I’ve never really had a local place that I revisit. The reason probably is because of what I do and the fact that I’m always trying to find new places. But the idea of having a local sounds lovely and there is occasionally a place that you feel so comfortable and at home in and that is decorated just so that you want to go back and explore the menu more. And for friends and people that I had met, that place is The Falconer.
On Oxford Street towards the Hyde Park end, it used to be one of those cafes whose name you can’t quite remember with neon signs outside and a window-ful of cakes and a heavy sliding door. It looks as if the neon signs are still there and there a few cakes in the window but the decor has been replaced with a vintage typewriter sitting on a vintage sideboard and an reference book sits open. There are brass statues of deer and other assorted wildlife and every table has a booth for that comforting at home feel. A mix of jazz and country music plays in the background and there is a shelf full of LPs.
Petrina and I peruse the menu which is broken down into sections and a sandwich board out the front announces the special, for $20 a bowl of pasta, garlic bread and wine can be yours. The menu has entrees including terrines, scallops with prosciutto and an antipasto plate. There is a section of pastas (which smell tempting) and a meaty wintry main section plus sides and salads. The most expensive item is the beef tenderloin at $28. It is also licensed and open until midnight with many wines available by the glass.
Golden beetroot salad with spinach, crispy bacon and gorgonzola filo $16
The golden beetroot salad has soft golden beetroots, smaller than I’ve ever seen them, with spinach leaves, crispy bacon pieces and a gorgonzola filo pastry finger. The gorgonzola in the filo pastry was a bit too rich and salty for the rest and I always find gorgozonola goes well with sweeter items so it needed more of the sweet roasted golden beetroot than what there was.
Braised rabbit pie with carrot puree and micro green salad $17
The braised rabbit pie has a lovely gamey flavour to it and a soft texture to the rabbit. It is wrapped in a filo pastry which has a nice crispiness on top and sits on a creamy carrot puree with a fluff of micro green salad.
Crispy shoe-string fries with The Falconer aioli $8
Petrina and I both love fries so we order what seems to be a huge serve accompanied by a suitably garlicky aioli.
The Tom Waits – dark chocolate mousse with tobacco syrup, whiskey ice cream & meringue powder $12
We just had to try this based on the name and the description. So named after Tom Waits as he liked to drink, smoke and take drugs. The drink is whiskey ice cream, the smoke is tobacco syrup and drugs are a line of white meringue powder. The mousse is delectably good, smooth and airy and all the best parts of a chocolate mousse. The Tobacco syrup has a mysterious quality to it and certainly adds interest and the whiskey ice cream is a balanced number that rounds it off along with the line of meringue powder.
So tell me Dear Reader, if you could name a dessert after a celebrity or musician, whom would it be?
The Falconer
31 Oxford St, Surry hills 2010
Tel: +61 (02) 9267 8434
www.thefalconer.com.au
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36 Comments | Add your own
My partner and his friend used to eat here all the time when it was Aristotles, so I guess it was their “local”. Funny how they don’t go to The Falconer anymore though. LOL. The rabbit pie looks perfect for a cold winter’s night and there is a lot of fries in that serving!
This restaurant looks awesome, though more than anything my eyes were glued to the fries
Definitely I would name a dessert after Elvis – his… Unusual tastes have gone down in history and give so many options to make dessert with!!!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I do love the look of that typewriter. I’m sure my father had one when I was growing up – but it certainly wasn’t yellow. It was gun-metal grey. That dessert looks and sounds amazing. I bet they get a lot of orders from people just being curious. Was there much tobacco flavour in that syrup?
Ah, rabbit pie. I miss eating rabbit…
What an interesting presentation for the rabbit–I so love rabbit and duck that I am always on the lookout for something new to do with them. I like the idea of the gorgonzola phyllo cigar as well, just maybe on something else, as you suggested.
Cherry Garcia! Who can top that fabulous Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream flavor.
I think Madonna would be a good one lol. Nuts, sour cherrys and lots of boozey ice cream hahahaha
As weird as it sounds, a cafe that includes a typewriter and books in its decor-scheme wins my vote. And, if it has great food, even more so!
Hi Lorraine on this beautiful Sunday morning…What a groovy place Falconer’s is…love the vintage stuff in it…That mousse has got me…combined with whiskey and tobacco flavours…I want some now and it’s only breakfast time ha ha!!!
