It’s not every day you go to a restaurant and leave with such a good vibe inside and out that you can’t wait to show it off to all of your friends and family. The Two Wolves Community Cantina in Chippendale is certainly one of those places. It embodies everything you want in a dining experience – a warm and welcoming atmosphere that feels like home, amazingly friendly staff, and of course, delicious food.
But on top of this (and this is where the good vibes kick in), The Two Wolves Community Cantina is a not-for-profit eatery and bar founded by The Cardoner Project, meaning most of the staff are student volunteers, all of the food is created with love and most importantly, all of the surplus funds are sent to disadvantaged communities in places such as Thailand, Vietnam, Ecuador, Nepal and also right here in Sydney.
The venue itself is a melting pot of the rich faith and cultures that The Cardoner Project supports, with artifacts from around the world, laid-back traditional tunes, and large communal tables designed to encourage enthusiastic conversation and sharing of the amazing street food on offer.
Some of the multicultural goodness on the menu includes Pope Francis’ spicy empanadas, bun thit nuong (rice noodles w/ grilled meat and fresh herbs), Vietnamese chicken, lemongrass and sweet potato curry, and Korean fried chicken. Paired with local wines, beers and a seemingly never-ending supply of sangria, you may need to be reminded to save some room for the dessert menu, with our favourites being the black sticky rice with mango and coconut and the traditional Eton Mess.
If you’re left feeling like The Two Wolves Community Cantina seems more like a polished inner city bar than a locally run not-for-profit, you’d be right. Volunteering their time and expertise to the project include a who’s who of industry heavyweights – Hotelier Fraser Short, (Watsons Bay Hotel, The Morrison Bar) café entrepreneur Ben Sweeten (Rose Bay Diner, Kansas City Shuffle) and a team of hotel designers and architects have combined their 55 years of restaurant and commercial knowledge to create a social enterprise unparalleled in the Sydney area.
Founded by Father David Braithwaite, he hopes the venue will become both a place to find community and to share meaning. “We want to stimulate creativity and deeper conversations about life. The venue is colourful, quirky and warm, and has lots of heart.”
So if you are all about cool venues, good food and helping amazing charities, The Two Wolves Community Cantina should be on the top of your list for a visit, and you can feel good in the fact that the extra bottle of wine you’ve ordered is going to a much worthier cause than just a sore head in the morning.
Address: 202 Broadway, Chippendale NSW (Corner of Broadway and City Rd)
For more information: www.thetwowolves.com.au
Facebook: /thetwowolvessydney
Instagram: @TwoWolvesCantina
To donate: www.startsomegood.com/twowolves
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