Southside Charmers Is Redfern's New 70s Miami-Inspired Cafe by the Bart Jr Team

While Redfern has retained a sense of inner-city grit, the area is undeniably becoming more upscale — especially when it comes to wining and dining. These days, it has a rooftop bar, a corner wine bar, a ramen joint with a line snaking out the door and now Southside Charmers: a cafe with a retro-Miami vibe by the team who brought us Scout's Honour and Morris (before selling them both) as well as local wine bar Bart Jr.

Taking over the much-loved Eathouse Diner's digs on Chalmers Street, Southside Charmers has kept with the Americana theme, but adding a fresh lick of paint and some kitschy nods to 70s Miami. The 50-seater space (with an additional 20 seats outside) is a lively, colourful and full-of-character diner.

"It's a little bit Golden Girls-y," says Southside co-owner Anne Cooper. "A very breezy, light and bright interior with a little bit of kitsch and a little bit of fun."

Kitti Gould

Opening in early April, the venue is the brainchild of Cooper and Georgia Woodyard, with Georgie Easdale in the kitchen and Ryan Butler (Restaurant Hubert) leading the front of house. As locals, Cooper and Woodyard were driven by the desire of filling a culinary gap in their neighbourhood. It's the kind of place you'll find Redfern locals rubbing shoulders with a more transient crowd on weekends — a neighbourhood go-to.

"We just look at what's missing," says Cooper. "We always want to create something that we would want to go to and where our friends would want to hang out."

Following a produce-focused ethos, Woodyard — the "kitchen queen" of the pair — has developed a fresh, flavourful menu inspired by a trip they took around Mexico a few years back and the cuisine's influence on Miami and southern Cali.

Dishes like the Pablo Rice Bowl with mushroom, chorizo, greens and egg, Woodyard's take on a Cuban sandwich and breakfast tacos of scrambled egg, smoky black beans, charred corn and roasted pumpkin are obvious nods to the Latin American influence. Meanwhile, the Eggplant Pahi Scramble and the coconut, turmeric and buckwheat granola are more in line with the duo's former cafes, Scout's Honour and Morris.

"It's not a Mexican restaurant, it's just our flavour profile for here," insists Cooper. "It's also a point of differentiation to Bart, which has more of a European palate."

Kitti Gould

As well as nourishing food, expect fresh juices, well-executed smoothies, kombucha and Five Senses coffee alongside some brunch cocktails — including espresso martinis, bloody marys and, of course, southsides —a predominantly natural wine list and some boutique local brews hand-picked by Cooper.

Currently open for breakfast and lunch (with booze available from 10am), Southside will soon be extending its hours to dinner from Thursday to Saturday, offering a relaxed, fun and boozy spot for any time of day.

Southside Charmers is located at 306 Chalmers Street, Redfern and is currently open from 7.30am–3pm Tuesday through to Friday and from 9am–3pm on Saturday and Sunday. Dinner service is expected to be open soon Thursday to Saturday. We'll keep you updated with details.

Images: Kitti Gould.