“It’s all a bit Phantom of the Opera in here isn’t it” we say to each other clocking the dramatic curtains, candles, gilt chairs, and chandeliers. Con te Partiro is reaching a crescendo when we walk in and it feels a bit like we’re visiting a movie set (or a Paddington boutique). It’s been a dramatic night already for Miss America who, unable to find our house, has walked from his house in Potts Point to Kingsford only to call us admitting he was lost. Queen Viv, notorious for losing her way, is running half an hour late and Mr NQN and I are just happy to be out of the rain. Queen Viv and I are having a combined birthday and all signs point to drama which is par for the course when we dine out together (and admittedly why dining out together is so much fun).
Agapé is said to be the Ancient Greek word for a) god’s unconditional love for us or b) a pure selfless love of one person for another or c) a love feast shared as a sign of love friendship. Menu items are organic, sustainable, biodynamic and natural but at reasonable prices. They also make use of ancient grains such as spelt, amaranth as well as quinoa. Having a look at the menu, no dish reaches over $30 for a main and we suppose that the location, somewhat far flung in Botany and not in amongst any other eateries of note helps to contribute towards the reasonable price. The wine list is made up of organic and biodynamic wines.
Marinated olives with fennel, garlic and rosemary $5.50
As we’re waiting for Queen Viv to materialise, we nibble on some lovely warm olives which are richly infused with garlic, rosemary and fennel. Minutes later Queen Viv strides in “I blame Whereis!” she says. “I’ve been around this block three times already!”
Croquettes $15
We order quickly and mercifully we don’t have to wait very long before our entrees arrive. We take a bite into the croquettes which are fabulous crunchy on the outside with panko like breadcrumbs and soft on the inside with coarsely minced ocean trout and herbs. There’s a squiggle of aioli and pieces of tomato on top.
Meatballs $14
Miss America’s favourite is the meatballs which are firm and meaty and sustaining on this cold evening where only a hug from a meatball will do (I’m convinced meatballs could substitute for a burly, affectionate man on a cold, lonely night).
Moroccan lamb, cherry tomato, mozzarella, parsley & lemon $25
Agapé are said to be known for their spelt pizzas so we were curious to see what they were like. Our table ends up being a bit of a balancing act owing to the fact that we are sharing everything and they hoist the pizza up on a metal prop. The pizza crust is super thin and in the centre a little soft but the topping is great with distinctly Moroccan spices and tender lamb shavings combined with cherry tomato, mozarella, parsley and a wedge of lemon we squeeze on top. We can imagine coming back for more pizzas.
Roast chicken, ‘coleslaw’, pancetta and roast potatoes $29
We were craving roast chicken due to the weather and drama of the night (comfort food and all that you do understand) so whilst we wouldn’t have necessarily ordered roast chicken normally, it suited our needs well. The chicken confit is flavoursome and soft (said to be from Angus and Sonya Dowling’s farm in Southern NSW) and is accompanied by a crispy stick of pancetta and lovely roast potatoes. The thinly sliced coleslaw is redolent with fresh herbs and dressed with a light creamy dressing.
Slow roasted pork belly, crushed potato, spring onions, pear and sage $30
The Pasture Perfect Organic farm 100% pasture raised Berkshire pigs (an heirloom breed of pig) comes out in three large pieces. The pork crackling is lovely and divinely crunchy but the pork meat comes out slightly on the dry side, saved a little but the fatty berkshire pork. I like the deep fried sage leaves on top.
Spanner crab and prawn rice & quinoa spaghetti $30
This dish came out last as we had no table space to speak of. It’s generous in seafood and the rice & quinoa spaghetti (which I’ve cooked with at home) is a great gluten free version. It’s a touch overly lemony which can overwhelm the delicate seafood.
Hand cut chips with homemade tomato sauce $9
The hand cut chips are indeed hand cut but they need more frying as they’re mostly soft. The tomato sauce is kept slightly chunky.
Sweet corn, olive oil, sea salt and butter $10
The adorable mini corn cobs are cute and sweet in flavour and we enjoy eating these with our hands (except for Queen Viv who uses a knife and fork).
Pear & almond cake, roasted pear ice cream, vanilla syrup $15
Miss America chose the pear and almond cake and I lean over and help myself. It looks like a split muffin but it is softer and finer textured than a muffin. The roasted pear ice cream is delicious and unusual, it would be hard to pinpoint flavours if you didn’t know it and it goes beautifully with the warmed cake.
