Review La Paula Restaurant - Fairfield

Having been here a handful of times, and this place looking like it’s been here forever, it just does everything well and consistently. Completos is 👌

We’ve been here so many times. I can’t believe it took me so long to realise it existed. I love empanadas and always order the beef carne, ham & cheese. They come in baked and fried versions. The hot dogs are delicious too and there is a huge supply of cakes and other desserts. I don’t know why people are complaining about not getting top notch 5-star service. This is a family local cafe and the women there are very lovely but don’t be expecting to be waited on as if it’s a chef’s-hat-Michelin restaurant. People are deluded. I’m going to keep visiting there for as long as they are open.

Been coming to Paula's for over 20yrs. The empanada's are the best I've ever had, the meat is my fav. The recipe hasn't changed. Their sweets are also delicious

Delicious, authentic Chilean food. A Latin staple in Sydney for 30 years plus. Great value. Won’t find better empanadas in Sydney.

The cheese is absolutely disgusting, it does not even taste like real cheese. The food is not fresh, the pastries were old and stale. The popusas were raw with a weird taste. Completely over priced for badly cooked food. The staff is unfriendly and rude. Would never return here.

Such a great restaurant! Food was delicious and price was really good too. Empanadas and completos the best!! Highly recommended!

Love this place! Love the bakery side and the cooked food. It's honest home made meals from Spanish mums and grandmas. It's delicious. It's simple. It's worth it. Paula's special burger is 100%! The Milanesa (steak schnitzel) with salad and eggs are perfect for winter and the empanadas are a must.

Great traditional chilean food and pastry/sweets and affordable price, of you are after a authentic cuisine and quality food.

Had the Tres Leches cake, pork burger and steak burger, beef empanada and everything was absolutely delicious! Food came out hot, the meat in both burgers was flavourful and extremely tender. Very good value and excellent service from the girl that served us. Definitely will be back

Chilean desserts manage to walk that trapeze of sweet and savoury with ultra thick and gooey manjar (probably better known as dulce de leche which is its Argentinian equivalent) ensconced between flaky, almost savoury pastry in the form of chilenitos, pastry horns and the like. And Paula’s has them in abundance.

Ordering one of the top dishes on their menu ( " bistek a lo pobre" ) I was expecting a good experience but on return in some way I was given what the name of the plate means. I have to be a bit sarcastic in order not to lose composure here but the meat I was given had been stored and frozen for quite a while . Perhaps somebody would say : for the price you pay ( 20 dollars ), what are you expecting.<br/>Anyway I don't recommend this place and prefer a Mac's instead. Hopefully this will help to avoid anyone to receive the shock of their lives.<br/>On top of that. I took away some pastry which was like the aftershocks after the earthquake. I don't know where those biscuits are made from but in resume a total disaster.<br/>In resume I spent 70 dollars with not enjoyment at all. Hopefully this would help to improve their food and service.

What a great little bakery! The pork avo and mayo roll deserves a 5! So much avocado so much mayo and all seasoned perfectly! The empanadas were ok but I wouldn’t order again - beef outshone spinach and cheese. For sweets we had a huge selection but I enjoyed the custard bun the best. Return again and for the sandwiches.

Had a hankering for a lomito completo sandwich and Paula didn’t disappoint. Crucially, they went overboard on the avocado and mayo just like in Chile - although note that the completo as listed on the menu does not include avocado (the most important part in my view) so you have to pay $2 extra for it. The value then becomes suspect at $14.50 (including fries), especially as the meat and salad quality didn’t seem the best. Same with the empenadas - best casing that I’ve seen in Sydney but lower quality filling.

So, a lomito is a meat & salad roll with mustard, mayo and tomato sauce. Quantity wins out over quality, but with a side of chips and a drink for under $20, La Paula is certainly good value

HOLY GROLY THIS PLACE IS TOTALLY BUENO I GO TO THIS PLACE EVERYWEEK WITH MY NOW FINANCE AND YOU CAN GET BAKED STYLE EMPANADAS AND YOU CAN GET FRIED STYLE EMPANADAS AND WHEN I GO I ALWAYS MAKE SURE I GET ONE BAKED STYLE EMPANADAS AND TWO FRIED STYLE EMPANADAS AND NOWADAYS VECAUSE OF OUR SKY ROCKETING METABOLISM WE GET COMPLITOS AND LOMITOS AND OTHER PASTRY SWEETS TOO WHICH ARE SUPER TOTALLY BUENO TOO AND THE STAFF ARE REALLY NICE AS THEY SMILE AND ENCOURAGE AND VALIDATE MY NOT SO BUENO SPANISH ACCENT WHEN I READ THE MENU ORDER TO THEM BUT I GUESS MY ACCENT IS KINDA BUENO AS I DEVELOPED IT FROM. YEARS OF WATCHING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SOCCER ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT THERE ARE TWO BOSSES AND I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE IS ACTUAL PAULA UNLESS I AM A IDIOT BOY AND THAT IN FACT THEY ARE ACTUALLY BOTH PAULAS IN WHICH I APOLOGISE TO BOTH PAULAS <br/>

