There’s a thriving Australian community in New York—and nowhere is it more apparent than the city’s dining scene. Want a good coffee? Find an Aussie café like Blue Stone Lane and you’re golden. Brunch? Antipodeans conquered it with avocado toast and flat whites—now on every breakfast menu. And while we’ll be forever loyal to stalwarts like Ruby’s and Flinders Lane, which did a bang-up job introducing New Yorkers to our culinary prowess (Outback Steakhouse is not Australian, people!), there’s a new bunch of Aussie-owned hotspots receiving rave reviews.
Here are some great places to check out:
BANTER
GREENWICH VILLAGE – 169 Sullivan St
This very good-looking newcomer originally opened as a café, but now offers a full dinner menu. Owned by two Aussies who met while working at iconic NYC café, Two Hands, there are plenty of healthy options, and the requisite avocado toast. Fun fact: a very well-known Condé Nast personality lives nearby, so you might get a celebrity spotting on the side.
THE FLOWER SHOP
LOWER EAST SIDE – 107 Eldridge St
It’s been variously described as looking like a 1970s living room, a grandma’s basement, and “a ‘Cheers’-type place”—so you know it’s gonna be great. The Flower Shop, owned by two Aussie expats and their American business partner, has a restaurant upstairs with a bar/lounge/pub hybrid downstairs. (And Tony Hawk—yes, that Tony Hawk—is an investor).
CHINESE TUXEDO
CHINATOWN – 5 Doyers St
Another Chinese restaurant in Chinatown? Yes, but this one is special. Opened in November 2016 and housed in a two-story former opera house, the restaurant focuses on contemporary Asian cuisine, with an Australian influence (it’s co-owned by expat restaurateur Eddy Buckingham, and the head chef used to work at Sydney eatery Ms. G’s).
COCO & CRU
NOHO – 643 Broadway
You’ll recognize the kind of fresh and healthy fare we’re used to back home. And you’ll feel even more at home with the cheeky Vegemites-as-décor. The light-filled cafe has a fantastic casual menu, with an Aussie-inspired burger or two, and is open til 9pm every night. Look out for the “Made in USA With Aus Parts” sign.
AWNY | Australian Women in New York 