Often referred to as a scar along Sydney, Parramatta Road is one of the city’s major thoroughfares, is Australia’s oldest highway, and is covered at least in part by upward of 80,000 vehicles every day.

But anyone who has travelled this congested road will note the distinct lack of, well, anything. Scattered with dusty and boarded up windows, buildings falling into disrepair and scaffolding that has been wallpapered with years worth of posters for bands long come and gone. 

If you’re not looking for a bridal shop or beads (beads, beads) there hasn’t been a major drawcard for the stretch of highway in a long while. But that’s all set to change, with little sparks of hope popping up along the corridor and a major overhaul planned by the NSW Government and Inner West Council.

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A 30-year plan dubbed the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, which covers the length of Parramatta Road from Granville to Camperdown, has been in the works since 2016 and after a few delays it looks like we’re finally seeing the buds of change.

Two Newtown favourites, vintage-inspired fashion retailer Restrospec’d and over-the-top-fabulous Makeup Wardrobe have transplanted to the Stanmore and Leichhardt stretches of Parramatta Road, and recently opened Sock Drawer Heroes is a safe space dedicated to gender-affirming fashion up near Norton Street. 

Industrial-chic Japanese bar and restaurant Snacky Chans has been drawing plenty of good attention for their bar snacks, ramen and neon-pink hued fit-out since opening in the Annandale quarter in 2022. The Lady Hampshire has been giving it a red hot go in recent years and its 2023 acquisition by Public Hospitality Group is seemingly breaking the curse of the potential-filled pub.

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Frank’s Pizza is an oldie but a damn goodie, and Crowbar at Crystal Street, natural wine and all, is filling the void of decent live music venues in the area since the fall of the Annandale Hotel.

Most recently, former Baba’s Place chef Brendan King has nestled onto Parramatta Road with his Indian-ish diner Derrel’s – another collaboration with Public Hospitality Group.

Celebrating his Anglo-Indian heritage, King has lovingly tried to recreate the magic of his grandfather Derrel’s ghee-rich curries at the part-takeaway-shop-part-casual-diner in the Camperdown corner of Parramatta Road. 

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Open until 2am, the kitschy eatery is serving up chip butties with butter chicken gravy, blackened tandoori wings, and curries straight from the bain-marie and we don’t have to tell you twice that this is where we’re swinging on our way home from the pub.

It’s the little things that add up and while it may have been happening in whispers, we’re quietly optimistic that Parramatta Road is about to roar.

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Find Derrel’s at 89 Parramatta Road, Camperdown; derrels.com.au