Contessa Balmain — Restaurant in Sydney

If you’re looking to be treated like an inconvenience from the moment you sit down, Contessa in Balmain is the place for you. The service here isn’t just inattentive—it’s actively hostile.

Shortly after sitting down, I asked a staff member walking past if I could please get a bottle of sparkling water. He shot me a look like I’d just insulted his mother—no response, just a glare that said, “How dare you.”

Eventually, a woman came over. I mentioned again that I’d asked for sparkling water, and we also ordered coffees. To her credit, she did bring the sparkling water—small victory—but then came back with only one of the coffees. When I asked if the other was far behind, she replied, “I can only carry one at a time,” in a tone so smug it could curdle milk.

After we finished the coffee, she returned to collect the cups—now miraculously managing to carry both—so I quipped, “Oh, it’s so tough that you can pick up two at the same time.” That was apparently too much, and she launched into a passive-aggressive rant that only confirmed this place doesn’t just lack service—it loathes its customers. The vitriol we received as we were leaving. The most sarcastic “Have a nice day”!

We didn’t bother ordering food. At that point, I didn’t trust them to deliver anything edible, let alone without a side of venom. We left—hungry, irritated, and wondering how a business like this survives in a suburb that’s spoiled for good cafés.

Contessa is less a dining venue and more a training ground for how to drive customers away. Avoid...

The attitude of the manager who was working today was probably one of the best I have seen in any cafe in Sydney. I was initially going to give this place a 1 star review because we waited patiently (given that we saw the signage warning they were short staffed) for 45 minutes for our food only to find out when we asked about our order that the kitchen missed it even though the staff had definitely put it in the queue around the same time as the orders of a big table of 7 next to us who had already been served their food, finished it and left by the time we asked for ours. The manager was so genuine when she apologised and actually seemed really concerned we were going to leave hungry and upset which is something really rare in service these days. She even insisted on giving us the meals for free but when they brought out the food 5 minutes later (they actually can cook pretty quick!) we thought it was made really well and tasted great. Given this and the really genuine attitude of the manager, we insisted on paying for our food and the manager asked if we would at least accept a discount as an apology if we wanted to pay. I will be coming back to this place and was pleasantly surprised how I went from being really upset and annoyed to leaving as an impressed customer. The manager working today (Sunday 9 Oct) is an absolute asset to...

I've walked past this place a million times on my way home from work and never looked twice. But, on Saturday morning just gone, the bustling cafe front and delicious aromas drew me in. There's not much in the way of signage and, to be honest, I didn't even know the name of the place until I sat down and looked at the menu. Contessa is an unassuming breakfast hotspot in the heart of Balmain. It was a little busy but I managed to score a table pretty easily. Seems everyone else in Balmain already knew this place existed.

The coffee was quick, fresh, and of high quality. My breakfast burrito is something to marvel at in terms of stature... It's enormous! The chorizo is spicy, the avocado refreshing, thr egg yolk has seeped through gthe whole way... it was just what my hangover needed! My dining partner had Canadian style pancakes with bacon, grilled banana and maple syrup. It was to die for! I had a serious case of food envy! The granola also gets an honourable mention.

The cafe itself is beautifully furnished with plain wooden chairs, themed artwork and a gorgeous mirror on the back wall that opens up the space incredibly!

Put it on your list of Balmain breakky destinations (yes, I do...