contessa balmain

i think i have a new favourite brunch place! walking along the quiet main road of balmain i was drawn into bar contessa by its modern yet rustic style décor. at the first glance of the menu, i wanted to order everything, which is when i knew i would already love bar contessa.  i was drooling as the waiters were bringing out other diners' meals such as big juicy cheese burgers with thick cut chips, huge chicken tortillas and large bowls of creamy cauliflower soup and sourdough bread. the menu featured an all day breakfast menu (awesome!) and a variety of lunch menu items. the past few times i have ordered fritters at previous café i wasn't entirely impressed but for some strange reason i feel drawn to order them everytime. however, when the house make corn  cakes ($18.50)  came out my eyes widened, the serving was massive. i couldn't wait to dig in! the corn fritters were topped with fresh guacamole, rocket, tomato salsa and generous serving of  chorizo sausage. instead of the chorizo t

certainly a very popular place for locals that makes one of the cutest babyccinos ($2) i've seen around sydney. french toast brioche with banana, strawberry and real maple syrup ($16.50) was very good too.

my favourite sunday brunch. service is always amazing. generous portion of the dish and i always go back for their creamy mushroom risotto.

pasta was uninspiring but apparently got better towards the bottom - perhaps once again suckered into the "special"... made up for it with the milk shake which looked at least 500ml and burger good and recommended

bar contessa is just a few shops down from kazbah, so it's strange that despite having dined at kazbah so many times, i've never really taken much notice of this cafe. but now with their new chic look, and having been teased with their brekky menu, i can't imagine ever walking past and not going in!

outstanding food, coffee and service from marco and the team. came here for a lazy lunch with my family of four and no-one was disappointed. our new favorite cafe!

hangover heaven. the coffee will wake you right up and the all day breakfast menu is a godsend! wish they open another restaurant in my suburb.

the best meat ball linguini in a long time. went to bar contessa for an impromptu family dinner last friday and was drawn by its ambience and rustic feel. the food was presented elegantly without losing the substance of a deliciously home cooked meal. mine was the mouthwatering meatball linguini cooked to perfection and full of flavour, my husband ordered the cheese burger with a new york twist, and my three year old savoured each bite of his rissotto. the elmo baby chino tickled my little one's taste buds with joy, and the tiramisu and choclate cake sealed the nite for my husband and i with full satisfaction. it is currently byo, so you can bring in your favourite wine to accompany their great menu. will be going back again

the lady is looking hot!. bar contessa is a long time favourite for a lazy brunch, quick coffee or late lunch on weekends when i find myself out on the balmain peninsula. the food, coffee and service have always been top notch and again this was the case on my most recent visit. clearly marco and his team know that if it aint broken they don't need to fix anything, they do however just keeping getting better. the breakfast burrito is awesome!! the recent makeover exudes a sexy edginess that manages to be both at home in balmain and very reminiscent of a melbourne laneway bar/cafe. its cool and comfortable without trying to be something its not. the whole package - food, service and design - comes together beautifully! great job.

awesome. for a small place it has real atmosphere and the food (and coffee) are fantastic. recommend the risotto but it's all great. friendly and fast.

great food, good value. i had the risotto special with avo, prawns, sundried tomatoes in a creamy white wine sauce, which was extremely tasty; my companion had the caesar salad special. both were priced at $15. service was prompt and the waitress was knowledgable and friendly. will be returning there.