please dont classified this place as authentic chilean restaurant because is not...do this exercise so you can compare the passion and quality of a real chilean place click in santiago then look for Fuente Mardoqueo then go to photos ..and suffer hahaha ..amazing huh? now that is a lomito  and that is a chacarero....hard to believe a place open for more than 30 years dont have the passion and the desire for improvements. stick to bread making and sweets otherwise the reputation authentic chilean food is getting is very bad ....

I ordered empanada and pupusa. You couldn't choose the filling but it tasted okay. The empanada i didnt like but my friend did. So half half. They serve dessert too but i am not a fan of caramel and everything seemed to be caramel flavoured.

I love La Paula ! Most authentic Chilean food in Sydney 🇨🇱<br/>I have been going there since I was a little girl .. the empanadas de queso (cheese empanadas) and barro lucos are to die for ! <br/>They have amazing sweets like the brazo de reina and lengua de gato 🐱.. <br/>It is a humble restaurant, good service and quality food !

Will forever love coming to la Paula! It's a taste of home for my family, forever being the best! Tres leches is mandatory for every birthday and function! ❤️

As we were in the area, we stopped by to<br/>try some of their sweet offerings and baked beef empanada which i forgot to take a photo of as my husband was too busy eating it. I did get a taste but I personally found it too salty. <br/><br/>My husband had a taste of their dulche de leche cake but he is not a fan of sponge cakes which was then more for me! I liked it and thought this cake was the best out of all the items we got as I enjoyed the fresh cream and the meringue. We had this at the store as it needs to be kept in the fridge and I was worried the 45 min drive back home would ruin it!<br/><br/>To take away, we got a mixture of biscuits sandwiched with manjar and while they looked very enticing in the display cabinets when I had them at home in afternoon, they tasted dry and I wasn't a fan. I guess it would be good with tea/coffee.

La Paula might look humble, bordering on stark with tiled floors, unpretentious lines and sensible coloured walls. Their food is at the other extreme. <br/><br/>Sure the chacarero buns are plain and the beef pieces well done but there’s ample richness in the thick lashings of mayonnaise, mashed avocado and juicy beans. Be extra careful the mayo and avocado will ooze out the sides. <br/><br/>And then there’s all sorts of desserts including churros and my favourite, Brazo de Reina (Queen’s arm) the softest Swiss roll with a caramel swirl through it. You can buy the whole roll (above top left) or as individual slices.

Delicious pastries and very attentive customer service. I have been here several times and its always consistent. If you like mayonnaise then get a hot dog - they cover it in mayo.

<br/>Our next stop was just around the corner from Paula's was to Afghan & Arab Bakery. As soon as I stepped inside and saw the owner and head baker Habib, I practically squealed in delight as I had just seen him a few days earlier on Food Safari! He was as smiley and polite as he was on TV, and demonstrated to us how he baked his bread in the cavernous clay ovens that just emanated so much heat in this tiny bakery.

No doubt you will have heard of such South American food as churros and empanadas . Search a little longer and you’ll come across more than just that at La Paula’s, where you can find an entire menu akin to fast food that includes Chilean-style hot dogs, burgers and and assortment of dulce de leche pastries. If you’re not in a hurry, take a seat in the dining area where you can watch some Chilean television while you wait for your order.   Mote con Huesillo $5.50 Mote con huesillo is a cool sweet drink made by cooking sugar, water and cinnamon, barley and rehydrated peaches. It is then cooled, and after all the amber liquid is drunk, you can eat the barley and peach like I did. Lomito completo and palta $10.90 Pork meat with everything and side of fries. The everything in the Lomito completo is pork meat, fries, lettuce, sauerkraut, tomato and what appears to be, a cup of mayonnaise squeezed on top. Palta is mashed avocado, spread thickly into the filling.T he buns are toasted and are like Tip Top white.  Bought four of the pastries to takeaway, the short of it is, they were basically variations of meringue and dulce de leche. Not to say there weren’t nice, they were awesome but they tasted the same. If I had to pick just one, I’d choose the one on the bottom left to eat again. Even though the horn looks the coolest, I probably wouldn’t go for it again because the pastry was a little moist.   For you city folks, I believe there is also a Paula’s in Kensington so fear not, you shan’t go without your dulce de leche fix. Mado Cafe, Auburn Mado Cafe is a restaurant serving traditional Turkish cuisine, glass cabinets by the counter, display all sorts of sweet goods. The decor at Mado Cafe is impressive. It’s completely decked out from top to bottom with Turkish paraphernalia, an entire row of shishas, actual gilded swords and elaborate rugs. You absolutely must not go past the  Kazandibi  $5 (bottom left) which is a gloriously chewy, burnt rice dessert. It’s texture is r

