The Right Mix

Great coffee, good food, atmosphere and service are no longer enough. There's a special ingredient that makes a good café. Has Johnny's got it?

The former industrial area of Rosebery is undergoing a significant transformation. The factories and warehouses where storemen and labourers once devoured meat pies in crowded lunchrooms or under a tree in the street are rapidly disappearing.

Beautifully converted art deco warehouses and striking new developments are filling the demand for urban residential and new office spaces, showrooms and production premises.

With these changes has come the expectation of a good espresso coffee, accompanied by a fine pastry or an appetising lunch served in a congenial environment.

Johnny's Café is a new and welcome addition to Rosebery with its appealing choice of home-style food from around the world.

It fits in comfortably with its surroundings as though it's been there for years. The rich wooden fittings give a warm and homely feel.

Tastefully decorated with collectables and art which have been gathered from owner Johnny's travels, the café is a refreshing change from the cold stainless steel, tiles and glass of much contemporary café décor.

Before Johnny's of Rosebery, Johnny established its namesake in Balmain where he was a pioneer of Sydney's café scene in the early 80's. Johnny had worked extensively in the hospitality industry in Europe and Sydney before establishing this and a number of other successful cafés and restaurants. He's always presented a total package and never cuts corners.

"It's essential to get the look and feel of the place right - even down to the funky music and especially the coffee," says Johnny.

"If you want to have a great café, you must have great coffee. When I had Johnny's in Balmain, the Sydney Morning Herald acclaimed us as having one of the best coffees in Sydney," he says.

"It's a matter of getting the basics right. And nothing has changed in that respect. I know that we still serve the finest coffees in Sydney."

Lunches and snacks are light, home-styled and multicultural. Thick, chunky soups just like mamma used to make. Johnny's 'almost legendary' tomato-based pasta sauce which has been making its mark for some time is now joined by 2 additional pasta sauces - Al Pesto Genovese and Al Funghi. The South Indian coconut curry is a hot seller, and the Hungarian Lecsó served as accompaniment to a range of dishes like 'lite scrambled eggs on rye toast', or a melt of 'grilled Turkish fingers' is very popular.

Johnny's Café is an original, "You won't find many of the dishes and drinks that are on our menu in other cafés. Our cool 'Pineapple Mint Crush' is very refreshing and it goes with just about anything." says Johnny. "And the Baked Cheesecake is so light that some days we have to put a weight on it or it just floats off the counter!"

All meals and snacks are available as either eat-in (table service) or take away. Johnny's opens for breakfast early at 8:00am and continues serving the entire menu right through till 5:00pm, Monday to Friday. And Sunday its open from 8am for breakfast, brunch, lunch and more.

A good café needs good food, atmosphere and service. The missing ingredient, and what most cafés lack, is a certain style. At Johnny's it comes together in just the right mix - and it attracts the people who appreciate and contribute to that mix.