Cafe Shenkin

Overview

Sometimes you just want a whole plate of labanne and hummus to yourself. Cafe Shenkin has been Sydney's go-to for Israeli-Australian nosh for an age, opening on Erskineville's main drag in 2007.

The beloved breakfast spot was opened by Israel-born Arie Haikin, who learnt how to make bread, cakes and pastries from his dad Tzvi in his parents' bakery in Melabis. Haikin moved to Sydney with his family at 46 and decided to open Shenkin as a means of bringing his family's incredible culinary tradition to Australia. Now Haikin's sons have taken over, continuing Shenkin's expertise in Middle Eastern food, European pastries and damn good coffee for years. Now they've expanded from the Erskineville cafe, with venues in Newtown, Enmore and Surry Hills too.

The team try to use local produce wherever they can, and everything is made fresh on the premises daily. If you're looking for an out-of-the-ballpark shakshuka, this is your go-to — you can opt for chorizo, grilled eggplant and haloumi, or pulled beef. Other favourites include the Shenkin Stack, Shenkin's infamous wraps and of course, the labanne and hummus plates — meant for sharing but 100 percent fine to have all by yourself. Served with a Mecca Dark Horse coffee, this is quite honestly one of Sydney's best breakfasts.