Rosebud, Rozelle

Rosebud is a laid back cafe in Rozelle with wholesome and generous comfort food. The day menu is a playful take on nodern Australian cuisine with a Middle Eastern twist. It’s an homage to Rosebud’s previous owner who is Middle Eastern. Head Chef James has kept the Middle Eastern flavours but mixes it up with a European touch. James is trained in French cuisine – which is why he loves his brioche!

If you’re here for brekky, the Brioche French Toast is a must-try. An indulgent use of our brioche, the most popular variation is with berries and mascarpone (but there are also bacon & maple or a banana with dulce de leche varieties!).

But their signature dish is the Shakshouka eggs with chorizo, red peppers, onion, spiced with cumin, coriander and chilli, served with warm chunks of our Italian Ciabatta. I absolutely love this dish, especially because of that lingering heat that comes through from the chilli.

For lunch try the Angus beef & Andouille burger – it’s killer. Made with a creole pork sausage and mince patty, Manchego cheese, peppered bacon, garlic aioli and balsamic onion jam, the burger is heaped onto our sweet brioche bun. Served with hot chips and aioli of course!

Or if you like mini burgers (who doesn’t?!), then hoe into the trio of brioche sliders. A tiny army of Wagyu beef, chipotle chicken and pulled pork piled onto our slider brioche buns, again with a side of chips and aioli. Yum.

Rosebud is unpretentious and homely. It’s also very family-friendly here. The children’s menu is especially thoughtful, ranging from mini burgers to angel-hair pasta to Belgian waffles. And on Thursday nights kids eat free!

But for something a bit different, Rosebud holds themed Saturday nights. They’ve had a Spanish night with a huge paella, a pintxos night and even an Irish night! There’s always something happening on Saturdays at Rosebud. And it’s often influenced by the staff’s diverse backgrounds. Catalonian, Irish, English – you name it!

When I ask owner Amber and James why the restaurant is called Rosebud, they mention that it’s Orson Welles’ last word in Citizen Kane. And on one of the walls there’s an artwork that depicts Orson Welles, but it’s upside down. To the untrained eye, it looks like red paint spatters. So, next time you’re lunching at Rosebud, take a pic then flip it upside down!

Check out Rosebud on Facebook and have a look at their full menu here.