It’s about 7pm and the sun is still high up in the sky, as it usually is in the height of the Sydney summer – though today, its rays are soft. We’re perched at a wooden bar bench, and the windows are pulled back all the way to make way for a light breeze (and ample people-watching opportunities). We’re drinking Negronis. They're laced with a balance of sweet and bitter notes and have a citrus fragrance – and it tastes like it’s been made by someone who knows what they're doing.
We’re alternating between light and fluffy house-made focaccia dipped in a fruity, robust olive oil; a medley of ox-heart tomatoes, sweet nectarine, and creamy buffalo mozzarella; and fennel-spiked salumi with vinegary guindilla peppers. It’s bliss, and we could very well be somewhere in Europe. Except for the fact that we’re at The Wedge in Glebe – and right now, this is as good as it gets.
You probably know The Wedge, of course. The café opened in 2011, and in 2014 husband-and-wife team Cat and Davide Isola took over. Over the past decade The Wedge has gained a loyal following for its boundary-pushing breakfasts (think: ‘The Lisbon Benedict’ with a hash brown, poached eggs, baccala (cod), bottarga and chorizo; and soufflé pancakes with poached fruit, Italian custard and an oat crumble), as well as the warm service and on-point coffee (Single O). It’s very much an integral part of the community, just like those markets, and if you haven't been here for breakfast yet, we recommend that you chop to it.
In 2022, the space in front of the café became available, and the duo were ready for the next challenge, so they snapped it up. A massive renovation and glow up came next, and in 2023 the team opened for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights (and importantly, started selling booze). “The window seat just makes you want to have a drink,” Cat laughs as she tells us. We're inclined to agree.
There’s some formidable talent in the kitching pumping out European dishes inspired by the owner's heritage (Cat is Portuguese and Davide is Italian). Head chef Jack Fitzhenry has spent time on the pans at Bastardo and The Old Fitz, and he’s joined by Michelin-trained and Italian-born chef Aldo Farroni, who has Shell House and Enoteca Ponti on his CV. And while the menu will change seasonally, you can expect to find snacks like jamon croquettes with anchovy mayo and espelette pepper; beef with sourdough and parmesan; and Yamba Bay prawns with ’nuja, celery and fregola on the menu. More substantial numbers may include things like saffron risotto with bone marrow and stracciatella; confit ocean trout with broad beans, new season potatoes and roast fish bone broth; and pork cotoletta with a butter sauce, capers, lemon and sage.
You can also expect to taste produce from local businesses – from Staple Bakery to Whole Beast Butchery and Silver Street Chocolate – as well as see Cat and Davide gliding around the space, welcoming guests, chatting to locals, and promising kids they can come back for a milkshake the next day.
And that reno? It sure is snazzy, with wattleseed walls, burgundy booths, a custom-made terrazzo table and other tables the colour passata sauce. Colourful art by Davide decorates the walls and a marble bar adds elegance. It’s the kind of space you can linger over a glass of wine and a couple of snacks, or settle in for a long and blissful dinner. Just like we did.
