contessa balmain

even on a wednesday morning, most of the tables were full. there was such a great variety of cafe, italian and american inspired dishes it was difficult to decide what to order. my friend really enjoyed the italian eggs with mum's meatballs. it tasted very rich, so it will be most enjoyed by those that like super creamy and cheesy food. such a huge serving, so it is definitely worth the money! 

meanwhile, i really enjoyed the contessa corn cakes. a perfect serving size and so tasty. we also shared mum's minestrone soup. it's the epitome of hearty, comfort food, and was especially fulfilling on a cold day. there were also a lot of vegetables in the flavourful soup, making it very filling, and so much value for $14! 

lastly, they have some stunning coffee art here, and their froggicino is adorable. contessa was an amazingplacefor brunch, and we were so spoilt by all the wonderful food and drinks. the dishes have so much heart in them and you can tell how much the people at contessa really try to ensure every customer has an enjoyable experience. i would not hesitate to visit here again, especially to try more dishes on their menu!

little busy cafe, was pretty full on a sunday morning, but we were seated quickly.
my chicken parmy was good from presentation to taste. they even made an effect to decorate my chai latte which is very sweet because most of theplacedon't. this is aplacei will visit again :)

a nice little cafe with friendly staff and great service. when we arrived theplacewas packed, luckily we didnt have to wait long for a table.

we ordered a few dishes that sounds delicious and it was fair to say it was not bad.

greatplaceand will revisit again.

until next time ... keep eating.

we have been in thisplacefor breakfast and we have eaten the farmhouse omelette, rosa’s breakfast bruschetta and coffee. they were ok, with a good presentation, but service was slow.

contessa is a busy cafe but it's worth the wait for a table if it's packed. theplacehas an indoor and outdoor seating with lots of natural light. menu consists of light starter, breakfast, lunch, beverages and few alcoholic drinks. breakfast is served all day and coffee is by the grounds. for brunch, i ordered the breakfast bruschetta, thick slice of sourdough topped with smashed avocado, tomato, garden greens and a poached egg. lovely food and very friendly staff, i can't wait to go back!

our favourite "go to" for breakfast. we've been fans now for about 6 months, and i now judge every breakfastplaceby the standards at contessa balmain. the staff is amazing...courteous, knowledgeable and so friendly. you can't go wrong with anything on this menu, but our favourites are the breakfast bruschetta, (extra egg for me, thank you) and the bacon and egg roll on sourdough with a hash brown. coffee is superb. love sitting outside and watching all the doggies walking by. hats off to the owner, chefs, and wait staff. love you guys. charles and megs are fans for life. (and yes we were there this morning!!)

fist time coming to this venue. even thoughplacewas packed with customers when i came, service was quick and friendly. coffee was awesome, from the grounds.

cafe uses the grounds coffee beans, sandwich was nicely toasted sour dough, bacon avo, and some salad. interesting add on with pickle cucumber. not bad place. super busy, probably most popularplaceto eat in balmain

generous serves of good food and friendly service

contessa balmain is a cafe/restaurant serving breakfast and lunch 7 days a week. it is small cafe with limited seating available inside and outside. it is located on darling street, balmain.

we came for brunch as it was suggested to us to try and reviews were positive, so we had to give it a go. we were meant to go to devon on danks but i'm glad we went to contessa as it was a nice experience. we found off street parking and were seated immediately. throughout our time at contessa, there was a consistent flow of customers.

we ordered the ultimate bacon and egg roll, contessa corn cakes with chorizo, and the contessa fry up. to drink, my child had the contessa froggicino, i had a large chai latte and my husband had the seasonal fresh fruit freppe.

the servings of food were generous, we didn't end up finishing everything. the ultimate bacon and egg roll came with hickory smoked bacon, fried eggs, provolone cheese, caramelized onion (we asked for it to be on the side), tomato relish and mayonnaise on a toasted brioche bun. it was a big serving, no way could you get your mouth around it without pressing it down. a bit messy to eat but was nice. the bacon was smokey and plenty of it. i would have preferred a runny egg. everything tied nicely together.

i tried the contessa corn cakes as a review suggested to try it. i normally wouldn't order this kind of dish but decided to give it a go and i actually enjoyed it. but one cake was more than enough, the dish came with two corn cakes. it was served with guacamole, baby spinach, tomato salsa, and balsamic reduction with a choice of hickory smoked bacon, chorizo, mushrooms or smoked salmon. i chose chorizo and i'm glad i did as we quickly polished it up. it was yummy, flavours weren't strong, it didn't leave an aftertaste and were cut in nice thick pieces so it wasn't dry. there was plenty of corn in the corn cakes and was a nice sweet and savoury dish, however, eating both cakes would make me feel sick so i left the other one. the fresh element of the avocado, spinach, and tomato helped cut through the oil for me in the dish.

the contessa fry up or big breakfast came with x2 fried eggs (you can't change how the eggs are cooked), hickory smoked bacon, mushrooms, grilled tomato, hash brown, house relish and sourdough bread. i prefer my egg runny and because they put the relish on the eggs, i didnt touch much of the egg as the relish was not to my palate. the bacon was smoky and was nice. the mushrooms were good and plenty of it. the hash brown was nice and crunchy. the sourdough bread was nice toasted and buttered.

