Fountain

Overlooking the Al-Alamein Memorial Fountain at the head of Darlinghurst Road in Potts Point, and so named, Fountain is a swish and simple Australian café-restaurant-and-eatery open good an early and all day long from 7am until late – late being usually when the last of the sophisticated sippers have dispensed with the bar’s cellar selection of wine or signature cocktails like the espresso-infused Night Walker. Set to be something of a quiet storm for quality food and drink in the King’s Cross precinct of Sydney, be sure to book a table or some elbow space at Fountain ahead of time.

The breakfast menu at Fountain runs the gamut from Sydney favourites like simple toasted sourdough (with cultured butter from Pepe Saya and housemade berry jam) and classic eggs benny to signatures like the Fountain duck fat potato hash with bacon, cheddar, avo and a soft poached egg. We strongly recommend the speciality of the house, though – a plate of the creme brulee French toast is divine with a cup of coffee the way you like it and a cold-pressed juice to cleanse the palate. Offering a fresh start like this is why Fountain is a point of contact between many a Potts Point local and the morning.

Lunch and dinner ratchets up the cool and unusual with dishes like the paleo-esque Cave Man Bowl (strips of wagyu steak with brown rice, pickled carrot and radish) or the Middle Eastern and Lebanese-referencing slow-cooked lamb shoulder served with cauli and eggplant, sumac-infused yoghurt and dukkah. You can round a meal off here with the housemade dessert of the day, or go for old reliables like the New York lemon cheesecake or the vanilla panna cotta. As night falls over Sydney and Potts Point, turning to Fountain’s bar selection becomes an irresistible temptation. Nicely protected from the traffic of Darlinghurst Road and King’s Cross next to the memorial fountain that gives the café-restaurant its name, some gourmet nibbles like the fried zucchini flowers with Zoe feta or the cheese plate (lavosh, muscatels and the housemade fig paste) go down a treat with a wine, beer, or cocktail.