Erskineville's Got a New Community-Oriented Pop-Up Eatery

When Erskineville asks for playful Mediterranean-inspired food served in an art space, it gets playful Mediterranean-inspired food served in an art space. Erskineville’s new pop-up eatery A Taste of Things to Come is a preview of future community-oriented restaurant Erskine Villa. Doubling (tripling?) as an art space and music venue, the pop-up is open now, serving dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, and weekend brunches to loll over.

After putting it to the local community, the team came up with the Erskine Villa concept — a space built on bringing people together over good food made with seasonal produce, and a mutual love for the inner west. It sits on land once owned by a dude called George Erskine, after whom the suburb (itself originally called Erskine Villa) was named, FYI.

The menu is actually-exciting modern Australian — take the Bangalow dry-cured bacon and egg roll for example, or their twist on the classic meat pie, with braised lamb neck and mushroom, and a side of coriander-packed mojo verde. Less familiar and much more formidable sounding is the poutine with cheese curds, curry gravy, slow-cooked egg and house-made morcilla (Spanish blood sausage). The Mediterranean influence is strong with this one — unsurprising, considering head chef is Brian Villahermosa, of Kingston Public Bar and Kitchen and MoVida lineage.

It’s all a bit of a fun, flavoursome experiment for now, as Villahermosa and the team suss out how Erskine Villa will come together in the rooftop space upstairs. Keep an eye out for the upcoming program of 'concept dinners', featuring crushworthy creative and culinary talents.

And just between us, the other reason to check the joint out sooner rather than later is that A Taste of Things to Come is temporarily BYO while they await their liquor licence — from a very generous 11am onwards.

Preview Erskine Villa at A Taste of Things to Come pop-up at 63 Erskineville Road, Erskineville.