A local’s guide to Sydney’s Inner West with Chrissy Flannagan

Your business has always been synonymous with the Inner West. What do you love most about this thriving hub of creativity?  

It’s the broad and diverse community that makes it for me. Sydney’s Inner West is where artists start their careers and entrepreneurs open their first business - you can always find someone trying something new. 

Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst

The Inner West is known for its abundance of eclectic cafes. Where is your go-to for coffee in Sydney’s Inner West? 

I’m a non-coffee drinker though I’d have to say Small Talk in Dulwich Hill is a go-to in the area. Also, their house made focaccia is wild. 

From Xinjiang noodles to Nigerian jollof, you can find almost any cuisine in the Inner West. What is your favourite restaurant in Sydney’s Inner West and why? 

Although heavily biased, it is The Sausage Factory because there’s no place like it. With house made sausages and beer as well as Sydney’s finest and broadest selection of local brews, it can’t be beaten.  

Aside from this, my favourite restaurant is Stanbuli – a modern Turkish restaurant in Newtown. I love this place for its carefully crafted food presented joyfully. 

The Sausage Factory in Dulwich Hill, Inner Sydney

The Sausage Factory is Australia’s first ‘sausage cellar door’. Tell us more about the factory and what you offer. 

Sausage is Australia’s classic street food; we live for it. Here at The Sausage Factory, our sausages are made from whole cuts of high-quality, certified free-range meat mixed with spices. 

We also make our own craft beer called Sausage Queen. Queen beers were originally exclusive to the Sausage Factory on tap, until lockdown forced them into cans in mid-2020. These beers are off the beaten path, with an emphasis on native ingredients and less common varieties. 

The Sausage Factory, run by myself on the floor and my partner in the kitchen, is an incredibly intimate experience - we only seat 25 people at a time, so it’s a lot like going over to your mate’s house for dinner. 

Mary's Newtown, Newtown

The Inner West has its own unique identity and flavour. What are your top three must-dos in the neighbourhood? 

• Firstly, my sausage making class and lunch is an unparallel experience. Sausage making is very tactile and very few people have ever tried it before. You get stuck in, make a bit of a mess all while sampling Sydney’s finest beers from over 20 local breweries.  
• Mary’s in Newtown is an institution. Yes, it’s burgers, chicken and beer but they’ve elevated it to a level of perfection. I have done my research and that is Sydney’s best burger; and we take our burger offerings very seriously around here.  
• Another unmissable landmark is Conersmith  in Annandale. Owner Alex Elliott-Howery started out making passata with a mate and it has spun into a stronghold of pickled delights. Their cafe is sensational, and you can even take a picnic into the park just across the way - get your sourdough, cheese and pickle game on. 

Mary's Newtown

There are many fantastic farmers markets all over Sydney; for many locals, it’s part of their weekend routine. Where is your favourite place to enjoy local produce? 

Summer Hill Flour Markets are charming in that a lot of stalls there are just starting out and trying something new. It’s wonderful to talk to people new to creating, see what has made them so excited about the produce they’re making and to support their local business as it grows. 

Flour Mill Market, Summer Hill

Describe your ultimate day out in Sydney’s Inner West. 

Start by grabbing a mate and a hot drink for a stroll by the Cooks River Foreshore and greeting all the friendly locals and dogs as you wander. Then a class to learn a new skill like a quilting workshop at The Selvedge Society in Stanmore or a pottery class at Glost Studios in Dulwich Hill. Swing by Made590 in Marrickville for an outrageous new party dress, sneak in a cheeky nap, catch a comedy show at the Enmore Theatre and then late-night dinner at Pepito’s in Marrickville. Perfection. 

Enmore Theatre, Enmore

Do you have a favourite Secret Sydney experience you can reveal? 

Secret Sydney is in all the little places where you find Sydneysiders. We’re an incredibly warm bunch, born to chat. I’ll live in Sydney’s Inner West the rest of my life because I’ve never known a place to make you feel so at home.