Welcome to The Horsley Drive, a stretch of road travelling through Horsely Park, Wetherill Park, Smithfield, Fairfield and ending in Carramar, full of character and charm.
The Horsely drive is full of food and culture spanning from boutique coffee roasteries, Italian restaurants, cheese factories and artisan gelato producers to name a few.
Beginning at the Goliath Coffee Roastery in Wetherill Park, start of your food adventure by trying a few of the different coffee blends available. Clarissa and David, the owners of Goliath, have spent the last few years perfecting not only their coffee blends but the space in which they serve the coffee. When you walk into the Brew Bar, your senses are instantly transported to a small Italian espresso bar in the middle of a metropolitan city. With a standing bar perfect for intimate conversation over a piccolo, and a large screen projector overhead projecting custom-designed graphics brings the entire Goliath brand seamlessly together – it’s a space that makes you feel so comfortable it’s a struggle to leave. Not only do Goliath run the brew bar, but they also supply their coffee to a selection of local cafes. The brew bar is open every Friday and Saturday from 8 am – 1 pm. We recommend heading in mid-morning to save yourself time for the other hidden gems along The Horsley Drive
After caffeinating yourself up, head down the road to quirky Italian restaurant Grano. The rustic-inspired Italian restaurant is fitted out with a selection of eclectic furnishing and old wares. The eccentric fit-out go as far as to have cheese graters hanging from the ceiling as pendant lighting and old stoves and fridges used for storage
The food here is second to none. The extensive menu ranges from woodfired pizzas through to freshly made pastas in house. For a light lunch we recommend the ‘Bomba Burrata’ – a simple pizza comprised of prosciutto, basil, oregano, and locally handmade burrata cheese to top it off. The delicate nature of the burrata makes for a light yet satisfying lunch.
Once you have taken in all you can at Grano, we’re going to continue down the Horsley Drive into Smithfield where you’ll stop off at a local cheese factory and shop ‘Monte Fresco Cheese’. Monte Fresco was founded in 2015 by Sam Montalto and is a true family affair. Monte Fresco is best known for their ricotta, but their cheese range includes a number of soft cheeses from bocconcini through to halloumi.
The shop attached to the Monte Fresco factory caters for all your cheese and antipasto needs, with a selection of hard cheeses, cured meats and jarred goods. Be sure to bring a cooler bag along if you are planning on buying some produce.
After filling up on all your antipasto needs, head on down to Carramar for some gelato goodness! With two gelaterias next to each other, you will be spoilt for choice with whatever option you choose. The first store, Art of Gelato Michelangelo Gelateria is the giant pink building, noticeable from a mile away. The Wes Anderson-esque building looks like something straight from Palm Springs California and makes the perfect backdrop for a photoshoot with your gelato.
The second gelato bar we would recommend is Gelato Bliss, although it may look a little low key compared to the pink palace, Gelato Bliss packs a punch with their flavour offerings. We cannot recommend highly enough their Gelato filled cannoli – a real crowd winner! If you are in the mood for another coffee, be sure to pick one up from Gelato Bliss – a stockist of Goliath Coffee.
The Horsley Park Drive, is a foodies heaven, a corridor of culture. The journey we have mapped out, is able to be done on a group tour, through Taste Tours, where you’ll experience the very best of The Horsley Park Drive. Take a look at their other tour options available to see if anything sparks an interest!
Horsley Drive runs straight through the Western Sydney Parklands, making for the perfect pitstop on the journey home. Referred to as the Lungs of Western Sydney the parklands stretch over 27km and is home to more than 60km of tracks and trails. The parklands also make for the most spectacular backdrop to end a perfect foodie day!
