Bert's Newport
It took one train, two planes, and four Ubers but, I made it to Sydney in one piece! After a failed attempt at locating the ride share pickup zone, I settled into a cab and headed towards the city center. I was exhausted from the journey but, I was determined to defeat the jet-lag.
After a scalding hot shower (to wash away the grime of a 14-hour flight), I was ready to be see Sydney. Charlotte met me at the coolest spot in Newport – Bert’s. She recommended the spot, and after extensive stalking – I deemed it worthy. We grabbed a coffee outside and joined the throngs of people milling around the exterior dining area. Soon, the heat overwhelmed us, and we began to perspire at an alarming rate. We swiftly moved indoors, where the air-conditioning was pumping, and the cocktails were flowing.
Since Charlotte and I both spent a substantial amount of time working and living in Italy, we decided to start our day off with an Aperol Spritz. I will dedicate an entire post as to why I am so obsessed with this particular cocktail but, for now I will just say it was delicious! After two Aperols, we moved to our lunch table. We sat at a cute albeit, tiny table for two overlooking the bar area of the restaurant. Bert’s is famous for its cuisine and its atmosphere – and I honestly couldn’t tell you which aspect I enjoyed more. The service was impeccable, and the food arrived swiftly. We ordered lemon thyme marinated anchovies with fried bread and black pepper. If that isn’t enough to get your mouth watering, I don’t know what is. FRIED BREAD people, FRIED BREAD. The salty, savory combination was to die for. We were so enamored with the sumptuous spread that we almost forgot about our Prosecco! The Anchovies went quickly and before we knew it, we had started in on the fish dip. Lunch was absolutely divine. As soon as we left the table, we felt like we were floating.
We ran into friends of my friend back around the outdoor dining area and joined them for another beverage. When their company became exhausting (sorry friends of friends) we moved back inside for a final cocktail. I ordered another one of my all-time favorite concoctions – the espresso martini. The bartenders made it to perfection. Unfortunately, it was responsible for me being unable to sleep hours later – pretty sure it was worth it though.
In summation, a trip to Sydney is not complete without visiting the Northern Beaches. Namely, Newport and the shining star they call Bert’s. Check them out @bertsnewport on Instagram.