20 Chapel is an intimate neighbourhood restaurant in a quiet industrial street in Marrickville, previous home to the cafe Stix. Same owner remains, but in partnership. The space fits around 64 diners and also has a chef’s table in the kitchen which seats 12. On our night to dine, a family looked to be having a great up close experience at the chefs table.
Their concept is focused on cooking over fire, using the quality proteins and produce, direct from their farm at the Hawkesbury. We could not speak more highly of the food and the whole experience: the menu is based around small plates, entrees, mains, snacks, and desserts. They’ve also got an excellent wine and cocktail menu.
We are big fans of bread and thus had to start with the Buttermilk Rye Bread. Like a little plate of damper, the bread had a strong rye flavour to it, and it easily broke apart to share amongst the group. Be sure to spread it with some CopperTree Farms Butter.
A popular dish amongst diners that we saw is the Potato Wedges. A must order for our group, the crispy wedges come with some CopperTree Farms Creme Fraiche topped with Chilli Jam to dip your wedges in. Seems a strange dish to have as a starter rather than a side, but we’re also not complaining.
Entree wise, we opted for the Grilled Baby Octopus, made with Macadamia Tarator and Oregano Vinaigrette. And our other small plate; the Abrolhos Island Scallops cooked with a Harissa Butter. Both of these were a nice light start to the meal.
I’d say the Pumpkin Agnolotti was a winner amongst our group. One of the non protein dishes, this pasta was stunning, a prominent Sage Butter sauce and the Agnolotti topped with Charred pumpkin and a few sage leaves.
The beautifully seasoned Sichuan Spiced Duck Legs was a decent serve and cooked beautifully. Steak is also a must order, they have multiple cuts to choose from.
We didn’t get too many sides, for we had already ordered a lot and wanted to make room for dessert. But our picks are the Grilled Corn Puree, Chipotle, topped with a Manchego Cream and the marinated greens (broccoli and Brussel sprouts) with a hemp seed dukkah.
Make sure to leave room for Daria’s famous honey cake! Daria, previous pastry chef at Stix has left a legacy in the beautifully layered Russian delight.
If you’re keen for extra desserts, the Pumpkin Pie Souffle is a great choice. Order it and they bake it for you, so whilst it’s a 15 minute wait, you get a fluffy dessert served with Gingerbread Ice Cream!
20 Chapel is an all round great experience, with outstanding service, we felt like all staff were very attentive and responsive to your needs and the Maître D was such a vibrant and welcoming staff member. Each dish was outstanding, complemented by great wine and cocktails.
20 Chapel
20 Chapel St Marrickville NSW
Dinner Tuesday to Saturday
Lunch Friday & Saturday