As a former denizen of the Inner West, the Botany View Hotel was a place I might go to for Hair of the Dog and local music on a Sunday afternoon. Now, thanks to a bit of a scrub-up and the excellent addition of Darley Street Bistro, this place has become somewhere to treat the kids and visiting relatives to an earlybird gourmet meal at a reasonable price. Unlike many other bistro menus, there is variety to be found in the vego options, so I can enjoy the rare luxury of agonising over my choice.
The first time I came here I had Pumpkin and goat's cheese ravioli tossed with roasted peppers, lemon and gremolata topped with grana padano ($20; pictured). This generous helping of home-made pasta was delicious and satisfying. More recently, I enjoyed the Haloumi stack with roasted capsicum, sweet potato, mushroom, green zucchini pesto, roasted tomato vinaigrette and wild baby rocket salad ($19)- a tasty, lighter meal, which I supplemented with pieces of a shared Vego pizza topped with cheese, roasted tomato sauce, chilli and lemon and rocket salad ($12 special; pictured). The latter is particularly good with a frosty glass of Bulmers Pear Cider or White Rabbit (both available on tap at the bar), as are the Hand made vegetarian spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce ($11 special). One day soon I will try the Vegetarian roasted beetroot salad with oranges, summer greens and roasted hazelnuts and extra virgin olive oil ($16). They also have a Veggie wrap special. For a tiny kitchen, Darley Street Bistro produces a dizzying array of plates that delights my (extended) vegetarian/omnivore family.
There is limited, communal seating downstairs so if you are bringing the little ones, make sure you have someone to help you upstairs with the pram. Bookings are recommended (they have high chairs).
Darley St Bistro is located at 597 King Street (corner of Darley Street) Newtown NSW 2042. To book, call 9517 1133.
I am also a vego and I must say, most disappointing. As a vego I appreciate quality cooking, ingredients and honesty when it comes to food preparation. I found none of these here. Written on the board, ' roasted', actually means boiled in a large communal pot and then smothered in tasteless oil so the food slithers down the throat. The kitchen acknowledges that their tasteless veggies are boiled (and showed me the pot) but it is the bosses decision to claim that the veggies are roasted. Boiled veggies are tasteless, pointless food, which they obviously know otherwise they would be honest and write boiled veggies on the menu, not toasted. Sorry fellow vegos- this place does not respect us nor their food.
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