Enjoy good food and coffee in Five Dock, a little slice ofItalyonSydney’sParramatta River. Five Dock is a suburb situated 10kmwestofSydney’sCBD with good road links to escape the city. Hire a Hertz car here and you’re minutes away from the Great Western Highway, which runs inland across the Blue Mountains; half-an-hour’sdrivefromtheWestlink which opens up the southern coast of New South Wales; and 30 minutes from the Pacific Motorway, which takes you to the beautiful beaches of the Central Coast.
Twenty per cent of Five Dock residents claim Italian heritage and 10 per cent were born in Italy. This Italian influence is centred on Great North Road, which divides the suburb in two from north to south. Once a year in August, the street is transformed for the Ferragosto Festival. More than 300 stallholders offer Italian food and goods along nearly 1km of Great North Road while bands and dancers provide entertainment.
If you’re not visiting in August, you can still soak up the Italian atmosphere of Five Dock with a visit to some of the well-regarded cafes, restaurants and delis around Great North Street. The Pasticceria Tamborrino is particularly famed for its cakes. If you want something a bit different, try Bamiyan for a restaurant that offers a delicious introduction to Afghan food that is also vegetarian-friendly.
