We could list the awards and accolades, describe the beautiful menu, recite his impressive CV, or show you enticing pictures of gorgeous food (we might still do some of these things) — or we could simply just tell you how much we love Neil Perry's restaurant Margaret in Double Bay. However, to truly appreciate its greatness, we would say: you must try it for yourself. And now, there's about to be even more to try, as the acclaimed restaurant is set to expand with all-day eatery Cafe Margaret, to open this weekend. Cafe Margaret will take the place of Perry's more casual venue, Next Door, which, as expected, is directly adjacent to the main restaurant. The venues are already connected internally, sharing certain back-of-house facilities, and now they will be further connected by their food, their vibe and importantly, their brand. Where Margaret remains the coveted fine-diner it has grown to be, Cafe Margaret, Perry says, "will be a simpler, more easygoing way of easing into the quality ingredients that Margaret uses…we wanted it to be a different price point and a different opportunity for the community to drop in", and whether its for a cake, a sandwich, a brekkie roll or quick dinner, Perry's assurance is that "we will cook it really beautifully for you." While Perry has led a slew of renowned restaurants over his many decades in the industry, it was his Double Bay masterpiece that had the honour of carrying his mother's name. When asked why he chose this venue as one special enough to bear her name, Perry explained that, because Margaret was his first independently owned venue — something truly his — "it felt like the right time to really honour [her]…the right moment to make it very personal." Perry says that while he talks a lot about the influence his dad had on his cooking style, his "mum had this incredible sense of hospitality", which was the kind he hoped to embody when opening Margaret. And now he's doubled down on the name, because this venue is where he intends to stay. "I almost feel like I've kind of retired to Margaret," he says. Margaret has proved worthy of its moniker, winning a string of impressive awards, including being crowned the second-best steak restaurant in the world. That seems like an accomplishment too big to skirt by, particularly when you consider that Margaret is as much of a specialty seafood restaurant as it is a steak house. That Perry does both so impeccably well really dispels that old 'jack of all trades' adage. Perry's new spot will feature traditional breakfast dishes, including seasonal fruit with Meredith yoghurt and hazelnuts, eggs your way, daily in-house-baked cakes, and a four-cheese toastie that Perry often cooks up for himself at home. However, Perry says he hopes it'll be the egg and bacon roll that finds the same popularity as his famous burger. He describes the smoky and tangy roll with the excitable fervour of someone who has eaten a good many of them. With a runny fried egg layered with double smoked bacon, gyuyere, caramelised onions, chipotle mayo, spring onion and rocket, Perry says he knows this one "is a cracker." And for lunch? We, and the rest of the world, all know Perry knows how to flip a burger, considering Next Door's much-loved version — a stacked combination of American cheese, onions, pickle, rose mayo and a brisket and chuck patty on a milk bun — was ranked as the tenth best burger in the world. So it's with great joy that we can confirm, straight from the source, that Perry's famed burger will maintain its central position on both the lunch and dinner menus at Cafe Margaret. And the best bit is, for the first time, you can even get them to go. Perry says he has intentionally increased the venue's capacity for pumping out burgers, noting that "instead of 100 burgers a day, we'd love to sell 200", especially with the park across the road, the perfect place to picnic. Perry has cleverly decided to expand his burger offering with a crispy fish version, amped up with gochugang and kimchi, and a caramelised onion smash burger (which he is still working on) and aims to add to the rotation in the coming weeks. If we had you at smash burger, wait until you hear about Perry's take on a steak sandwich. He says that while dinner will be for the likes of fresh grilled fish, hearty fish stews, and seared minute steaks, at lunch, he'll stuff that steak into a roll with chips and lots of cafe de Paris butter, because they are just "trying to have a lot of fun with it." An essential part of Cafe Margaret's purpose is to offer Perry's beloved customers a place to hang out from the early hours, because even though he has won many impressive awards and accolades, more importantly to him, he has won over his community. Double Bay really is his darling, and he is deeply embedded in the community, spending almost every day from 7am, until 10pm, at his venues. "Sam and I love being part of the community, and opening breakfast was an important part of that, to connect with the community through coffee and a sweet treat". This technically means you could spend an entire day drinking coffee, eating brunch and sipping a bellini, enjoying an early evening drink and snack before settling in for a truly world-class dinner, without having to leave Perry's special, sun-soaked Double Bay corner. We can think of many worse ways to spend a day. Images: Petrina Tinslay.
