A Man and His Monkey Cafe

From the street, A Man and His Monkey looks like any other suburban cafe. But venture inside and you'll find a cosy cafe that's serving up hearty brekkies, salads and sandwiches with an Israeli flair.

We're talking a haloumi and eggplant-stuffed pita pocket, malabi — a popular Middle Eastern-style rose-scented milk pudding topped with pistachios, coconut and strawberries — and a mean shakshuka. The latter will rival those from any of the popular shakshuka joints across Sydney — and you can opt to have it with sujuk, slow-cooked lamb, hummus or labne.

Come lunchtime, order the hummus plate, which comes with pita and your choice of sides, including poached eggs or eggplant salad. There are also a range of toasties and sandwiches available, including the reuben with double-stacked house-made pastrami. Wash it down with a coffee or one of the turmeric, purple taro or chai lattes.

Images: Cassandra Hannagan