At the risk of telling you my exact age it has been decades since I was last checked in by a bouncer outside an establishment. Although I should add that I only went to establishments that had bouncers when I was a teenager and therefore it was more exciting to get in when you were let’s say technically under the age limit. Ahem… so where was I?
Oh yes in Double Bay, a place otherwise known as Double Pay where the latest criminal installment involved the theft of expensive flowers from a restaurant by a Louis Vuitton bag carrying, BMW driving Darling Point resident. I was whispered the name “Mrs Sippy” by dining companion Beau mistaking it for a place called “Mississippi” which got me all excited because I thought that it served food from America’s south. Not so said Beau but it had good food nevertheless and was one of his favouritest, newest places. And a bouncer whom I had mistaken for another guest (albeit a burly one-I am so out of touch with the clubbing scene) has just lead us the few metres to the restaurant area where we are shown to a table. There are no bookings at Mrs Sippy but we figure eating early-ish helps in this regard. And from the crowd gathered around it’s already a local haunt for Eastern Suburbites.
The decor is exposed brickwork, vintage looking Chesterfield banquettes on one side and nothing else really to note in terms of decor apart from a curious ceiling made up of slender slats of wood with one end looking like it has been dipped in red paint -and ghoul that I am I think of dripping blood (although non ghoul Mr NQN does too).
Crispy skin pork belly, spiced apple, mustard fruits $18
The menu has smaller bites all around the $20 mark such as salads and sandwiches (the tuna nicoise apprently flies out the door during lunch) and the mains never hit over $29 which is refreshingly at odds with Double Bay’s other name of Double Pay. The crispy skin pork belly is perfectly cooked-the lid a satisfyingly crunchy shell atop a soft, melted gooey base. The spiced apple is a puree and the sweetened jam like mustard fruit the ideal accompaniments to the pork.
Assorted sashimi, seaweed salad $21
The sashimi comprises of four slices of salmon and four slices of kingfish. It comes with a fantastic finely diced ginger which gives it a lovely heat and warmth with a touch of cider vinegar. I actually prefer it to the pickled ginger that you get with sushi and sashimi as there is a real warmth to this. And Mr NQN also likes the wasabi given too.
Crumbed veal cutlet, Jerusalem artichoke and green beans $29
Out of the two mains I was more taken by the dinosaur sized crumbed veal cutlet. Crumbed foods are such a treat and this is coated in fine, crunchy breadcrumbs and then pan fried and served lovely and pink inside. The jerusalem artichoke puree is fine and silky and the green beans provide a soft bite back.
Blue swimmer crab linguine, garlic, chilli, lemon, mint $26
This was Mr NQN’s favoured main as he liked the spiciness. To me I think it could have used a bit more garlic and less mint and I wasn’t as taken with the crab meat in this.
Broccolini $8
I suppose if you had ordered the veal cutlet you wouldn’t need to order the broccolini but since we had the pasta we did. There were four heads of nicely cooked and seasoned broccolini served in an enamel plate and we eat everything on our plates. The bread too was served on an enamel plate and whilst this is very on trend, I don’t know if the enamel plates really suit the decor or clientele.
Bannoffee banana split $12
The dessert menu promises many teas including some detox varieties. We bypass those (detox after Christmas please! 
) and go straight for the sweet goodies. A bannoffee sundae is ordered because whenever we see anything bannoffee we have to order it. It comes out on a plate, not a banana split dish, and isn’t particularly bannoffee like. There is caramel sauce and chocolate sauce and some hazelnuts and cream and it’s not bad although a couple of thing could really make this a brilliant idea. And as you can imagine it gives me idea of making my own version!
Dorset drum cheddar $5 and Petit Munster wash rind $5 served with lavosh crackers
I don’t recall ever seeing cheese on a menu for this reasonable a price and when the brulee or lemon meringue pie weren’t really calling to us, we opted for the cheese. I love a good cheddar and this is thick and rich and this is a small farmhouse cheddar cheese from England so called because it is sold in a drum shaped box. The Petit Munster is named after the Benedictine monks (munster meaning monastery) and has a slight blue cheese hit to it. They are paired with lavosh crisps, slightly warmed slices of nut bread and poached pear dices which are rich in spices like star anise. All in all a surprisingly reasonable night out in an end of town where we didn’t expect it.
