Cafe Portico — Restaurant in Sydney

"My Favorite Café 'round the corner" 😊

One weekend, I had to go out early for my usual weekend-stroll, so I tried searching for restaurants that are already open at around 7AM on a Saturday. That's when I came to know this café.

On my first visit, it was already packed (at 7:20AM)! So I had to dine al fresco. One dish that caught my attention was their Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. I've requested for the ricotta to be served on-the-side as I'm allergic to milk. First time I had it, I got hooked! It's not sweet but it's fluffy and filling. You have a choice between bacon and ice cream and I always choose bacon. Mind you...the bacon is lean. And the coffee is not acidic! It's bold yet, it doesn't have that acid after-taste.

Having a pleasant '1st time dining experience', I've decided to go back the next day. This time, I ordered 'Feeling Smashed'. And it was also good as it has pesto on it (my favorite).

This pretty much started my morning breakfast routine. I became their regular to which, it came to a point that...as soon as I step-in...my long black will be immediately served.

Not only that they serve good food but... It's accessible to me as it's very near my hotel (just behind our building with 5 mins walk). It opens early. Perfect for a morning person like me. Surprised that they're also open on public holidays. This became beneficial to me as I was in Sydney during the long holiday. Just be mindful that they have an extra Holiday Surcharge. Food is good. Now this can be subjective 'coz it will depend on each and everyone's palate but for me, they serve all my comfort food. The staff is also accommodating and warm. In fact, one of my regrets was that I wasn't able to ask for the name of the waitress who was so kind to me. 😢 As she knows my food preference, she always makes sure that I am safe. She always smiles and cheerful whenever I enter the café. I know that it's just plain good 'ol customer-service for some. But for me, it always gave a good vibe to my mornings.

The slogan of this café is 'Feels like home'....

Unfortunately, my friend and I had a bad experience here while we were exploring Sydney for the weekend.

My friend is gluten free and since we saw some lovely gluten free options on the menu, we decided to eat here for breakfast.

When we ordered, the waitress informed us that the Bircher Muesli was not gluten free, despite the menus clearly stating that it was. When we showed her the menu she said that they didn’t have the gluten free version, so we left it at that and my friend proceeded to ask what they did have that was gluten free. The waitress suggested the granola to which my friend asked if it was gluten free and the waitress said no…

My friend ended up choosing the ‘make your own’ option with gluten free bread. I e waited a little for our meals to arrive and when they did my friend asked the waitress (just to double check) if her bread was gluten free (because it looked the same as mine which was not gf). The waitress said “no it’s not gluten free”. We were so disappointed and quite frustrated at this point so my friend didn’t end up eating anything because they had no gluten free options even though the menu had plenty on there. My meal wasn’t worth the price that it was so unfortunately, overall, we had an unpleasant experience here. If you have food intolerances, I do not recommend coming here.

The way the staff managed this situation was also not great and we did not feel like we were looked after or that my friend’s intolerance was taken seriously. I’m sure they’re good here for a quick coffee, but again, if you need your dietary preferences/requirements taken care of, I...

Highly recommended during weekday lunchtimes! No queues and no weekend surcharge, which is a bonus!

The two dishes I ordered were both visually stunning and delicious. Google’s 4.5-star rating is well deserved. The atmosphere is fantastic, with both indoor and outdoor seating available. The interior is filled with retro decor pieces like old telephones, radios, and clocks, plus a variety of children’s books. They even sell branded merchandise like ceramic coffee cups and coffee beans.

🌽 House Corn Fritters The texture was incredibly rich, and I think there were other ingredients mixed in. The baby spinach was super fresh and tender, and the combo with the runny egg and avocado was simply divine. (I’m drooling just writing about it 🤤)

🥗 Grilled Halloumi This was an unexpected choice! I saw it being served at another table and just had to ask what it was. A big, hearty plate that looked so appealing! Although it's a salad, it didn’t feel like just another salad—it featured a large slice of halloumi, paired with roasted pumpkin, cherry tomatoes, and a special green dressing. It was refreshing but also very filling. 👍

☕️ Flat White The coffee was decent! I usually drink double shots at home because I like it strong, and this one was moderate in intensity. The acidity was mild, with a nice nutty aroma, which I really enjoyed.

📍 Located just outside Wynyard Station, at the corner of York Street. It’s easy to miss, as it’s tucked away...