It almost feels wrong to label the Emporium a mere restaurant. Because it’ really so much more: a two-floor, 150-seat eatery with indoor/outdoor seating, a wine bar, a bakery and an onsite coffee roastery with a 25-kilo monster of a German bean machine are all right here. The space boasts three separate dining areas, two being alfresco.
It's the fanciest digs for a business lunch in Parramatta right now, and if you're iron levels are feeling low you'd be making a good decision by ordering the London broil, a confusingly named steak preparation from Canada. The tender strips of marinated beef cut across the grain arrive perfectly pink and juicy, with a good amount of chew - this is not the time for flimsy wagyu. Super fried potato blocks help mop up the sticky jus, and sweet onions pal down with rich, savoury Brussels sprouts that have been cooked with lardons for that extra fatty flavour that goes so perfectly with brassicas.
The fare overall is modern Australian with a hint of Mediterranean flair, all complemented by a kind of faux-Italian grotto interior. It's a buzzy addition to the burgeoning Parramatta food scene from John and Sam Ayoub, the duo behind the successful Coffee Emporium chain, and the kitchen is helmed by Robert Cannon, formerly of Pony Lounge and Dining in the Rocks.