Chocolate spelt brownie, almond praline, chocolate sauce $16
My choice was the chocolate spelt brownie which was pretty much like a regular brownie, crispy on top and soft on the inside. There is a generous slick of chocolate sauce and a large scoop of thick cream on top which some light almond praline crumbs are scattered (some more would have been great as there wasn’t any crunch from them).
Spelt blood plum & apple pie, vanilla ice cream $16
Mr NQN and I ended up doing a swap as I love the aroma of warm apple pie and ice cream and I eat every single bite of this. Along with roast chicken, this also spells comfort food to me.
Affogato, vanilla ice cream, espresso, biscotti & frangelico $18
I don’t try any of Queen Viv’s affogato but she tells us that it’s made with very good coffee and ice cream.
Comforted and consoled with food we make our way out. Con te Partiro is playing again and reaching a crescendo as we leave.
So tell me Dear Reader, what food spells comfort to you?
Agapé Organic Restaurant and Bar
1385-1387 Botany Road, Botany, NSW (corner of Botany and Bay Street)
Tel: +61 (02) 8668 5777
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42 Comments | Add your own
Mmmm the pizza looks good!Porridge is my comfort food
Even the smell of it makes me calm and cozy 
You always make me laugh! So you say that the meatballs could be a good substitute for a burly man? Now that was funny, thank you and I chuckled to my IMac.
Olives and meatballs! That’s my kind of place!
Happy birthday! Love the sound of those croquettes
My comfort food is definitely cauliflower cheese. I make buckets of cheese sauce and when it’s baked it firms up a little but is packed full of cauliflower. Even a friend of mine who’s not fond of cauliflower cheese had two helpings. It would probably be easier to just rub the cheese sauce on my thighs and be done with it though!
Although, I have recently found a new comfort food which I adore. Our local Thai restaurant does a gorgeous chicken choo chee. It’s beautiful flavours, warmth and surprise hit a minute later from the chillies makes me feel great.
oh my – what a wonderful array of eat! I am particularly sold n that spelt pizza….YUM!
This place is fantastic, Lorraine! I love all the drapes and chandliers…definitely reminds me of Phantom of the Opera!
That pizza looks so unique and delicious!
By the way, sweetie, I’m glad you’re happy with your package!
(I’m still sad about the Baconnaise though.)
Comfort food for me is all about lamb shanks with creamy mash and lovely baked pies and fruit based crumbles with double cream. Not exactly diet food but oh so comforting.
Being in Sydney too I can appreciate the need for snuggly comfort food at the moment! Yesterday Husband and I busted out the slow cooker, lamb shanks, potatoes, carrots and celery with tomatoes, garlic and onion – it was wonderful coming home to a warm fragrant house – so very comforting!
Any food that’s hot and packed with carbs is generally my comfort food (in particular a huge bowl of pasta)! For extra bonus points, a bottle of wine to soften the edges
Wow. This totally looks like my kind of restaurant! Will have to make some time to visit when we’re next passing through.
Comfort food in winter for me is something like roast pork, crackling and vegies. In summer, it’s good quality gelato or ice-cream. And sometimes, breakfast for dinner is good!
I love the chandeliers!! I don’t know why, but I just adore them.
And that chocolate brownie has my name all over it. *drools*
Oh how I wish I lived in Sydney!!
Comfort food to me is carbonara, fried chicken and chocolate pudding!
All of your dishes look generous and unfussy and that unhealthy looking layer of fat and crackling is making my mouth salivate. Shame it was on the dry side
My comfort food is a big bowl of vanilla bean ice-cream and/or a glass of red wine or a cold James Squire Sundown.
YUM.
i would have to say instant noodles… :O)
love the pick with mr NQN(?) and his hands crossed behind the pasta dish heheheh
comfort food = warm apple pie with a scoop (or two) of vanilla bean ice cream and homemade pizza fresh from the oven.
This place looks fantastic Lorraine, perfect for the cooler season.
I really adore the chandelier in your 2nd and 3rd pic, very pretty!
Oatmeal with maple syrup and peanut butter, and congee. I’ve also recently come to love affogatos at restaurants
Love the quinoa spaghetti – I use that at home too, and find it quite a good sub for normal pasta. Wish more restaurants would use it!
