All posts filed under: Sydney

The Megalong Valley Tearooms, Blue Mountains

Published by Jacqueline Langford

First established in the 1950s, The Megalong Valley Tearooms reminds me of a country homestead, surrounded by lush green fields and the incredible backdrop of the world heritage listed Blue Mountains. Serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon cakes and desserts, it is the only remaining tearoom in the valley (which once had up to six operating in the area at one time). And to date, still serves fresh scones with homemade jam and cream to locals, travellers, hikers and the like – similar to a devonshire tea experience, but with your choice of beverage that is. If you’re in the area, The Megalong Valley Tearooms is about a 15-minute drive from Blackheath, or a 25- to 30-minute drive from Katoomba and Leura. It’s a little out of the way from other local attractions, yet it’s a beautiful rest spot to have a cuppa and take in the views. Open seven days a week, you can visit Saturdays and Sundays from 8.30am to 3.30pm, and all other days from 9.30am to 3.30pm. We were passing through to …

Pie in the Sky Roadhouse, Bilpin: Try their Delicious Apple Pie

Published by Jacqueline Langford

Owned and managed by Josh Pilkington and Shelly Meng, Pie in the Sky Roadhouse is somewhere I love driving to, just to pick up their warm, fresh apple pies. Crispy, flaky… oh so delicious… Josh & Shelly, I (and many others) love your apple pies, so please don’t ever change the recipe. On first impressions, it may not look like a modern, fancy pie shop, but with an average Google rating of 4.5-stars (out of 5), by more than 760+ reviews, I know I’m not the only one that loves this place. Less than a 45-minute drive from Sydney’s north west, I enjoy making the trip. That said, the times I’ve been here to visit, I’ve gone fairly early in the morning to beat the queues. Otherwise, from the main road, you can see there is generally a queue out the door throughout the day… and when this happens, parking can be a bit of a challenge too. Handmade daily on-site using French style butter puff pastry, Pie in the Sky Roadhouse have a variety …

The Hive Cafe, Berambing

Published by Jacqueline Langford

If you’re in the Bilpin or Kurrajong area, or driving from Lithgow, the greater Blue Mountains, or possibly even Mudgee, I’d suggest for you to visit the Hive Cafe, Berambing. This is a small, roadside cafe, offering a light breakfast and lunch menu, with both indoor dining and a handful of outdoor tables. It’s the perfect stop too for those with a pooch as it’s dog friendly outdoors… just the place we were looking for. The Hive Cafe is open seven days a week on Mondays to Fridays between 8am to 4pm, and Saturdays and Sundays between 8.30am to 5pm. There’s ample parking available right in front, which is an easy turn off from Bells Line of Road. They make excellent coffees here, so even if you just need a 10-minute break from driving, this would be my recommended coffee rest stop in the area en-route. The staff are very friendly and accommodating whilst you are accompanied with a dog. The service itself is also personable and warm. And even though the menu is not …

Pop Up Picnic Hampers near Sydney CBD, with Delivery

Published by Jacqueline Langford

A great way to organise getting together with family and friends is at a park with a well packed lunch. In light of COVID-19 regulations currently in place, sometimes you hesitate on what’s considered a safe option to come together with others, but a pre-made picnic hamper is the perfect idea, without having to organise the food preparation yourself. As a group of four, we placed an order with Pop Up Picnics for two-sets of the Pop Up Picnic ‘hampers for pairs’, available for pick-up from their head office location in Annandale, Sydney. Or, for an additional AU$20, the picnic hampers could be delivered within a 7km radius from Annandale, which is what we opted to do instead. Delivered on-time and as expected, all picnic inclusions arrived in two large boxes. At the time, we hadn’t read the instructions properly, so we packed our own picnic rugs. But little did we know, everything was already included in the box – and I mean everything. Settling under a large shady tree, we placed our own blankets …

Deliciously good Filipino desserts, made by Tita’s Cakes in Sydney

Published by Jacqueline Langford

Ever craved bite-sized, traditional Filipino desserts or cakes on-the-go? Located in Western Sydney is Tita’s Cakes – prepared by master chef and baker extraordinaire; Percy Morilla. I was first introduced to Tita’s Cakes through the recommendation of a friend, Jen. She knows I love desserts – well, eating Filipino food in general too that is – and boy what an awesome find. I’m not the best Filipino dessert maker at home, which is why buying these types of treats makes it all the more exciting. And when I find great places, it’s even more fun when I get to share the experience with others. Jen told me to keep a look out for Tita’s Cakes weekly Instagram story announcement (posted on Wednesdays), so I was onto it in a flash. The actual dessert menu changes for these mixed boxes each week, and the options are led by the team at Tita’s Cakes, so it’s an element of surprise where you don’t get to choose the individual cakes yourself. And bam… there it was… Calamansi Soufflé …