Overview
Tucked away on the ground floor of the fancy QT Sydney boutique hotel is Parlour Lane Roasters. Fitting in with the hotel's lavish theme, it's a Euro-style cafe by day and aperitivo wine bar by night. Situated on the busy thoroughfare between George and Pitt Street, they've recently introduced a new menu, bringing back the cult classics with a QT twist.
Engulfing you immediately in what seems like another age and another city, the decor is elaborately gothic with art deco features; shiny lifts in the corridor take you up to the flashy hotel and the entrance to the beautifully restored State Theatre is next door. Opening at 6am, early morning businessmen can grab an Allpress coffee ($3.50/$4) or a bacon and egg roll on brioche ($6) en route to the office. Slightly more naughty are house made apple & walnut muffins ($4) or baked ham and cheese croissants ($6).
For those with a little more time on their hands, or perhaps taking some respite from serious shopping therapy, the vamped-up menu has many appealing options. Lunchtime offerings include a classic tuna sandwich ($9), an iconic chicken baguette ($9) and an old-fashioned Reuben ($9) - served on a brown rye roll along with corned beef and sauerkraut, it's the perfect spreading of a seedy mustard that seals the deal with this version. Of course no cafe menu is complete without a burger: both the Parlour Lane beef burger ($12) and chicken burger ($12) will hone any meat lovers appetite. Winter warmers include minestrone soup ($6), rigatoni sausage ($16) and a hearty lasagne ($17).
Come evening time, the broad drinks list and bar snacks menu present the ideal opportunity for theatre-goers or CBD workers to have their post-5pm tipple. The European essence continues to shine through here- with eight negronis ($14) to choose from, as well aperitifs such as ouzo ($9) or a limoncello digestif ($9). The prosciutto plate ($15) is a superb partner to these drinks - a drizzling of lemon oil cutting through the richness of the creamy mozzarella and thin prosciutto. Wine quaffers will be pleased with the extensive list: a Stony Rise pinot noir ($12) goes quite well alongside the cheese board ($17). For the beer drinkers, why not tuck into some salted pretzels or wasabi peas ($6) and wash it down with an icy cold Peroni ($7)?
Parlour Lane certainly has spruced up this side street thoroughfare - utilising the best of this position, the hustle and bustle of Sydney CBD might just be outside, but this cosy little nook is the perfect respite.