Sydney Restaurants: Twenty 8 Acres

At Twenty 8 Acres Cafe, it is passionate about serving our customers mouthwatering dishes made from high quality, local produce. Whether you’re hungry for a full Irish breakfast, house cured salmon or a muesli bowl with yoghurt and seasonal fruit, Twenty 8 Acres has got you covered. Add an espresso or a dirty chai or a refreshing wake-me-up, freshly squeezed juice for a meal you will never forget!

Cold comfort: House-coloured salmon, potato salad, soft-boiled egg and soda bread.

Jacqui Taffel

It's the chop that does it. My friend spots the photo on Twitter – a great, big chop with a soft-boiled egg on top. Who serves this protein-powered marvel for breakfast? Twenty 8 Acres at Darlington, established December 2013. Time to investigate.
First impressions are good. It's in a cosy corner nook in the back streets of Sydney Uni, with a herb garden out the front, covered outdoor area at the back, and light-filled room inside. We scan the menu. No chop. Specials board? No chop. Turns out it was a special request for a regular but any disappointment is forgotten when my friend spots the magic words "Full Irish". Others may tremble at what follows – bacon, egg, sausage, black and white pudding, beans, fried spuds and soda bread – but she is made of sturdier stuff.
I take a less daunting route, the house-cured salmon with crushed potato salad, pickled cucumber, beets and a soft-boiled egg. Coffees arrive promptly, bright, strong and uplifting with beans from Alexandria's Numero Uno Coffee, and the dirty chai (chai with a shot of coffee) is a winner.

The Full Irish breakfast.

The menu and specials board are short but make us want to come back before we've eaten anything, for black pudding hash, and porridge with blueberries and sheep's milk yoghurt. Vegetarians can rejoice with fried mushrooms, marinated haloumi and pesto on toast, and The Botanist - buttered vegies, mashed avocado, rocket and poached egg on toast.