Peer through the large floor-to-ceiling windows of Misc. restaurant in Parramatta and you will see the large colony of flying foxes and microbats festooned in the nearby trees like bunting. The nocturnal mammals are napping about 100m from the restaurant, a distance that is far enough away for chiroptophobics (those with an irrational fear of bats) to feel comfortable and close enough for those fascinated by nature’s only flying mammal.

Housed in a space that lay vacant for six years after an act of arson, the 300-seater restaurant has been redesigned with great forethought, taking full advantage of this sun-lit spot located near the Parramatta River.

The glammed up riverside shed is now divided between a modern restaurant and event space designed to capitalise on its prime location in Parra, which continues to take shape as Sydney’s second CBD.

Outside, neighbourhood dog walkers and bike riders converge for catch-ups over coffee and brunch on the outdoor terrace, which has heat lamps in winter and is cooled by the surrounding greenery in summer.

Not being able to make a reservation feels like a game of chance in Sydney, so we arrive early and make friends with the other diners who are also waiting in the queue. Misc. stands for Miscellaneous, and if you read the menu you’ll learn that “Misc. believes things of mixed character” create the best stories and most memorable experiences.

The diners here today are emblematic of that approach. There’s a stylish woman in leopard print from Sydney’s inner west meeting her friend from Lane Cove because “It’s an easy commute for us both”. A young couple hailing from Harris Park enjoying their first outing with a new-born bub. And a table of women enjoying a bottomless brunch in this hip, happening new hub.

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The all-day restaurant designed by Nic Graham (known for his work with QT Hotels) is run by restaurateur Jad Nehmetallah, best known for his role as a social commentator on Gogglebox.

Nehmetallah has tapped into his Middle Eastern heritage and injected a few idiosyncrasies, with the breakfast and lunch menus divided into A Bit of This, A Bit of That, A Bit More, and A Bit on The Side. It’s mezze made mod. We do as the waiter suggests by starting with a wood-fired pillow of pita bread that arrives puffed to a glorious height, and which we use to mop up the oil from the Sardines Pollastrini (which we later purchase from the carefully curated pantry).

The menu is designed to share and we follow with beef tartare spiced with kamoon (cumin in Arabic), beautifully cooked barramundi with a punchy slap of salsa verde, a green bowl of mixed greens served with black rice and flecked with delicate pieces of cold-smoked trout. The affogato “sandwich” on a paddle pop stick is an absolute childhood delight. Paired with a glass of wine, and tinnie of Akasha pale ale brewed in Five Dock, brunch or lunch here is such a civilised affair. So much so that you will want to personally thank Misc. executive chef Sebastien Geray (ex-head chef at The Star) whom you will find beaming at the pass alongside Joel Bennetts (FISHSHOP and FISHMKT). 

What Misc. is offering is worth queuing for. It’s magic.

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