Leave your phone at home, for a digital detox over a decadent meal at Contact Bar & Kitchen.
It turns out food tastes even more delicious when you eat it hot as soon as it arrives, without the distraction of snapping photos on your phone first. Meander down Crown Street to Woolloomooloo to find the tucked away gem that is Contact Bar & Kitchen.
Like many restaurants, you’re first greeted by a friendly host on arrival. The difference here though is that in the next instance, they’ll proceed to secure your phone away into a locked box for the night. That means no texting, no Instagram, no food snaps. Nothing.
At Contact, they endeavour to bring the sociability back to dining. No distractions, just pure presence as you eat your carefully prepared meal and enjoy a hearty laugh with your companions. Sounds idyllic, right?
Inspired by growing up in a tiny Italian town with a slow pace of life, owner Markus Stauder emulates this in his intimate dining space.
“We wanted to create a charming space, where people could be comfortable and relax, away from their busy lives and constant distractions. Together with our chef, we have brought this to life through Contact’s inspired and varied menu, warm, inviting interiors and location. From the moment they enter, we want people to connect with every aspect of the Contact experience.”
Contact Bar & Kitchen is an all day dining affair with breakfast, lunch and dinner menus available. On the breakfast front, you’ll find all the typical crowd pleasing suspects, including avo on toast ($15), the classic bacon and egg roll ($8) plus a few thought provoking takes on originals, including a Japanese egg and chicken roll, featuring the likes of katsu chicken, soy scrambled eggs and miso aioli ($10).
Book in for either lunch or dinner and you can expect the similar intermingling of contemporary Australian and Japanese influence. It features dishes such as the Kingfish tartare with green apple, cucumber and yuzu ($22). The dish comes with just enough freshness and bite to whet the palate and leave you wanting more. To follow, a decadent parmesan tartlette with mushrooms, slow cooked egg yolk, kumera and truffle. The earthy flavours and rich creamy texture will leave you only wanting more. Another dish you wont be able to resist the Tomato cappelletti, the little pasta bites surrounded by a smokey mozzarella broth that is so moreish.
Sweet tooths will be delighted to spot the arrival of dessert; a chocolate hazelnut tart served with Madagascar vanilla whipped cream ($14) or if that doesn’t take your fancy, perhaps the raspberry mousse with fresh strawberries and white chocolate will ($14).
You will soon forget your fingers are itching to get your phone back once you start digging into the thought provoking and refined flavours dished up at Contact Bar & Kitchen.