One of my favourite places,  since i’ve been a little girl is La Paula . A chilean bakery in Fairfield ( now also in Kensington!) As a little kid, we would always get warm bread from La Paula for tea with delicious sweets filled with dulce de leche ( south american caramel). My favourites where always some tear dropped cookies which would just melt in your mouth ( similar to the french madeliene biscuit), when I was lucky I would get a little bag with 4 of the biscuits that was always a winner day! These are my memories of the bakery and  today I went back with my grandma ( we also got our nails done!) and we had a traditiona

La Paula is a little Chilean cafe tucked away in a discrete location in Fairfield. From the outside you would never be able to guess the vibrant and bustling eatery. The moment I stepped in, I knew I would be enjoying authentic Chilean food.  How? 1) There were customers conversing with staff in Chilean. 2) There was Chilean cable TV.  I know you are probably wondering what on earth is Chilean food, well at La Paula, its all about the empanadas!   Empanada de Pino $3.70 The Empanada de Pino is a delicious parcel of baked beef, egg, olives and onions. It was eggcellent, yes I just used a food pun and will continue doing so. In fact The Eatology will now try to combine humour and food reviews with a sprinkle of lame jokes. Completos (Hotdog with mayo, tomato and  sauerkraut) $3.50 The Completos 'completed' my meal. The highlight of the hotdog was the ...mayo. That's right this unassuming white paste was amazing, I was licking it off the hotdog. If I could just buy this mayo, I would and

I love how amazing food comes from the most average looking places. When you walk in, you’ll get distracted by the long displays of South American sweets and desserts until you realise you should probably go order first. Their menu ranges from the casual empanadas, hotdogs and sandwiches to main meals of pork ribs, tortillas and Chilean corn pies.<br/><br/>

I have had better beef empanadas, I have to admit – I think it’s more from a chunky meat perspective, whereas this meat was a little bit “grissle ‘n’ gravy” for my liking. The cheese empanada was comfort food in a pastry envelope and was suitably delicious. The spinach and cheese also fared well, departing from the normal underwhelming cheese and spinach experiences I usually have – they actually put some flavour in this one!

The chorizo in bread roll won my heart without even trying. The sausage is grilled perfectly, although lacking some spicy kicks that I was anticipating. It's more that just tasty though, with slightly crunchy surface and super juicy innards. The bread roll is the perfect vehicle for the sausage, and the special sauce makes every bite memorable. I could've downed three of these at least. If only the queue wasn't that crazy.

Paula’s Cafe had been on my list of places to visit since it had appeared on some of my favourite food blogs. Renowned for its amazing empanadas, I was eager to try out the empanadas and the rest of the Chilean cuisine they’ve got on offer. V had an errand in Fairfield today so I tagged along to check it out. We were not disappointed. I had the Lomito Completo with palta (avocado). The completo comes with sliced pork, tomato, sauerkraut and mayonnaise, served with a side of chips. A massive meal. The sauerkraut was a little overpowering so I’ll try that without it next time but the avocado was made it for me. V and I shared a selection of the empanadas, which come either baked or fried. For the baked ones, we had a beef and a chicken empanada. Both were minced and had a premium meat pie consistency to them. The chicken had olives and egg bits but I preferred the beef, which wasn’t as salty. V had one of the pastries from their selection but I was far too full. The word? Excellent empan

Afrer contemplating Peruvian at Misky Cravings, we settled on lunch at Paula's, an old school Chilean diner featuring snacks like tamales, papusas, empanadas (with some at only $3 a piece) and burgers with lashings of roast beef, avocado and mayo. We sampled all these and more, with the papusas our pick of the bunch (a stuffed pancake emanating from El Salvador, served piping hot fresh from the grill with a coleslaw side). Paula's also has a dessert counter groaning with manjar-filled delights (manjar being the Chilean version of dulce de leche i.e. caramel heaven), but we skipped it in favour of a much needed walk and sampling another Fairfield institution, the long running Argentinian cake shop La Torre, where we loaded up on all things dulce de leche.<br/>

