Cornersmith (Nights)
314 Illawarra Road, Marrickville, Sydney, NSW, 2204
+61 2 8065 0844

All us local Marrickville-ians owe husband and wife team of James Grant and Alex Elliot-Howery a little bit of a thank you.

While the charm of our slightly rough and tumble inner-west neighbourhood has never really waned, it definitely gained a rather large PR boost when the pair opened Cornersmith.

With its white tiled walls and brass lined tables, it easily lifted a very functional but rather unloved section of Illawarra Road and its testament to the cafe’s food and atmosphere that despite being flanked by closed down fabric stores and haberdasheries on each side, Sydney-siders from all over line up for a table each Saturday. Turns out quality cured ham off the bone with a sweet tomato chutney will do that for a suburb.

The result of all this success spreads far being the owner’s wallets, trickling down to the entire street. Illawarra Road of today is home to a luxury apartment complex, other artisan coffee shops and fine food delis. There’s still a way to go but you can feel the buzz brewing.

The love of all things local is precisely the cornerstone (if you will) of the entire operation. Every morsel on the menu, from the cabbage to the pumpkin is sourced as close to the region as possible. We’re talking to the point of resident Marrickville gardeners bringing in their excess lemons and herbs in exchange for a hearty breakfast (or a jar of pickles, depending on the crop yield). You can’t help but get the warm and fuzzies with every bite of your house made relish.

The formula has proved so popular that Grant and the team have expanded the menu to cover set dinners 3 nights a week, providing chef Maxim Roberts the opportunity to showcase what’s truly possible when it comes to all-ethical feasting.

At night the mood is entirely different to the frenetic cafe pace, homely even, especially as the warm light spills out onto the quiet streets. The $50 per head set menu constantly shifts (each course designed to be shared, of course) but on our night we enjoyed the kind of pork shoulder terrine and miso honey roasted pumpkin that’s so respectfully cooked it might even make a vegetarian think twice.

The trick with Cornersmith is to come often as you’ll rarely find the same menu item twice but if you do it’s probably because the customers have demanded it. The ham really is that good.

Highly recommended

…if you’re a vegetarian. We know we’ve talked about the ham a lot here but unlike most menus there’s an abundance of options for the animal adverse clientele (for us the most standout dish was based almost entirely on cauliflower (with added mozzarella)).

… Letting your waiter guide you on the wines to match your meal. As the menu shifts each week, so do the pairings.

…. Stay tuned with their website. The team are constantly hosting pickling workshops and pop-up dinners.