Ramon’s Guide to Marrickville

As someone who sells houses in Marrickville for a living, I take pride in knowing a thing or two about one of Australia’s best suburbs. 

Here’s my passionate recommendations in Marrickville. (none of this is paid advertising, just my opinion.)

FOOD:

Baba’s Place. It’s like stepping into the Persian backrooms. So familiar like your Yiayias or Tetas house, but you’re in a dimly lit, stylish warehouse. Genuinely some of the best food I’ve ever had. Order anything, they dont miss. 

Marrickville Pork Roll, 236 Illawarra Road. Get the crackling, then a juice from a few doors down, eat both walking. The flavours are immaculate. 

Pippo’s. Buzzing nighttime vibe on Marrickville Road, no bookings, small room, some of the best pizza I’ve had in Sydney. 

Corinthian Rotisserie, 283 Marrickville Road. Greek, grandparents still cooking. Get the moussaka. Iconic staple for the suburb.

20 Chapel. Supreme date spot. It’s so hard to find good steakhouses in Sydney. This is a leader for sure. Quality off the charts. 

DRINK:

Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre. Brewery, Chinese restaurant, pool table, in a shed, named after a prime minister. Shouldn’t work but does all too well. 

Philter. The XPA has ended more Fridays than I’d put in writing. Community is present. 

Titus Jones. Illawarra Road, drinks and tacos. Insane combo. 

Where’s Nick. The coolest wine bar i’ve ever been to. By far. 

Vic on the Park. A cultural staple. Iconic for the suburb. Go here with the mates. 

CAFE:

Algorithm. I damn near drink it daily. Order the Rhythm. At first you wont like it, then you’ll have it again, and by the 3rd time you’ll think about it at night. Always a cue on the footpath for a reason. 

Maintee. Just insane. Great food and vibes off the charts. The place youd want to sit and eat at. 

Valentina’s. I lived in the USA, I know this style of diner well. Valentina’s is better than anything in the States. Insanely underrated. 

GROCERIES:

Harris Farm. The cleanest and best Harris Farm I’ve been to. Levels above Leichhardt, Broadway, Drummoyne, Bondi and even Miranda. 

Panetta. Peak grocery shopping. Best selection of fruits and deli foods. 

Feather & Bone. Single handedly the freshest and best quality beef I’ve ever had. Get literally anything from here its worth the price. 

Messina HQ. Just amazing vibes. Gelatos the same as every franchise location but at night its hard to beat the energy here. 

Pansanella. Genuinely sound deli. I have a friend who used to be very prominent in the wine game. He only gets cheese from here. 

CLOTHES:

Casablanca. Amazing community and stock levels fit for a model. 

Citizen Wolf. This store needs to be spoken about louder. They basically design clothes to fit you. Fit is everything. 

108 Warehouse. Always a massive line of people there for a reason. 

Noffs op shop. Extremely good value, genuinely unbelievable. $20 takes you a long way. 

Reverse garbage. Creative reuse, not just clothes. Amazing stuff. 

WALK:

Marrickville Road into Illawarra Road. The suburb changes accent mid-sentence. Greek, Vietnamese, a bar that opened last year, a shopfront older than my grandparents. Start at Algorithm cafe and look around closeley for all the hidden gems as you stroll Marrickville Road and take a left onto Illawarra rd. Finish before the train station and you’ll be a changed person. 

David Street. Stroll this street (trust me). It’ll spark your motivation to want to scale a business. 

South Marrickville. Hills galore. Parks and cooks river. Naturally stroll around the Warren Estate for a quiet, leafy, uninterrupted walk. Start at Albermarle cafe and walk towards Marrickville West School. Let the path lead you to the cooks river. 

Please tell me if this has an impact on you and if you tried any of this for the first time, it’ll make my day hearing from you. 

Ramon Raneal. 

From the desk of ramon raneal

Ramon Raneal sells property across Marrickville, Petersham, Dulwich Hill, Lewisham and Stanmore. Available for arguments about the pork roll.