Monte Alto Eatery & Bar

This place is the best kept secret of Crows Nest. The coffee is always excellent and the attention to detail with their coffee and it's process is second to none. Coupled with the most passionate and helpful staff, this place is a delight.

So surprised why this place is off the radar! We had their coffee rub 12 hour pork roast and a wagyu beef burger. The pork roast was delicious, the meat was "falling off the bone" and the sauce was beautifully thick and hearty. It was served on a base of fluffy creamy mash. Oh boy, comfort food! The wagyu burger came with a charcoal milk bun, the patty was juicy and the accompanying chips were crispy and fluffy. Very simple but well executed burger.

So delighted to find this place right around our doorstep, we will be back to try their weekend brunch!

[invite] Bianca: I must say, I didn’t really know what to expect when we received an invitation to dine at Monte Alto, Crows Nest. A cafe by day and bar by night, with one of the largest collections of Whiskey and Gin on the north shore. It’s a cosy space, bright and airy during the day but I could see it transforming into an intimate space once it gets dark.

Great location in Crows Nest and close to St Leonards.
Service was prompt and I did feel slightly hurried on by the staff. They were attentive but I think it’s because the place was very quiet for Sunday brunch.
Food and drinks were all great. The big breakfast was indeed big and wholesome. Maybe having the option of a half serve would be a healthier bet.
The miso mushrooms with sweet potato spread on the toast was also great. I tried the side of coffee rubbed pork... not so hot. I couldn’t really taste the coffee influence and the pork itself was quite tasteless and chewy.
The final dish with charcoal bun was so extra with it’s pretty flowers.
Medium to high prices I think but overall great atmosphere. I would probably come back to have a drink some time

FOOD TYPE 
Pub grub/mod Austrian

FOOD QUALITY
Three of us dined midweek on a summer’s eve in January. We started with the halloumi fries ($12) and a pear and asparagus salad ($14). The halloumi fries were a nice surprise, not something I’ve had before. They were colourfully presented with a yellow mayonnaise-like sauce and a touch of rocket and tomato cubes. The halloumi gave them an interesting, salty and rather chewy quality, which we enjoyed. The pear and asparagus salad didn’t seem to have asparagus in it, just rocket, pear, a few drops of quinoa, walnuts and topped with parmesan cheese. It was wholesome and fresh, but it needed a little bit of dressing or sauce to spice it up and make it less bland. For mains, the twins went for the eggplant parmigiana ($22),and a “classic” cheese burger (i.e. a cheese burger) with chips ($14) and for moi, my fav meatballs and spag ($19). My dish was a winner that would have done the best Italian restaurant proud. Nice, chunky meatballs, well cooked but tender and flavoursome with soft pasta: Just perfect, and a decent sized portion too. The cheeseburger was smallish, but tasty and the eggplant parmigiana came with a large slice of toast which we shared around. It was all freshly prepared and clearly, only the best quality ingredients are used here. We washed all that down with a couple of ales: a dark Balter at a hefty $12 for Mel, a Golden Glow juice ($8) for teetotaller, faye faye (that’s orange, apple, carrot, apple and ginger) and something called a “Wayward Camperdown 1” ($9) for me, which I found a tad too fruity for my liking. They have an interesting selection of boutique beers, and, for the less adventurous, a few stalwarts that we’re all familiar with and love, such as Corona, Asahi and Peroni. And a varied selection of other alcoholic drinks from vodkas, rums and whiskeys to wine, champagne, brandy and hot beverages. The drinks menu is larger than the food menu.

ATMOSPHERE
When we arrived at 6.30pm, there was only a smattering of other diners. It did fill up a bit as the evening went on, at its peak probably about half full, which I guess is not a bad effort for a Sydney restaurant on a Wed night. The place is freshly decked out in a modern, white and pale brown colour scheme; no dark hues or heavy furniture here; it’s light and breezy in style, creating a perfect dining spot for a hot summer’s night. Against the far wall, is the large service counter and bar, and behind that, a creative and arty display of bottles. The atmosphere was a tad subdued though, perhaps on account of there being many empty tables. A bit of soft “mood” music may brighten things up a bit.  

SERVICE
The small contingent of wait staff are friendly, polite and super efficient. Orders were promptly taken and everything came out quickly and in the correct order. 

COMFORT
The wooden chairs were firm and reasonably comfortable, and we were able to fit all the dishes on the table, although of course there were only three of us at a table designed for four. Despite it being a warm night, it was pleasantly cool inside. 

MENU
There are separate drinks and food menus. The food menu is fairly small, but well laid out, easy to read and enclosed in a smart brown leather binder. Ditto the drinks menu, which, as mentioned, is a bit chunkier. There are exact replicas of the menu on M.A.’s website, so you can see it all there with the current prices. 

TOILET
There is just one unisex toilet at the back, but no signage within the restaurant to direct you. It’s clean and well provisioned, but one toilet for a restaurant that can seat probably about 70 people, just isn’t enough. 

ACOUSTICS
There are no carpets here or other noise absorbers and with tiled floors and wooden furniture, I imagine it could get noisy on a weekend if it got full. But for us, on a quiet Wed night, acoustics were fine and we had no trouble conversing. 

COST
With our 25% Ent Book discount (it’s supposed to be up to max $30, but they capped it at $25) we paid a reasonable $84 and that included two beers, a fruit juice, halloumi fries, a salad and three mains. That’s fair value in these times of hyperinflation when a humble cup of coffee, that once cost $1, will now set you back $4. 

BOOKING
We took the precaution of booking ahead, but it wasn’t necessary. Weekends may be a different story, especially given that this place really markets itself as a “restaurant and bar”. 

PARKING/ACCESS
There’s a council car park a few minutes walk away behind the Woolworths, on the corner of Burlington and Alexander Streets. If you’re lucky to find a spot there, you’ll be rewarded with two hours free parking. I guess being holiday time in Jan, things were fairly quiet and I found street parking nearby where restrictions end at 8.30pm, still enough time for me, but not a traffic warden in sight anyway. 

SUMMARY
We had a pleasant evening here and everything went off smoothly. M.A. has an easygoing and laid back atmosphere. Perfect for a relaxed night out catching up with the twins after their summer holiday. The food is first class and with service to match. It was cool and comfortable inside on a hot summer’s night and the nearby council car park is handy for easy parking. And thanks to Harry for promptly answering all my email enquiries. 

RECOMMENDATION
What else, but my fav meatballs and spag. 

MEMO
This is a bonus offer with your Ent Book, so you’ll need to bring your card, if you’re a member. If you book through Dimmi, you can’t get the Ent Book discount.