Come and walk all over our huge range of textured natural floor coverings and rugs at our new Marrickville showroom. Afterwards sample some of the culinary delights that this “foodie snapshot of Sydney” has to offer. We asked Helen Greenwood, co-author of The Foodies Guide to Sydney to tell you about the best– everything from a wagyu beef moussaka to an award winning Portugese tart.

Marrickville and its suburban cousins, Petersham and Dulwich Hill, are foodie snapshots of Sydney. Come and visit their colourful shopping strips – such a relief from the sterile shopping malls – crammed with Greek, Italian, Serbian and Portuguese delis, butchers, bakers and cheesemakers. They are culinary treasure troves and we’ve given you a few of our favourite gems that have all the ingredients you need for living and cooking well.

Helen Greenwood
co-author
The Foodies Guide to Sydney, Hardie Grant/Fairfax, 2009

Hellenic Bakery (bring a basket)
At Easter, Dimokritos "Jim" Stoullis takes orders for a slow-baked lamb with oregano. The rest of the year, his ovens unload traditional loaves, good rolls, syrupy pastries and sugar-dusted biscuits.
371 Illawarra Road, 9559 2701
Mon–Sat 5.30am–6.45pm; Sun 5.30am–6pm

Lamia Super Deli (bring two baskets)
Harry Cotsinis stuffs, in an orderly fashion, this long thin space with everything that a Greek cook – indeed any cook – might need: authentic music, meatballs, olives, tinned okra, pickles and all.
270 Marrickville Road, 9560 1011
Mon-Fri 7am-6.30pm; Sat 7am-5.30pm; Sun 10am-2pm

Paesanella Cheese Manufacturers (bring a freezer bag)
Ah, the warm ricotta, the genunine buffalo mozzarella, the creamy mascarpone, the springy bocconcini. Come and buy them fresh from the factory vat but be prepared for queues on Saturday.
27 Gerald Street, 9519 6181
Sun–Mon 6am–1pm; Closed Sundays

Serendipity (bring a freezer bag)
With medals for her hokey-pokey, fig honey and pistachio, Christmas pudding and other glorious ice-creams, owner Sara Mendelson is melting with happiness. Ice-cream cakes, petits fours and frozen cocktails, too, at this factory shop.
333 Enmore Road, 9557 8986
Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; Sat 10am–1pm (summer only)

Lazar’s Butchery (bring a freezer bag)
Legs of maturing Dalmatian prosciutto, curtains of csabai and racks of ribs hang from rails and trolleys decorate Serbian-born Peter Acic’s shop. His smoky, fermented pork products are completely hand-crafted. Buy in bulk by the leg or piece.
262 Stanmore Road, 9560 6680
Mon–Fri 8am–5pm; Sat 7am–3pm

Sweet Belem Cake Boutique (bring two baskets)
John de Almeida is a great baker in anyone’s language but in Portuguese, he’s a master of the art. Triumphant tarts and magnificent cakes, with his Lisbon bread a must-try and his pasteis de nata rated Sydney ’s best.
35C New Canterbury Road , 9572 6685
Wed–Thurs 8.30am–5pm; Fri–Sat 8.30am–5.30pm;Sun 9am –4pm

Talho Portuguese Butchery (bring a freezer bag)
Manuel, Maria and Jose Alves will tell you how to cook carne seca (dried salted beef) or alheira (pork, chicken, rabbit, offal, bread and garlic) and sell you Portuguese olive oil, too.
Shop 4, 89–97 New Canterbury Road , 9569 5552
Mon–Fri 6.30am–6pm; Sat 6.30am–4pm

Dulwich Hill Gourmet Meats (bring a freezer bag)
Charming George Papanicolaou is a modern Greek butcher from his caul-wrapped pork seftalies to his home-made organic beef wagyu moussaka. Stock up on marinated quail, chicken involtini and suckling pig roast.
483 Marrickville Road, 9560 7745
Mon-Fri 6.30am-6.30pm; Sat 6.30am-4pm

Luigi’s Bakery (bring a basket)
Brindisi-born baker, Luigi Carrieri, is loudly traditional and punches out well-proved Pugliese sourdough, ciabatta, crusty ciambelle, olive loaves and succulente pizzette, which is why there are lines out the door on weekends.
396 New Canterbury Road, 9560 5008
Mon–Fri 5am–4.30pm; Sat 5am–12.30pm