Three Williams has been on my Sydney brunch bucket list for a while due to its popularity and consistently highly praised reviews. The pandemic is nowhere near over but I am grateful for being allowed to go out, eat, hang out with friends, etc.
Three Williams
613A Elizabeth St, Redfern NSW 2016
$$
It’s about a 10 minute walk from Redfern station and in line with coronavirus measures when eating in, you have to scan the QR code upon entry and fill your details. It’s not really a hassle and I think everyone should do their part during the pandemic.
Note: I went to this restaurant back around August 2020. I’m not too sure why it was just sitting in my drafts for so long. The menu may be outdated.
Anyway, I was pleasantly impressed with the menu. Most of the items were around the $15-$25. Since this cafe is highly rated (it’s rated 4.4 on Zomato with 1,400+ reviews), I was expecting the prices to be steeper. However, Three Williams are known for their truffle. And that’s a lot more expensive ($30-40). I felt the truffle dishes felt more appropriate for lunch/dinner so we opted for some items not on the menu that the waiter said were specials.
OH MY GOD – THE TRUFFLE. Okay I am regretting my food choices now. Source: Instagram
If you check Three Williams Instagram, they constantly do weekly specials that come on and go. I think this is great because it definitely shows the creative prowess in the culinary world. Brunch is a huge thing in Sydney (and Redfern/Surry Hills is definitely in brunch capital territory) so a lot of cafes come across really generic and basic. It’s the cafes that are creative and pushing boundaries that are the ones that will retain an audience and will want you keep coming.
Plus everyone loves exclusivity because hype sells. However, it’s kind of annoying from a reviewer perspective because what I ordered is probably no longer on the menu.
We ended up getting:
PEKING DUCK ROAST POTATO HASH broccolini, shallots, parsley, crispy fried onions & radicchio tossed in lemon & olive oil, topped with a poached egg & finished with a chilli oil drizzle
PEKING DUCK NARNIE
narnie (noun) : combination between naan and sarnie (sandwich) [coined by three williams]
I loved both of these. I think duck, cucumber and shallots is an amazing combination. Prove me wrong. I’ve had it on pizza before and I LOVE it. Aside from the duck, I thought the potato hash was soft and delicious and the narnie (bread) complemented the duck and shallots really well.
Sorry – I apologise for the photos. I have a habit of not really taking photos when I’m eating with people (but I’ll have a 5 min photoshoot if I’m eating alone lmao).
I will say that whilst I thought the food was delicious and well priced, it wasn’t exceptional. Personally, I will always love duck so it’s really hard to go wrong with it. I definitely would come back to try some of the truffle items on the menu.
We came in for a lazy, slow-paced Sunday brunch. We didn’t have to wait at all and the atmosphere was really lovely. It has an urban warehouse vibe and it’s very open spaced so it’s really pleasant to eat in. The service was great and the waiter we had was so friendly.
But like is it worth the hype? Eh – it’s nice and all. I’ve definitely come back though. I would rate it a 4/5 but I don’t think it’s anything special. I think if you come in thinking it’s the best cafe, you may be disappointed but I think if you come in looking for a nice, casual eat, you may like this.
Also, there’s a park really close nearby and the walk to the cafe was really pleasant. The sun was shining (until like 12pm) and here are some unrelated pictures. I promise I’m not vain at all.
Self-confidence is key.
Leave a Reply