the froggicino or babycino was a cute and novelty way to put a smile on my child's face. it came with two marshmallows and a face drawn with chocolate sauce. it was thoroughly enjoyed as it was polished up quickly. a definite hit with the kids.

my chai latte was nice and it came out quite hot as requested.

the seasonal fresh fruit freppe was nice and not overly sweet. tasted like it had mango in it.

staff were friendly and a table check was done.

verdict: if you want good food and have an appetite, thisplaceis worth a try and it won't hurt your wallet either.

came here for breakfast on a sunday and it was fantastic, the lovely waitress was super friendly and the atmosphere was great, they were super busy and they even gave us the chance to split the bill and pay separately, not many places do that.
my food was great. it wasn't so heavy.
they made me a banana and mixed berry smoothie (that wasn't on the menu) and it was beautiful, nice and creamy and smooth the way a smoothie should be.
i would definately come back to thisplacefor breakfast.

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brunch at contessa is such a hidden gem! balmain is not an area i frequent often as a foodie, but after hitting contessa i think i'll have to give it more of a look.

if you want to know the must have dish at contessa it's gotta be the nutella french toast. your life will change. i hope you're ready. layers of brioche suitably smothered in warm nutella, topped with coconut and muesli for a little crunch, and strawberries for some freshness. an absolute can't fault dish.

also on the menu we're corn fritters. this was the first time i'd ever tried corn fritters and it was theplacewhere my love affair with them began. crispy yet soft served with a good whack of guac and balsamic.

coz we're fatties we also ordered the avo on toast complete with a poached eggy. a nice fresh oj, a coffee and a froggacino which is like the cutest thing to ever happen. see pics for reference.

the staff are also amazing, the food is tops and there's parking down the street. put it on your brunch list now.

saz - burgersnbikinis xx

i've been to contessa twice now and definitely recommend it. friendly staff always makes us feel like a regular and the food is fantastic.

loved the corncakes & chicken parmigiana, also make sure you leave room dessert and order the nutella french toast.

they make an adorable froggicino (babycino) for the kiddies and is licensed, if the adults are after something a little stronger than caffeine. fantasticplaceto hang out.

it’s absolutely no surprise how aplacethat is something of an icon in the balmain cafe scene has outlasted so many prime ministers these past 14 years!

you’re greeted by connie, who’s like the big mama of the premises, every guest that steps in whether she knows you or not is welcomed like family with her cheery disposition. coupled with the meticulous detail from manager, andrea - it’s a formula for success.

the casual cafe / restaurant “brings a slice of new york" to the urbanites of balmain, full of life as it hosts a mix of local area workers, students and families. the menu is inspired by owner, marco’s italian roots and passion for travel.


spicty chipotle beans & chorizo - on toasted organic sourdough with fried free range eggs, guacamole and fresh tomato salsa. so filling and a larger portion than i thought it would be. i liked the bean:chorizo ratio in this.

seasonal fruit salad was great. the fresh bursts of juicy orange, apple, strawberry, rock melon, orange bound together by dollops of natural yoghurt, topped with berry compote and drizzles of coconut shreds!

short black & seasonal fresh fruit frappe beautiful intermission drinks of hot and cold weaved in throughout the two stunning dishes.

i was not expecting it to be so busy on a monday and there was a constant stream of people couples, groups, takeaway offers with people hanging out the verb waiting for their orders! that speaks volume and says to me that this is definitely a must-see if you’re ever in the area!

contessa balmain has been in balmain for 24 years and 13 years under the current owner. what i notice first is the incredible friendliness and hospitable nature of the owner and staff. truly felt welcome and had a fun time! that really makes for a great atmosphere. i'm a rarity at giving a 5 for a cafe, but this deserves it. theplacehas had a recent reno and styled much like the city cafes with the bronze pipes and hanging lights and little green flowers in vases on the table.
the menu is extensive and has 4 icons to highlight the menu, cocktails, good, coffee. starting with a cocktail (we are on holidays :), ordering a bloody mary and a bellini mimosa, what an awesome start to the day! sort of feel like we're in nyc! in regards to food, we took some advice from the staff and went for the nutella brioche, corn fritters and breakfast burrito. though you could order eggs, burgers, pastas and more if that takes your fancy.
the breakfast burrito was a huge wrap filled with scrambled egg, chorizo, cheese, sauce and topped with guacamole, this was great! also shared the corn fritters, which were less doughy than most places, which is a good thing. you can actually taste the corn kernels. we chose bacon to accompany it, though you could get salmon or chorizo if you like. then the mother of all sweet things, brioche french toast with nutella, toasted oats, coconut and this was insanely amazing. i'm not normally a fan of french toast as it's too eggy, but this was just right. although i might need to run around the block a few times to work it off, it was worth eating! i then also got a little 'froggacino'. what is this, you may ask?? but a baby cino that looks like a frog! i loved it, even as an adult. all round topplaceand thanks for great service!

busy coffee shop. located on darling st, thisplaceis always busy with either people getting takeaway coffee or sitting down to eat. it’s quite a small cafe but very open, tables spill into outside.