Ciao Down — Restaurant in Sydney

This place was uninspiring. It was under a large metal awning, so it was gloomy. The décor was ugly and included a wall of plastic plants.

When clearing the tables, the chemical smell made me temporarily lose my appetite, and it attracted flying insects.

The avocado toast had two poached eggs, and if I recall correctly, the laminated menu didn't specifically say how many eggs there would be.

There was no salt & pepper around and no sugar, but my coffee came with a spoon anyway, just in case I'd like to stir it around pensively, reflecting on why I'm here.

I went over to ask for salt and the guy seemed puzzled, like "is that a thing people would want?" He handed me a grimy plastic container for grinding salt or pepper, all in one.

The coffee was fine.

The music was...

Great little cafe, with a solid menu. The coffee is consistently good, now have been a few times. The barista technique is good as is the chefs food presentation. Cups and plates are clean, no water spots on the cutlery! Bussing can be slow, but the tables are clean. Menu is very good, i have sampled most plates and the chef provides fresh food. There is also a small selection of baked goods from a vendor. Good venue for couples and small groups, they have fresh newspapers on the weekend. Highly recommended to be your local cafe haunt, after the weekly shop or...

I had the French toast and some eggs, which were, in all honesty, really nice, although it was a bit pricy, but that's what you expect from the relaxing carefree vibe. The time it took to prepare was a little too long for my liking, but yet again, that's kind of what you expect with a place like this. Honestly, if you are in the area and have an afternoon to kill, I would recommend coming here for the good food and atmosphere, but maybe bring something to keep yourself occupied...