Fabbrica Bread Shop — Restaurant in Sydney

EDIT 19 Nov 23: Returned today and was served a burnt potato focaccia and a cold chicken pie for $22. We asked for the pie to be heated. It was served cold in the centre, and when we returned we were treated with rudeness including “I don’t control the ovens” rather than an apology and offer to reheat. Customer service skills matter in this competitive market, will never go back as a result.

Original review (4 star): Fabbrica have expanded into bread following the success of their COVID-19 pivot weekend bread shop at their flagship CBD pasta and wine joint. Employing the same name, Fabbrica Bread Shop, you’ll find this bricks’n’mortar bakery taking up real estate inside Maloney’s Grocery in Rozelle. Fabbrica’s three sites (there’s also a pop-up pasta bar in Balmain’s Exchange Hotel) are run by the Love Tilly Group. They’re the crew responsible for the popular Darlo wine bar, Love, Tilly Devine, Dear Saint Eloise, Ragazzi, La Salut and Palazzo Salato.

What you’re coming to this spot for are pastries and chewy focaccia. Topped with pickled pfefferoni, the ham and smoked Cheddar croissants ($9/each) show off laminated dough with a classic honeycomb interior tempered by a tight bundle of ham and a protrusion of exploded cheese. The sobrassada and smoked Cheddar croissant ($9) is better realised: it’s more-or-less a dense, pastry sanga of cured Spanish sausage and cheese, the richness cut by a single cornichon. Under a fluffy dusting of cheese, the cavolo nero scroll ($9) tastes mostly of basil but gets good pastry penetration by the leafy greens. I wasn’t fussed on the masala croissant ($9) but appreciated the focus on experimentation that comes with a permanent bakery base.

Fabbrica have also infiltrated the grocery itself. You’ll find shelves loaded with loaves of sourdough that they proof on site for more than 24-hours, plus pasta and sauce packs. I gave the sourdough ($9.99/850 grams) a whirl. It’s currently made using flour milled in Gunnedah and eats well as crusty bread, but lacks the waterproof silkiness I love at my beloved...

Was my first time trying Fabbrica Bread Shop on a busy Sunday morning. Took me a minute to figure out where to order and not get in the way of those shopping in the supermarket, anyway once I figured that out was all good and keen to try everything in the window as it all looked amazing.

When it was my turn to order the lady was a bit abrupt and it was like I was interrupting her day by placing my order. The writing on the display window to tell you what each item was had been partially wiped off so I was pointing to what I wanted and she just kept saying tell me what it is, I would have if I could have read it I explained, but she wouldn’t move away from point of sale terminal to help me out. First world problems I know, however I had my son with me who has an intellectual disability who is overwhelmed in crowded noisy environments so was trying to order quickly so we exit the building. Maybe I just caught them on a bad day, hopefully 🤷🏻‍♂️.

Onto the more positive part of the experience, the food was delicious, everything we grabbed was so good and my wife said the coffee was quality too. That cheesecake was the highlight though. Enjoyed that over a couple of hours as too good to eat...

Sourdough bread. My husband and I seriously love your sourdough bread. We have been buying it for over 1 year now although the price is just on another level we justified it because it's a real sourdough and was very nice until lately. Refused to eat other breads. So, you may understand our disappointment. In the last 2-3 weeks this bread is different, it is NOT the bread we love. It became smaller, dries out very fast and the taste is nowhere near the one we bought before. Asking $12 for 1 kg bread that seems a lot smaller and more flat is a disgrace. I asked the lady at Fabbrica and she assured me the recipe hasn't changed. But I know it has,...