For me, the holy grail of westie food, elusive and delicious, has always been La Paula. I had heard nothing but good things and it had been on my wishlist for aaaaaaaaaages. I’d even visited their nearby branch in Kingsford with their more pared-back menu and had some delicious alfajores and empanadas, but I knew it wasn’t the full experience. So I’ve been licking my lips in anticipation of Chilean sweets and fast food for some time now. A month ago, a group of us finally stopped in for a veritable feast of sweets, softly ensconced sandwiches and dulce de leche delights. No one left disappointed. Or hungry. Someone ordered Mote con Huesillo while we ummed and aahhed over the menu. Mote con Huesillo is a chilean summertime drink consisting of dried peach, which is stewed with sugar and cinnamon, and then wheat (cooked and husked) is added. It had a pleasant cordial-like peachy taste which was not overly sweet. I can see why many

The cakes at Paula’s are amazing and it's rare that I start my day with sweets, but I could certainly get used to it. For our “breakfast” we were able to sample a huge range of Chilean desserts – including churros with dulce de leche, torta de tres leches, torta de milhoja chilento an, alfajor de maizena.

I headed here for this month's Time Out Sydney column, and as we sat on plastic chairs in a dining room filled with gaudy streamers and Chilean flags, sinking our teeth into warm empanadas and lomitos, I almost convinced myself I was somewhere in Santiago

Service was pretty awesome and while there were a couple of hits and misses that night I would definitely return for the cauliflower milkshake and the short rib!

Fairfield is topping my list for diverse and interesting food; Iraqi , Assyrian , Lebanese , Indian/Chinese , Thai/Lao and today, we're back at one of our favourite eateries, La Paula Chilean . La Paula is a bakery-cum-cafe that seem to excel in both savoury and sweets. The video above gives you a pretty complete look at the sweets options, including brand new caramel churros, caramel sponge cake and many, many more mouth watering cakes. Today, we're having savouries. My favourite is the chacarrero , which is basically a burger with lashings of avocado, mayo and beef strips or the milanesa al pan , also a burger but with crumbed beef and mayo. Today, I stick with the plain burger , so no mayo or avocado, but of course the meat filling is beef strips. The shoe-string chips are particularly good. Walter had the 'complete' hot dog , with sauerkraut and of course, mayo and avocado. We shared an empanada , or as it's called there, Chilean pastie, with pipping hot meat and egg filling. La Pa

Heard this restaurant was the place to try Latin American food! Walked in an hour before they closed but was told that if I was to eat in I would have to hurry up, order and eat quickly once food arrived. If your trading hours are until 5PM you should serve your customers until 5PM! <br/>Looks like this is not the first post in regards to this same issue!

Lack of Customer service. Turned up to this place on the weekend @4.10 only to be told once I picked up the menu that if I was looking to order some hot food they could not cook anything for us as they closed at 5pm.. Enough said right.<br/>Not sure how these people like this run a business, but if they want to reach out and attract new customers they will need to look hard and well at other successful cafe's in areas like Marrickville or Ashfield for some ideas. Been of Latin background, I thought that this place would have be one of the nice places to visit and show off in the Fairfield area.<br/>You might want to review your open hours, especially since you need to clean kitchen early to get out of work early....

The original and best Chilean cafe place around. Been there forever and you know it's authentic when everyone inside is speaking Spanish. Love the sandwiches, completos and empanadas. Sweets are great too!!!!

Delicious. Outstanding food - excellent Chilean food - wish the one at Kingsford was just as good.

Decent price for really good food!

Delicious and authentic. Chile isn't really known for its food, but once you've had it you'll always want more of it. I've made the trip out to Fairfield several times now for the delicious food at La Paula and it's always a treat. The completos (hot dogs with mayo, sauerkraut, and tomato) are authentic and perfect and the empanadas are fresh and delicious. The bakery items are pretty decent too, but I rarely have any room left after eating my fill of the hot food. <br/><br/>Perhaps the best unexpected thing was finding the small selection of grocery items they keep. The selection is always changing and you can get Yerba Mate tea, corn masa, aji, various hot sauces, and other Latin grocery items that you'd never expect to see here. The prices are extremely good as well.