You will find dancing croissants, delightful food and fedora-donning locals sipping on Spritzes if you happen to head to 118 Queen St, Woollahra. That’s because Cafe Cressida – a casual café and restaurant by chef Phil Wood and wife Lis Davies, the team behind the award-winning Ursula’s Paddington – is now open inside the Musk Stick-pink Queens Court building. Named after the couple’s three-year-old daughter (and found in her favourite building), Cafe Cressida is open for brekkie and lunch seven days a week, as well as dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. No bookings, walk on in. Dancing croissants are also welcome.
The duo worked with Sydney-based designer Larissa Leigh to bring their vision to life, drawing inspiration from the “many wonderful courtyard and terrace cafés and restaurants that make Paris such a beautiful place to visit,” said Wood. The sunny, mostly outdoor space features striped awnings, colourful chairs, pops of greenery and a touch of whimsy.
The menu is thoughtful and straightforward, featuring pretty-to-look-at dishes executed with local, quality produce and a fine-dining chef’s palate. A fresh selection of baked goods is always on offer, such as Iggy’s sourdough, golden croissants and salted choc-chip cookies. Bigger morning dishes include caramelised French toast with whipped cream, banana and crisp bacon; the Mediterranean breakfast plate with a boiled egg, falafel, hummus, ham, cucumber, radish and tomatoes; congee with shredded roast chicken, peanuts, chilli and fried bread; and a full English-style breakfast starring LP’s parsley and pecorino sausages and the usual suspects.
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Dropping in for lunch? Choose from crab and chilli spaghetti; prawn and mango salad; raw tuna with avocado, edamame, cucumber, radish and soba noodles; a roast chicken sambo with walnuts, celery and mayo on brioche; a cheeseburger and more.
Fresh juices, coffee by Genovese, a selection of cocktails, Australian and French drops, plus local beers make up the drinks menu.
Having previously been home to Bills, Caffe Agostini’s and Luxe, Cafe Cressida’s location is pretty special. And we think this iteration is pretty special, too.
And if you feel like something sweet, Wood has also recreated Margie Agostini’s orange cake – a deliciously moist and fragrant cake, formerly on the menu at Caffe Agostini’s – which we hear long-time locals are ordering with gusto.
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