Oceanic Cafe

Address: 312 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, NSW, 2012

Monday - Friday 12:00 Midday - 10:00 PM

Menu Board

Beef Rissoles with chips and peas 

The interior of the Oceanic Cafe when viewed from the back.

The interior of the Oceanic Cafe with the daughter standing with her mother in the back when viewed from the front.

his Retro-styled Oceanic Cafe brings back memories of when my late mother and I just had to burn our bridges in 1966 so we could both survive.  We have arrived back from Queensland and were staying at the Traveller's Aid Hostel Sydney - accommodation that was deemed safe for anyone of a feminine gender. I remember for lunch we both had hamburgers with beetroot slices and milk shakes. I was taken aback last year when I was attending the WORLDS APART art exhibition at the SOLDIERS Rd Gallery near Central Station to see that this time-capsule still existed in 2012. I made a mental note to revisit this place and step back in time and reflect on how history repeats itself because I am being forced to burn my bridges in 2013 so I can continue to survive. It was purely by chance I decided to partake of the beef rissoles, which were crispy on the outside and moist in the inside with just the right amount of onions complimented with the tomato-flavoured onion sauce.  The rustic hand-made chips were larger than normal and the peas added a whimsical touch of the 1950s. The white bread and butter reminded one of times past.  A small cup of instant coffee was a perfect ending to a surprising flavoursome meal. I must thank the mother and daughter team who went out of their way to make me feel welcome.