Inspiring, eccentric NQN for me!
Colorfully exciting, uniquely photographed dessert to see!
Like nothing ever experienced before,
Isn’t that what “one of a kind” desserts based on my chosen celebrity is for?:)
OMG, Lorraine, you have just made me feel absolutely ancient
! Not only did I have the very same Adler typewriter and in the same yellow, but I thought it the most modern looking item and I STILL have it and oft use it in bed! [My computer being desktop in the library] And I absolutely refuse to answer to ‘vintage’ 
! Seems like a nice place: do like the beetroot/filo salad! Am the same as you: forever on the lookout for the new and interesting, but with a couple of faves for relaxed nights.
Love this place! Have breakfast there most mornings. Their muffins are to die for and some of the best I’ve ever had! Dinner looks great too
We had breakfast there yesterday! Love that place – food, staff and atmosphere are all fantastic.
The Tom Waits looks delish. If only Perth would indulge in a few more cafes like this…;)
Welcome home [or nearly so] lady: hope you had a fabulous time
! Thought it was to be the end of the month!!
Dear Lorraine,
Looks like a pretty decent local with that rabbit pie. I love shoe string fries although I prefer it with tomato sauce though.
Aaaah, you know I’m not a chocolate dessert person but I would definitely try that. Tobacco syrup? Awesome!
I recognise the outside of this place from catching the bus down Oxford Street for many years. Good to hear that the food is quite decent inside, that is one interesting sounding dessert!
Completely distracted by that picture of that old yellow typewriter! I want one! So into vintage-y things now it’s not funny!
The Falconer has the nicest coffee I have drunk in Australia. They do a great breakfast too.
If you’re going to have a local, this looks like the place for it
It is always good to have a place you can go back to and be made to feel welcome time and again
I should make a dessert named “The Mae West” don’t you think?
OK, I am very curious about the tobacco syrup, did they give away how they make it?
Ciao
Alessandra
Love the typewriter. Hardly ever saw a yellow typewriter.
I’m curious about the tobacco syrup. Any idea what is it made of?
That dessert is hilarious! I love the line of crumbled white meringue! Tobacco syrup sounds seriously bizarre, but would love to give it a try
Oh it all looks so delicious. The dessert is a little more bizarre, I don’t know that the tabacco syrup would really grab my palate. The ice-cream looked pretty amazing though
the type writer reminds me of the grounds in alexandria!
surry hills has so many restaurants/cafes to visit!
I would name a dessert Courtney Love, and serve a souffle that flopped, lol.
The food looks great here, I’ll have to take a look – love the rabbit pie!
Everything looks great at this place
Don’t you just love local cafes/restaurants hehe as much as I love going to new places and exploring hehe I still like going back to a couple of place 
I couldn’t remove my eyes from the chips either lol I try to stay away from them because once I start I can’t stop!
If I could name a dessert after a celebrity I think it’ll be Nigella Lawson hahaha don’t know why but she reminds me of a really warm, comforting chocolate pear pudding
and ofcuz that’s one of her recipes hehe 
The rabbit pie looks so crisp and scrumptious! As for the tobacco syrup – sounds interesting. We recently visited Gabriel chocolate down in Margaret River and one of their single origin chocolates has distinct tobacco notes. It’s a weird combination that is oddly enjoyable.
That’s really a huge serve of fries you got.. For me, fries and aioli is the best snack ever.
My mom had a typewriter exactly like that one! I think it’s still in the house somewhere. I used it to make my high school and college papers. Thanks for another interesting post.
Oh how I wish I had kept my old typewriter and instruction book! And that dessert – I don’t know whether to be offended or tempted!
Damn it Lorraine! That was my old local and still a regular haunt. Shhhh! Don’t tell everybody!
What a nice place, and not that pricey if they only want $28 for the tenderloin. I would name a chocolate mousse the Clooney and serve it in a tall parfait glass (tall, dark and handsome!)
Loved The Falconer, i used to have lunch there twice a week before i moved away from the area. The food is delicious and the staff are really welcoming as well.
They used to have a wagyu beef burger which was divine, and their homemade pastas are absolutely to die for.
I really miss that place!
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