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“It smells like my pop’s place,” my dinner date says after we sit down at Corner 75. We’re at the Hungarian institution in Randwick that’s been serving paprika-laced food for more than 40 years. This March, it reopened with a fresh lease on life (and a literal new lease), thanks to the team behind Marrickville’s Baba’s Place – Alexander Kelly and Jean-Paul El Tom – plus Daniel Puskas and Chris Sharp of Sixpenny. My friend says her pop moved from Hungary to Australia because of the war, and as a little kid, he would take her to Corner 75 with her dad for a taste of home.
The vibe
When Kelly, El Tom and Puskas teamed up to take over the keys of Corner 75, they called it a preservation project, wanting to pay homage to the neighbourhood icon and Australian migrant culture – similar to their work at Baba’s. At first glance, not much has changed. The windows still wear frilly, white-lace skirts. Hundreds of old photos, sports memorabilia and ornate items decorate the oxblood-red walls. A vintage chandelier twinkles from the centre. Tables are topped with crisp tablecloths.
But there’s fresh energy, partly thanks to restaurant manager Alice Tremayne, who brings a friendly, relaxed aura and years of fine-dining cred (hello, Attica) to the floor. Tonight, they’ve also roped in the excellent George Papaioannou from Sixpenny to welcome guests and take orders. They’re joined by head chef Carley Scheidegger (ex-Fred’s in Paddington) in the kitchen. Talk about a team.
The dining room is lively – and packed by 6.15pm. Be sure to book.
Some long-time regulars may have been resistant to the change (let’s face it, who isn’t?). But my date and I reckon the team have nailed it. Corner 75 is as comforting as it is exciting, with warming, hearty food, service with finesse, and a jovial atmosphere – all wrapped up in a blanket of nostalgia.
The food
Corner 75’s menu features starters, soups, mains, sides and desserts. We kick things off with langos, a deep-fried Hungarian classic that sees three golden orb-like breads arrive stacked on top of each other. Let them cool down before swiping them through chive-topped tangy sour cream and you’ve got yourself a banging indulgent snack. Next, pickled bullhorn peppers stuffed with sauerkraut bring salt, crunch and zing. We try a savoury crepe dish, hortobágyi palacsinta. The soft rolls are traditionally filled with meat, but at Corner 75 it’s slow-cooked oyster mushrooms. They’re cloaked in a sweet and creamy paprika sauce the colour of terracotta, and it tastes like cosy winter afternoons by the heater. There's chicken matzo ball soup, but we order the goulash, both of which come in mini or mid-sized bowls – clever. Here, Hungary’s famous stew features tender beef in a soup that’s savoury and earthy, dotted with onion and capsicum, though I would like a pinch more salt.
Meanwhile, the free-range Borrowdale pork schnitzel is nearly as big as the plate; its honey-toned, salt-flecked skin puffed up like a Whoopee Cushion. A wedge of lemon cuts and lifts, and the light schnitzel is even better paired with a side of Popeye-pleasing creamed spinach that has a heck of a lot more flavour than its original leaf, plus a bowl of cute nokedli – boiled odd-shaped tiny dumplings tossed in olive oil and dusted in nutmeg. My grandad’s not around, but this would’ve been right up his alley.
That’s the power of home-style food: it reminds you of people you love
Apple strudel, sour cream ice-cream and mandarin sorbet, gundel palacsinta (a crepe-like pancake) and a slice of esterházy (a chocolate and hazelnut layer cake), make up the sweets menu.
The drinks
The drinks list features drops from producers from Eastern and Central Europe – including a solid line-up of wines from Hungary – as well as local makers who share a belief in ethical farming practices. Start off with something light, like a glass of Latta sparkling rosé from Victoria’s Pyrenees, or a Bott Pince white made from hárslevelű and furmint grapes from Hungary’s Tokaj region. The cocktail list is classic and succinct, and includes a Corner 75 Martini with William Pear rakia, Soma gin and vermouth. Marrickville brewery Wildflower has created a European-style lager especially for Corner 75, and it’s crisp and clean-tasting. They brew a fresh batch every few weeks, drop it off for the team, and collect the empties to wash and reuse.
Time Out tip
You probably will anyway, but just in case: be sure to visit the serotonin-spiking bathroom handpainted by Australian artist Timothy Vernon Moore. I don’t want to give too much away (giant apples! sunflower party!), but it's sure to put a smile on your dial.