. Money.






Confiteria Lion D’Or
Shop 7, 44-48 The Horsley Drive, Carramar, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9726 2727

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday 7am-4.30pm
Sunday 7am-11am

This article first appeared in Time Out Sydney. Read this article online or read more of my Time Out Sydney reviews.