7 by 7 Restaurant — Restaurant in Sydney

I read the only other review and was astounded that they gave anything less than five stars. Perhaps it was the dish that person ordered or that it was early in the soft opening. But all I can do is rave. The first time I went my sister and I ordered the chicken shawarma (na’an wrap, chicken shawarma, mint yogurt, cilantro, and toasted chickpeas + French fries) and smoked meat sandwich (tender brisket, Dijon mayo, shredded cheese, and pickles on marble rye + French fries). We decided to split both and couldn’t be happier. The inclusion of roasted chickpeas in the shawarma wrap gives it the perfect smoky crunch. Neither of us got through our first bite of the smoked brisket without groaning in satisfaction. The tartness or the pickles and bite of the Dijon were mouthwatering. And the fries are perfectly cooked. The mandarin-cucumber salad is also lovely and is a meal in and of itself. I can’t wait to continue sampling through the menu.

For the restaurant itself, I couldn’t be more impressed. Careful thought has been put into every detail. The decor is modern but subtle. The off white walls are complimented beautifully with natural, accents in the furnishing. Even the condiments are thoughtful. The salt and pepper shakers have a local flair, as they look like miniature, repurposed mason jars and the ketchup bottle has a narrow spout so shaking the bottle doesn’t dump ketchup water on your plate. Finally, and my favourite fine detail, is that the cutlery is wrapped in a napkin, but also has a napkin laid below so that it doesn’t touch the table. Some local restaurants will lay a knife and fork down on the table itself, rather than even a paper placemat. Tables are often wiped clean with a wet rag, but not properly washed down until the end of the day. So I was thrilled by this detail.

If you have a sweet tooth, check out the Parlour Sweet House, which is also the dessert source for those eating in. Delicious selections vary. I tried a strawberry mousse, which I powered though the piece was huge. Another time was an amazing salted caramel brownie with a pretzel crust. I’ve since tried a cappuccino nanaimo bar as well. I could eat a pan of them.

On my second visit, I asked to speak with the owner if they were available. Co-owner, Nagy, was kind enough to come to the table and we spoke at length about the careful choices he and his consulting team have brought to Sydney. He is from Cairo but fell in love with Cape Breton and decided the time was right t9 start a new business. Cape Breton has always been rich with culture and has a dynamic immigrant history so it has been such a pleasure to have a surge of new culture and citizenship. It just goes to show how fortunate we are to have Cape Breton University continuing to extend their reach into...

I'm living on the Cape temporarily, and I wanted to love this restaurant, but several things missed the mark when I visited for lunch today. I think the negative things I experienced have the potential to be improved upon, and hopefully, restaurant management takes customer criticisms seriously. Right off the bat, I wish I had sat on the patio because the restaurant has an off-putting smell that's cigarette smoke-like - I'm not sure what that's about, but it's noticeable and needs to be addressed. The server came with water after I was seated, and I ordered my cocktail and food right away, but the cocktail took about 15 to 20 minutes to arrive. It's not a huge deal in my mind, but I did overhear the server apologizing to two other tables while I was seated (and then subsequently me for the delay in my drink), so it's not great for the staff when they have to apologize to three separate tables in the span of 20 minutes. As for the food, it was decent, but there is room for improvement. I got the lobster roll and side chowder. The market price for the lobster roll is $35.50, so it's quite steep, and I feel as if the rolls could have more lobster for that price. It's a bit deceiving because the lobster sits more on top of the roll, but when you bite into the roll, the bottom half of the roll doesn't have filling. I do like how they don't slather it in mayo or add unnecessary filler, but a bit more lobster in the crease would make it more enjoyable overall. The chowder was good, but the upcharge to sub chowder for fries is frankly obscene. $13 for a cup, or one laddle (objects in image look larger than in reality), of chowder is what ultimately made me question if I would return. I know seafood chowder isn't cheap to make as I make it at home, but that kind of price makes you feel totally gouged as a customer. That upcharge is almost double the price of another joint in town and is more than 4x the sub in price to what I'm used to back home in Victoria (not a cheap city by any means). I would expect double the serving I received at minimum for that price. My bill for a cocktail, the lobster roll, and the cup of chowder was $73 before tip, which is a bit overpriced, in my opinion. It's a shame because there are other things on the menu I would like to try, but I think they have some work to do on some of the above...

2021: Came for breakfast on a pouring Sunday morning in October and arrived right when they opened at 9am, with street parking spots available right in front. There was a family ahead of me who had reservations and were seated at one of the larger tables, and then I was offered a choice of booths. Very friendly service. This used to be the Maple Leaf Restaurant I think? Simple atmosphere with two windows in the front, basic wooden tables, warm earth-tone walls, very clean, seating for maybe 30-40? There's also a new sidewalk patio out front which would be great for summer evenings. Decent brunch menu with some variety. I tried the eggs benny of the day (avocado & bacon) which was good, side of standard home fries. There was nothing unique about it but zero complaints. Filling for sure. I would come back any time.

Aug 2025: came for breakfast two days in a row, as I find the selection is definitely better here than most Sydney places. Portions are bigger than I'd like (eg the avocado toast comes on four slices of bread, when two would be fine), but I guess you are getting value for the price. I found that meal to be good, flavorful, but I added an egg to make it more 'breakfast-like'... lol. The veggie frittata is good as well, served in a hot cast-iron pan out of the oven, a more reasonable size. Frozen hash browns made this very filling overall too. Friendly service. What I like about the patio is that the tables & chairs are more comfortable than some other places, with the chairs being sturdy and wide enough for bigger butts. LOL Umbrellas are there if the sun is too hot. This weekend I found it was no problem to get street parking on Charlotte St right at 10am opening time. Whenever I'm in Sydney next, I'd come here, with hopes of perhaps a weekly special that may include vegan...