Macleay Street Long Table made family- friendly eating in the middle of the road at Kings Cross an unexpected reality as part of the Kings Cross Festival at 10am- 5pm on Sunday October 12, 2014 with the surroundings of Fitzoy Gardens.
“At this year’s Kings Cross Festival, you’ll find our local restaurants and cafes, all in the one place!”
What comes to mind on Sunday at Kings Cross? Saturday nights could be a bit rough..maybe the occasional kebab on the way home…but if you wake up with a starving stomach, then this was the place to be. The variety of food was endless and if you were up for some wine tastings, there was the option too!
Walking from Kings Cross station, I honestly didn’t expect to see so many people around.
Surprise surprise! There was a cooking demonstration going on.
After purchasing wine glasses, 5 tastings for $15, there were a range of stalls to choose from.
Nubian Estate and their proud owner.
Batlow Cider Co had a delicious great of cider-duh. Thanks for letting me know that there are 3.5 apples in every bottle! That’s healthy, right? Or perhaps maybe too healthy?
Alcofree had an assortment of alcohol- free drinks. The packaging makes the difference, aye?
Artisans Bottega del Vino not only specialised in wine, but bread too!
I remember going on my lunch breaks around Kings Cross earlier this year and the park was pretty dead except the few office workers who enjoyed the sun when it came out. Now look at how many people there are.
Very close to the iconic fountain- ball thing was Puntino Trattoria. There were nonnas dressed in white making gnocchi at its best! Look at them go!
$12 a plate and look at the enthusiastic chef stirring dem pasta! Remember: mixed plate = misto per favor!
The absolute highlight of the festival were the long tables beneath the luscious green trees. The fantastic thing about thee long tables are that you can socialise and meet other people from your community. There were also separate tables and a bar in the space.
The favourite place the Events team at Cancer Council loved to go for lunch was Harajuku Gyoza. It’s reasonably priced and there’s gyozas with peanut butter, banana and Nutella and salted caramel. Sold. There was even a lady dressed up with pink hair! Sold.
Overall there were a few taste testers here and there but the majority if food was $6 a plate. It’s so good you end up trying everything! Most of it is small little eats like tacos…
Sweethearts rooftop sold their delightful beef brisket sliders and salads for only $3 each.
Towards the back side if the festival, there’s some space to play giant chess.
And to generally chill.
At this side of the festival, there were stalls aside from food such as knit wear, bank stuff, pet food, games and a book shop.
Did I mention there was a farm too? It was crowded! There was a $5 entry fee but the animals looked so cute! Check out the fluffy chicken!
The stalls mentioned above were only a few I stumbled upon. Is could be worse than deciding at the Night Noodle Markets! Here, it’s cheaper and he portions are designed to be small enough for you to go through courses and courses! Who doesn’t love a long lunch?
Rating Review: (1-5, with 5 being exceptional)
Event (Kings Cross Festival): 4.5/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Service: 4/5
Value: 4.5/5
Would I recommend going to Kings Cross Festival next year? Are you a foodie? Or perhaps a wine lover just generally in the area? The eateries in the Kings Cross area have congregated to deliver the best of the best all at the same time for a celebration of food and fun.
Highlight: I haven’t seen long tables at food festivals before! It’s been mostly chairs and tables, or even funky chairs. Despite the lack of greenery around the area, the organisers have thought this one out! I also love the smaller eats from all the vendors. I love trying everything!
Suggestion of improvement: there were so many stalls I couldn’t believe how much of a community the people around the Kings Cross Area brings! I think everyone was heaps together but perhaps too together and it would’ve been better if there was more space between the tents- particularly around the food areas because it was a good squish!
Link: http://www.kingscrossfestival.com.au/
Occurs: Annually
Official hashtag: #kingscrosscolour
Angela Bee
The Walking Advertisement 