So tell me Dear Reader, what do you do on a night out? Go to clubs, bars or restaurants or stay at home and have dinner parties?
Mrs Sippy
37 Bay Street, Double Bay, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9362 3321
http://mrssippy.com.au/
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45 Comments | Add your own
A suburb in desperate need of a lift and some good, reasonably priced, eating establishments. From your photos the locals are loving it too.
Once I saw the pork belly, I was in! I go out to restaurants on nights out – no dishes afterwards.
Typically I like to make dinner for a few friends and have a few bottles of nice wine. The only real social occasion around here is Twin Peaks Night….
I really do need to make an effort to get out more. Park City has some wonderful restaurants. I’m just lazy I guess..
Hee hee, I hardly ever go out on the town, and when I did, a group of Mummy Bloggers got hopelessly lost in the middle of Melbourne. We were reduced to calling, texting and twittering madly for help, and even accosting strangers for directions. Finally we stumbled upon what looked like a disused warehouse, and it turned out to be a way-too-cool club. A very good night was had by all, but I went home way earlier than all the other Mums. I heard there were a few sore heads and many sore feet the next day!
oh my – this all looks so tasty!
I love dinner parties!!!!
A night out???? What’s that? It has been so long since I had one I can’t remember. But I do love to cook for my family so all is not lost.
Stay at home and revise. T_T And then spend 40 minutes watching dramas.
It’s not often I see a veal cutlet on a menu and if I did, it would be my first choice. So glad you appreciate.
Hmm, a bouncer at the front door of a restaurant… that is something new for me!
The assorted sashimi platter looks so delicious. I can’t wait to see your remake of the banana split
I love a good dinner party – especially when I’m the one hosting it
also like going out to restaurants, and smaller bars (the type with good drinks, small bites and music at a volume I can have a conversation!)…..does that make me sound old?!?
The pork belly and crumbed veal look delicious! Surprisingly, the broccoli looks really appealing too – I don’t often order sides!
I live around the corner and was so excited when this place opened, but the food is just not that good. I’ve been about 4 times now, hoping they will improve their act but it’s average only, which is fine if it’s cheap but it’s not. Fine for a glass of wine but would not bother eating there when the Sheaf is so much better.
I love the name and the size of the crumbed veal cutlet. Phwoar.
If it has the word ‘bannoffee’ in it, I’m totally there!
Ooh, yes – cheap cheese indeed!
It’s sad to say that I declared myself too old for clubs and the like quite a few years ago and I’ve not yet hit 30.
I much prefer a nice dinner or entertaining friends at home. Staying in and watching movies is also high on my list at times.
Lorraine, I can’t wait to see what you do with a bannoffee sundae! Last xmas I tried to make individual bannoffee pies in small bowls for a dinner party but I was not happy with the end result when I didn’t cook the base. But as someone who lives alone, I am always trying to downsize recipes and feel that I suffer in this regard sometimes. Thankfully, ‘actual Nigella’ celebrates meal for one recipes when other recipes books overlook us.
Oh, what fun! Double Bay/Double Pay used to be MY shopping centre [still possessive as you can see
!] for some 35 years! Actually I find this very DB/DP in decor and the food looks E Suburbs bistroish to me. Loved the sashimi plate: good value! All else looked more than acceptable too. And, knowing the milieu and who the basic clientele would be only too well, I can even u’stand ‘the bouncer’ 
! At the moment, living in the country, dinner parties at own/friends homes are largely de rigeur, but in Sydney it would be opera, symphony, theatre, gallery receptions etc. Restaurants, too, of course – do miss the scene 
!
