Cafe Sopra, Waterloo

One stunning but lazy Sunday that was quite some time ago now,  Cheesecake Boy and I were out and about with our good friend Noodle Boy for a brunch catch up.  The boys let me choose the venue and since we all love Italian food, Cafe Sopra was an easy choice that Sunday afternoon.  Cafe Sopra wasn't the easiest place to find.  However, by the time we found the little stairway entrance and waited patiently for our table, we were starving.

We all ended up with a pasta main that day.  Noodle Boy opted for the linguine with lemon, chilli, garlic and pangrattato.  It's a lovely and simple combination that I love to cook at home, and Noodle Boy easily demolished his linguine with gusto.

Linguine with lemon, chilli, garlic and pangrattato, $18

I had a sixth sense and knew that Cheesecake Boy would come back from looking at the menu telling me he wanted the meatballs, and lo and behold three tender meatballs appeared on our table not too long after.  Cheesecake Boy was not as smitten with the meat balls as much as I was, so we did a swap.  Funnily enough, Cheesecake Boy preferred my main, so our swap was completely fair, and in no way one sided.  The beautifully al dente bucatini went perfectly with the wonderfully fresh tasting sugo and plump meatballs. 

Bucatini with meatballs, $22

I actually wanted the penne bolognese as I prefer tomato based sauces, but since Cheesecake Boy and I always end up sharing so there's was no point in ordering two tomato based pasta dishes.  This is how I initially ended up ordering the spaghetti alla carbonara.  It was an easy choice, because when the temptation of meat balls are not an option, Cheesecake Boy usually goes for the carbonara if it's available.  It was a lovely carbonara with a good mix of salty bacon, eggs, cheese and a generous dash of olive oil.  I just prefer a little more cracked pepper in mine.

Spaghetti alla carbonara, $20

If you've been following my posts for a while, you may have realised that I am crazy about chips, especially the hot and deep fried kind.  The chips here are fantastic, we couldn't get enough of them.  They're wonderfully crunchy and fluffy on the inside with just the right amount of seasoning.  I looked around the other tables to verify that all their chips were as beautifully golden as ours, just to make sure that this was not a one-off lucky occurrence.

Chips, $8.50

We ordered desserts with our mains, just in case they ran out of preferred desserts while we were eating our mains.  Noodle Boy ordered the tiramisu, and kindly lets me try some.  The tiramisu was excellent, definitely one of the better ones I have had.  However, I am super fussy with how I like my tiramisu, and I prefer a dash more marsala in mine.  Although, for the majority of people the marsala in the tiramisu at Cafe Sopra will be more than plenty.

Tiramisu, $14.50

Cheesecake Boy is a bit of a chocolate nut, so when he saw that the one chocolate item on the menu was the semifreddo, he had to order it.  I rarely order a semifreddo as my dessert of choice when I dine out, as I tend to be disappointed.  However, I'm so glad Cheesecake Boy ordered the chocolate and nougat semifreddo this time.  The semifreddo was delicious, I loved the texture of the irregular chocolate bits against the frozen custard. 

Chocolate and nougat semifreddo, $14.50

I had read so much about the banoffee pie here, that I knew what I wanted for dessert before I even worked out what my main was going to be.   Now, I guess the question is if the banoffee pie lived up to the hype and my expectations? Yes and yes.  My slice of banoffee pie really exceeded my expectations, and I have to admit that I was more than just slightly smitten with this pie.  No wonder such a humble looking pie with its decadent dulce de leche edging over the wonderful biscuit base, topped with chantilly cream with lovely slices of bananas has so many people swooning.  If I could fault this pie, I would say that there was not quite enough slices of banana, but with the increase of banana prices at the moment I don't blame them.

Banoffee pie, $14.50

Cafe Sopra is a lovely option for a laid back brunch or leisurely lunch.  There's nothing complicated about the food, it's all about simplicity and great produce.  I think the banoffee pie and I aren't acquainted enough yet, and a return trip is in order to savour it some more.

Munching away, Dumpling Girl.


Cafe Sopra
7 Dank Street
Waterloo NSW 2017
Ph: (02) 9699 3174
http://www.fratellifresh.com.au/about_us.asp