The Balkan Continental Restaurant

Ph: (02) 9360 4970; 209 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 2010

croatian/eastern european, $$ -
Open Lunch-dinner Wed-Mon till late; Licensed, BYO, Corkage $3 bottle; AE DC MC V, Seats inside 150, Private room 28, Kids welcomed

Mietta's Review
The smell of grilled meat permeates the place, a bit of an Oxford Street institution. It got a bit of a tarting up a while back - it may look mock-Sydney glam now but rest assured the grills haven't changed. Still, with the side dishes and the incredible size of the servings, it is quite a bang for a buck. The Balkan Seafood Restaurant up the road is a close relation.

Other published opinions

Sydney Eats 2008 "The original Balkan, serving Sydney for more than four decades, is carnivores' heaven. It's been spruced up, with a terrazzo floor, its pressed tin ceiling painted black and paper overlays on white tablecloths"

SBS Eating Guide to Sydney 2005 "It's been around forever (over forty years), defining for posterity the Balkan style. This is a smoking, sizzling barbecue restaurant where nothing is fancy but everything is just as it should be."

Sydney Cheap Eats 2005 "If the chargrilling inside the front window doesn't entice you, the smoky aromas of traditional Croatian dishes that have been cooked here for nigh on four decades probably will."

Daily Telegraph NSW Restaurant Guide 2004, Here you can watch meals being cooked in the front window on a charcoal grill. One of the first ethnic restaurants in Sydney ... with two other Balkans nearby the restaurant has taken to calling itself the Original Balkan Restaurant.