Dynamic duo Dorothy Lee and Jarrod Walsh teamed up with chef Neville Dsouza (Yellow, Cirrus, Gowings at QT) to launch this modern Indian-inspired restaurant in late 2022. Named after Dsouza’s aunt Irene (a renowned family cook), the menu takes its inspiration from Dsouza’s Indian heritage and the dishes that he used to eat growing up. Diners can expect to find some pretty surprising subcontinental snacks on the menu, like the zucchini a la Bombay, a dish inspired by one of India’s most popular snack foods – vada pav. It’s recreated here using zucchini flowers stuffed with kipfler potato, black mustard seeds and curry leaves. For a taste of Irene’s home cooking, you’ll want to order the goat curry. 33 Enmore Road, Enmore; irenes.au.

Don’t be misled by the “takeaway” in the name. It’s well worth waiting for a seat at this Inner West institution. The ’90s alt soundtrack and clientele sipping BYO natty wines are pure Enmore, but the menu owes everything to Egyptian street vendors. Fill your stomach and soul with lentil koshari rice and maalouba pilaf with slow-cooked lamb. Or sample a bit of everything with a mixed plate, featuring the likes of light falafel (crispy outside, parsley-green within); spiced, tender cauliflower; or charcoal-grilled lamb kofta and boneless chicken, served with pickled turnip and chili, fresh fattoush salad and silken tahini or toum. 81 Enmore Rd, Newtown; cairotakeaway.com.

Run by legacy business owner and Pinoy pork expert Will Mahusay, Sydney Cebu Lechon sits near King St in Newtown but far enough up Enmore Road that it’s part of the Enmore scene. Nestled on a small Enmore Rd corner, a step inside is an instant journey to provincial Philippines. Banana-leaf-green walls border intimate seats as soy sauce steams in the kitchen. Try Mahusay’s signature lechon (Filipino whole roasted suckling pig): crispy pork crackling with dipping sauce, a pillow of rice and pickled achara (green papaya relish). Or try his chicken humba, a more classic adobo. $27.50 gets you a main good for two – don’t skip the rice. 4/80-80A Enmore Rd, Newtown; sydneycebulechon.com.au.

The Porteno team opened Bar Louise on the coolest street in Sydney in 2022. The tapas bar/diner has that retro Spanish/Argentinian sensibility that is intrinsic to the Porteno charm at other venues like Wyno x Bodega, Continental Deli and the alma mater in Surry Hills. Pull up a stool downstairs amongst flamenco and Don Quixote prints for the best experience. Order a fino (sherry) and a gilda – anchovy, pepper and olive on a toothpick, a Continental fave – while you study the menu for more. It’s an “I want one of everything” list, dished up in typical tapas terracotta. Of the house meats, sobrassada (raw, cured sausage) adds oomph to a classic egg tortilla, while crisps and morcilla (black pudding) is wonderful over sweet-and-spicy peas. The drinks list is long and interesting, from the sherry space – fino, amontillado, manzanilla and more – through to Spanish and Spanish-grape-based wines. 135 Enmore Road, Enmore; barlouise.com.au.

There was a moment of collective panic in early 2022 when Emma’s Snack Bar was out of action. But much to every Enmore local’s relief, Emma’s Snack Bar is back and as busy as ever. Share Lebanese bread and dips (you have four different types of hummus to choose from), kibbeh and lamb mince filled ladyfingers, or lean into something more substantial with plates of spiced ling fillets in a tahini sauce or punchy garlic chicken. Load your table with as many plates as you can, share carafes of house wine, and revel in the frenetic energy of the always-packed dining room. 59 Liberty St, Enmore; emmassnackbar.com.au.