By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
If your local brunch spot still thinks a bacon and egg roll means a soggy bap and bottled sauce, it’s time to drop them a Google Maps pin and direct them to District Eatery - a gorgeous new eatery in Sydney’s Gladesville, that is rewriting the suburban cafe playbook - one chilli-oil-drizzled prawn scramble at a time.
Siblings and hospitality power duo Ben and Emily Calabro - best known for their work at Pyrmont’s Quick Brown Fox and, more recently, pasta bar Rosa - are behind the project. They have come full circle, returning to the neighbourhood where they both grew up, played soccer at nearby Monash Park and spent numerous nights sprawled on their first coffee shop in Top Ryde’s Shopping Centre out of utter exhaustion.
Except, instead of the cliche cafe dishes of decades past, this time round District Eatery is delivering a dressed-up shout out to the suburbs of their youth - spotlighting a killer combo of pressed croissants and comfort-meets-cool kid vibes worthy of a city crowd.
Walk in and you’ll clock the details first: floor-to-ceiling windows that welcome the sunlight, a handmade concrete bar that begs for a coffee photo op, terrazzo flooring that feels fashion-forward but not fussy and a glossy burgundy tiled wall that plays nicely with the cafe’s earthy ceramic ware and black steel ceilings.
Designed by JSLJ Architecture, the fit-out toes the line between industrial edge and polished poise and is the kind of space you want to linger a little longer.
However, as good as the space looks, the all-day menu - helmed by ex-Aalia talent Daniel Grey - is what really cements District Eatery among the Harbour City’s best new brunch haunts. Daniel, Executive Chef across all three Calabro venues (Quick Brown Fox, Rosa and now District), brings a refined edge to Aussie classics.
The bacon and egg roll gets a glow-up, reimagined in a buttery pressed croissant with melted fontina and a slather of Kasundi ketchup that’s smoky, spicy and subtly addictive.
The chilli prawn eggs come dressed in crunchy chilli oil and flying fish roe and pack a solid pre-pm punch on the plate. While the hotcakes arrive like edible art: stacked with roasted rhubarb, macerated strawberries, almond crumble, a generous pour of strawberry syrup and a scoop of housemade vanilla ice cream that melts just slowly enough to convince even the most committed Intermittent Faster, that "yes, breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day.”
Lunch doesn’t take a backseat either. The prawn linguine is a nod to their pasta bar roots, while both the crumbed field mushrooms and the cauliflower salad offer enticing plant-based options. Alternatively, if you’re craving comfort, the fried chicken burger - complete with maple bacon and a cheeky hit of ‘Big Mac’ sauce - makes a convincing case for skipping a fast feed for something a little slower.
While District Eatery could comfortably hold its own among the slick CBD set, it’s not trying to be a cookie-cutter cafe in an already crowded field. Instead, this place pulses with something more intimate: heart.
The Calabros have built a space for their tribe, many of whom have followed their hospitality journey and watched them go from working long 80-hour weeks to running multiple venues with a loyal following.
"There’s something very special about returning back to Gladesville and bringing a concept that we wished we had growing up,” says Ben. "Every detail of District Eatery has been carefully considered to create a comfortable space for locals to enjoy and spend time together. To open this venue in our home suburb, for the community we grew up in, means the world to us.”
You feel it - from the way the staff know half the customers by name to the mix of young families, creatives and retirees soaking up the space over slow coffees and salmon toast.
They’re also offering exclusive hire for events - a clever nod to their evolving role as a collective hub. So, whether you’re in it for the croissants or the connections, this is the kind of neighbourhood cafe that so many will be keen to quickly claim as their own
District Eatery is open 6 am to 3 pm on weekdays and 7 am to 3 pm on weekends.
