Billy’s Table
Elizabeth St Croydon
(Reviewed by Sarah List)
Opening for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Billy’s Table is a welcome addition to the quirky Queen/Elizabeth St stable, which was recently pummelled over several tough years due to the remodelling of South Rd. Nestled alongside his first venture, The Queen St Café, Billy’s Table is Billy Petropoulos’ latest venture after spending substantial time overseas establishing his Boneshaker chain throughout Asia. (Adelaide’s Boneshaker is located in Marleston as part of the Pumpt indoor skate park).
Walking into Billy’s Table for lunch, I had immediate flashbacks to the tapas bars of Spain. Described as a smorgasbord, a beautiful bench of food beckons, so that even if you had planned on just a coffee your stomach will probably take over and redirect that idea to something more substantial. Produced in small quantities, the ambient bench is restocked several times over the course of the day and provides an enticing opportunity to decide what tickles your tastebuds. Be warned though – The best times for lunch are between 11:30am and 1pm so that the full range of options are available.
Vegans – lunch provides your best selection, including larger dishes and sides, and pizza and calzone featuring house made vegan cheese. Chef Michael explained that a 72 hour slow fermentation was an essential part of the process to produce a bubbly, crispy base. I couldn’t resist that idea and had their potato and herb option with the vegan cheese and it was absolutely divine. My dining buddy Tony was also extremely impressed with his prosciutto laden pizza.
We shared a number of sides – the smoked beetroot, blistered green soybeans (with green goddess sauce, no less!), the eggplant with tahini and mint, and the green beans and also a deliciously za’atar spiced brown basmati and wild rice dish with crispy onions. Everything was a savoury blend of incredible flavours and prepared to perfection. You can really see the pride that the kitchen has in its menu through the quality of what is served.
Billy’s will make you wish you were a local (if you aren’t already), and is the perfect venue to beep your palate entertained in a bustling, friendly environment. Bookings are advisable at busy times.
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