Blackwood Pantry, Cronulla: Why has it become famous?

Blackwood Pantry, Cronulla: Why has it become famous?

Blackwood Pantry in Cronulla, Sydney, has become an Instagram hotspot due to doing classic breakfast and lunch dishes with a photogenic twist.

Blackwood Pantry in Cronulla is a great example of how a café or restaurant from suburban Sydney can get cool.

This café, near Sydney’s longest beach, has built up an outsized following through Instagram. It’s the sort of place that people come to so they can take pictures of the food before eating it.

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Dishes at Blackwood Pantry in Cronulla, Sydney
Dishes at Blackwood Pantry in Cronulla, Sydney. Photo courtesy of Blackwood Pantry.

But the food quality is also good. Chef Rob Lechowicz has trained in top Australian kitchens plus Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe. And Blackwood Pantry has hit the sweet spot of casual dining with food that’s of a higher quality than your average café.

Blackwood Pantry menu

The general rule of thumb on the Blackwood Pantry menu is that it serves breakfast and lunch classics with a twist. So, instead of scrambled eggs, you get truffled chilli scrambled eggs. These come with toasted sourdough, mushy peas, lemon-whipped goats cheese, cucumber, mint and crispy shallots.

Chicken schnitzels come with fenugreek crust and lemon sorrel mayonnaise. Smashed avo on sourdough comes with zaatar, goat’s cheese, pickled beetroot and chilli. Bacon rolls come with fried egg, cheddar and sriracha and lime mayo.

Nothing is kept simple, and that’s a major part of the Blackwood Pantry appeal. It’s not just about photogenic food – it’s about experimenting beyond the usual fallbacks. There are more menu examples on the Blackwood Pantry website.

Blackwood Pantry drinks

There’s also a substantial drinks menu. Coffee is the mainstay, but there are also plenty of juices, teas and cocktails.

Blackwood Pantry has been such a success in Cronulla that expansion plans are afoot. The owners plan to open new outlets in Bondi and Sydney CBD.

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