Love your take on this restaurant. Great, wholesome food well priced. Being in the city one can dine at differing restaurants every night, but when in the country, faced with the same fare week after week, you realise dinner parties at your own and friends’ houses are definitely the go! We have souvlaki afternoons with one Greek friend, order-in pizza nights with another…but I love to host and cook dinner parties, it is a tasty, comfortable delight x
I haven’t been to Double Bay to eat out in ages eventhough we are just a hat’s throw away… there hasn’t been much around in terms of good food aside from the organic markets every Thursday. It seems the tide has changed and that pork belly, gets me every time!
The veal cutlet looks so good, I’m so making that for dinner tonight!
I am lusting after that crab pasta. You didn’t happen to save me some, did you? Even one measly little forkful?
Lol @ Double Pay. My first job was down there. Nice area, but yeah pricey. I do luuurve the look of that pork belly
I definitely don’t do the club scene any more. I’m only 30, but recently I attended a birthday party at a trendy Surry Hills bar and felt very old and out of place!
What a great review NQN. The prices are so reasonable too for this suburb and I would have chosen the pork belly in a flash!
I like the thought of diced ginger with sashimi rather than pickled. And, I can’t wait to see your version of a bannoffee sundae! My favorite night out is dinner at a restaurant and a walk around the neighborhood.
The crab pasta… oh my looks amazing. It gave me some new pasta idea.
Hope I can re-create it. You are really great writer and it is always fun to read your restaurant review. I am not good with describing things and you do such a great job telling a story!
love your teen experience with bouncers! the pork belly and banana spilt looks so delish!
You had me at Pork Belly!
The meals look quite nice, but I agree about the enamel dishes being a bit more cafe-style, they’re a bit of a jarring note on the table. Also the banoffee sundae with just a bit more bling would have been awesome. Can’t wait for your spin on it!
I’m writing this from the Qantas club, wheeeeee! (I just thought you should know this. Travelling with Executives is fun
)
Love love love the look of the pasta, and I’m ignoring the banoffee creation
I no longer go to bars and clubs, but I didn’t really like them when I was young anyway. Give me a good restaurant any day, or night.
Can’t possibly be DECADES since you went to an establishment with bouncers, lol, you seriously don’t look old enough. Great post BTW!
The pork belly looks simply delicious, but then again I am always a sucker for it.
I also haven’t been carded for longer than I want to admit, but this is life
I love the pasta just a little bit expensive lol! I would love to try the veal and the bannoffee banana split… Yay!
These days it’s usually at home where I prefer the challenge, the food and the service. Only occassional restaurant visits. Can’t wait to see your version of Banoffee Split
Man! I haven’t been on a night out in yonks! Hahahaha.. Oh is this the area where people take home pots and even a table?! I saw the footage.. so funny!
Thats a strange thief – I know of a very wealthy businessman who is known to pinch a slice or two of bread from restaurants, while paying large amounts for the meal!
Yum! Another great meal and sadly it is dinnertime as I look at these photos and now I am so hungry! We only go out to restaurants, never clubs.
That veal cutlet does look nice…
I like to meet with friends over good food and wine–either at a restaurant or more likely, in someone’s home.
My goodness those mains look DELICIOUS!!! Cutlets, pork belly, crab. I’m starving just from looking at these photos! Nice review haha
Mmmm… the crumbed veal cutlet & crab linquine look so delicious! “Mrs. Sippy” is a great name
I like to do a bit of everything…dinner/drinks out on the town is fun, but so is an intimate dinner for 2 or even a dinner party with friends
You get to wear your slippers at the latter
I can’t imagine anything less fun than going to a nightclub
I love to eat out, especially when there’s delicious looking pork belly on the menu. Sigh!
3 Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] was only thanks to Not Quite Nigella’s review that we knew about the banoffee banana split ($12). Some more crushed nuts on top as opposed to [...]
[...] a humble banana split could surpass any childhood fantasy. I was inspired to make one when I had a banoffee banana split at Mrs Sippy.Banoffee or banoffi pies was apparently invented in 1972 by chef Ian Dowding and Nigel Mackenzie [...]
[...] check out the SMH review here and another food review by Not Quite Nigella who I think is pretty spot on as far as the food goes. (Note: As this is my first food venue [...]
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