Strolling down Sydney Road and feeling peckish? The Barkley Kitchen is the spot where your taste buds go on holiday and don’t want to come back. From the get-go, the staff were on a mission – to make us feel like royalty, or at least well-fed peasants. They went above and beyond with smiles that could probably fix global warming.

The menu? Wild. It’s like they let a food-loving mad scientist loose, and I mean that in the best way possible. We ordered two pasta-filled cob loaves (because if carbs in carbs isn’t a life choice, it should be) and a spicy Parma, because "spicy Parma" is my love language. Oh, and cocktails! Non-alcoholic for the kid and two fiery ones for me and the missus – because what’s better than pasta? Pasta with a buzz.

While waiting, we got to watch other people’s food parade past us, and trust me, the food looked so good we considered pretending it was ours. Then our feast arrived, and it was like being punched in the face by flavor – homely, hearty, and the kind of filling that makes you question whether you're hungry or just being greedy. Spoiler: we were greedy.

And then, the bell. Yes, there’s a bell on the door as you leave, and when you ring it, it’s basically telling the kitchen, “You’re a legend, and we love you.” Everyone was ringing it like it was a dinner bell at Hogwarts. Naturally, we rang it too – multiple times, because once wasn’t enough to express our joy. Long story short: come hungry, leave happy, and definitely ring the bell. It’s not optional.