Looks like some great winter comfort foods there! Nothing beats an apple pie and ice cream! Yum!
I wish they had this in Melbourne! It’s definitely, 100% my kind of place.
What a wonderful looking place! My comfort food is congee with salted pork and thousand year old eggs – I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and as a midnight snack!
This place is just down the road from my house! We went there in January for my birthday but had the tapas menu. I definitely want to go back and try the mains – yummm!
Comfort food for me is probably pasta or roast meats
A ham, cheese and pineapple toasted sandwich on white bread is my comfort food.
It looks like a wonderful restaurant and all’s well that ends well. I’m glad the 2nd birthday girl made it to the party. Have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Love the definition of Agape. Being a sucker for words, this is good reason enough for me to check the place out.
My comfort food is mac & cheese or shepherds pie. Both bring back super memories of my mom who now has Alzheimers and is in a home. South Africa is also in the southern hemisphere so we are going into winter so a glass of horlicks before bedtime hmmmmm.
I’m absolutely smitten by the crispy-looking slice of pancetta on top of the chicken. It looks so jaunty whilst sitting there.
Plus, I give two thumbs up for that pork belly!
Er, $10 for nothing but sweet corn is quite ludicrous. Otherwise the place looks great, I just won’t order the corn.
what a terrific name for a restaurant!
also, i love me some meatball hugs.
Funny, my cousin and I always tell each other “agape” when we leave each others presence. I thought the food looked amazing, but I would have to skip right to the ice cream, biscotti and Frangelico! YUM!
I would go JUST for the desserts there! Pizza looks fabbo too.
Comfort food, hot chocolate or pudding… lentil soup, roast dinner..
That pizza looked spectacular!! I’ve never tried a spelt crust before…
My comfort food is kind of vaguely ridiculous – peanut butter toast. It cures all ills, physical and of the heart. Today was a peanut butter toast kinda day
I love this place! Have been there twice and after looking at your gorgeous pics am compelled to go back. I stole my husband’s seafood quinoa spaghetti and I had the brownie – both were divine.
So glad you reviewed this place – I’ve been meaning to try it! Definitely going to check it out now. Thanks again!
Hmm comfort food well I have to say there is too much that I love, maybe lamb shanks with a creamy potato or polenta mash, a rich creamy risotto, spaghetti bolognaise, hearty vegie soup with fresh warm crusty bread and butter, a five hour lamb roast with roast vegies and rich gravy, or maybe a yummy dahl with marinated pan fried halumi cheese…………. Then there is desert…… maybe a super rich mocha self saucing pudding, cant go past a good sticky date pudding with a toffee sauce, apple pie with custard, or perhaps a warm chocolate cake/muffin/brownie with custard/cream/ice cream… STOP I cant go on I am making my mouth water and we live in a place where all year it is 30+ degrees and at least 70% humidity
I must say I love reading your blog Lorraine! I miss home and am currently compiling a list of places to visit for great food, but have to say a visit to Mum’s is always first – the best comfort food in the world and nothing better than sharing it with your family
Very nice birthday dinner
hmmm… looking at the apple pie photo makes me feel like dropping by McD just to get an apple pie fix now…
I like how generous the lamb looks on that pizza. I’ve developed a bit of a thing for lamb pizzas, though one I had a couple of months ago was pretty disappointing – it was lamb mince! Kept falling off.
I think my ultimate comfort food has to be slow cooked. Hot and meaty and tender. I think I’ll stop there, haha.
Agape looks like a nice place to visit…I’m adding it to places I want to go to when I get the money!
For me, comfort food is warm apple (or blueberry…or cherry…) pie with vanilla ice cream. Yum!!!!
The food looks scrumptious, I’d love to try the spelt pizza and brownie.
Comfort food for me is a fresh batch of Bolognaise sauce with Gnocchi and freshly grated Parmigiano. Yes, it certainly a dish that warms the cockles of my heart
We are from Melbourne and when I read your post and when I realised we would be staying close by this restaurant I booked for last Friday night with my own Queen Viv and husbands. We loved the food and ordered according to your blog. The owner had no idea that you had written about him and when I told him about the website he immediately looked it up and was thrilled with your photos and write up. We were very impressed with the food, the service and the staff. Thank you for your website. We would love to see you do some reviews in Melbourne.
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