Spending a $25 Dine & Discover Voucher at Milsons Point

To the right of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the Sydney CBD is a beautiful Lower North Shore suburb called Milsons Point, home to some great quality eats, among attractions including Luna Park and Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden to name.

From the beginning of 2021, yours truly has been blessed to call Milsons Point home.

In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the New South Wales Government has offered every resident in the state over the age of 18 access to $100 worth of vouchers to use on dining out, and enjoying cultural and other entertainment experiences, via Service NSW. These are called Dine & Discover Vouchers, and you have to apply for them. They expire on the 30/06/21. Residents in Milsons Point (under North Sydney Council) were the (lucky) last to be able to apply for them. After applying, yours truly received two $25 vouchers to dine out with, and two $25 vouchers to use on entertainment based experiences. More information is found by listening to this YouTube video.

Part of this stimulus package went towards a hearty breakfast at Sidando Cafe on Alfred Street. This cafe is a gem (and I am sure many other locals, and non-locals alike think so as well) due to the 4.6/5 Google rating, as at at the time of writing this. Note: you can only use this voucher Monday to Thursday at this cafe, due to strong demand.

This is one of the first cafes that melted my heart the moment yours truly moved into the area. Friendly staff, and that little cookie to accompany all hot beverages (even take away), combined with bottomless water top ups is only the start. You can dine inside, or alfresco opposite a park, and the train line. Their coffee is roasted by The Grounds, and the caffeine and tea fix has never failed to disappoint over these last few months.

The staff were also accommodating while I was juggling my opened up MacBook Air; with keys, phone, wallet, dongle and mouse (all the essentials, less the much needed coffee) on the five minute trek to arrive here, score a table, and get some work done on a previous visit. Not to mention ordering a cappuccino. Anyone who has had the joy of working from home can relate to the need for some affordable noise, while tapping away at the keyboard. It can be lonely working from home, and the buzz of working around other people paves the way for a fantastic incubation opportunity for creativity to blossom.

"You have 40 minutes" said one of the staff members at this homely cafe, with worn out floorboards, that are also on the verge of modern, with a complete bookshelf facing you as you enter, with art on the left hand side. Natural air is also enjoyed. That was perfectly fine. I even offered to buy another drink in order to keep my seat, and two drinks (small cappuccino $4.50, and a pot of recovery tea $5.50) was enough for me to end up staying at Sidando Cafe for around 90 minutes, in order to keep my seat and work away. The staff were informed and thanked, because I was able to meet the goals I had set out to achieve on my work while I was there; and they said they were glad. They smiled, and thanked me for my patronage.

There is an hours' sit down limit on weekends. I avoid this cafe like the plague then, yet Sidando Cafe is always a nice place to get some take away coffee in a keep cup to take back home on work days.

Upon using one of my $25 Dine & Discover vouchers yesterday (at the time of writing), I was presented with a book for the menu, with beautiful pictures, and curly handwriting explaining the menu.

Enjoying an Eggs Benedict with salmon, spinach and hollondaise sauce ($19), together with a pot of chamomile tea ($5.50) was heavenly. A nice way to appreciate the down to earth North Shore service, and kind hospitality, with a complimentary water bottle in tow (all as pictured).

The flowers presenting the eggs benny was unexpected, yet set the scene for a hearty brunch, where yours truly was full to the brim until the early afternoon. There were no challenges in using the voucher, and that 50 cent tip was well deserved.

The eggs were poached to perfection, with a nice, runny yoke, and the hollondaise sauce was tangy, yet not overpowering, mixing in nicely with the salmon and spinach. The spinach was well wilted, and it wasn't salty either. The English muffins underneath were toasted just right, and paved the way in licking up the sauce and yoke. The pot of tea easily pours around 4-5 cups, in an elegant cup and matching saucer.

Sidando Cafe is not overly noisy either. This music is chilled out, and played on a low volume. Sure, it might be in a need of a refresh in terms of its fit out, yet us locals don't seem to mind, even being welcomed by fresh flowers upon entry. Newspapers are also available to read.

Who knew that fast paced, expensive Milsons Point could ever be so laid back and chilled. Sidando Cafe in Milsons Point feels like a second home, and thankfully within walking distance from home sweet home. In gratitude for an amazing local eating experience that one will never forget.

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