Half chicken, off the coals
$24Brined overnight, roasted whole, then split to order so the skin stays on.
Fire-fed cafe
Chicken, cooked the slow way
Kindling Yard sits on a quiet stretch of road in Sydney's inner west, where the fire starts at seven and the bird goes on an hour later. We keep the menu short and the smoke honest. No shortcuts, no sauces hiding a bad roast.
A cafe built around one thing done properly: chicken cooked over hardwood coals, plated simply, eaten at communal tables under a tin roof.
From a share house to a corner site
Kindling Yard began as a wood-fired setup in a backyard, three chickens a week, sold to neighbours who'd wander over when they smelled the smoke on the road.
It grew because the bird was good and the price was fair, not because we chased trends. Eighteen months in, we found the current site: a corner block with enough clearance for a proper chimney and room for the fire to breathe.
The kitchen still runs the same way. One species of bird, one style of fire, and a short list of sides that change with what's in season.
We only had one thing to sell, so we made sure it was right.
On the menu
Four ways to eat well here, all built from the same fire.
Chicken and road-side slaw
$19A lighter plate for lunch, built for people eating at their desk or on the run.
Smoked wings, six pieces
$16Dry-rubbed, cooked low, finished hard and fast at the end for the crackle.
Roast chicken broth
$12Made from the bones of the day before, so nothing here goes to waste.
I've walked past better-looking cafes on this road, but none of them smell like this one.Regular customer, Enmore
You asked, we answered.
Practicalities
Do you take bookings?
We hold four tables for groups of six or more; everyone else is first come, first served.
What are your hours?
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 7am to 3pm, closed Mondays for cleaning and prep.
Is there parking nearby?
Street parking runs along the road out front, with a two-hour limit on weekdays.
Can you cater for allergies?
The brine contains no nuts or dairy; tell the counter staff and we'll flag anything else in the sides.
What makes your chicken different?
We cook whole birds over hardwood coals rather than gas, which changes both the texture and the smoke on the skin.
Where we are
Find the fire
We're on a corner block just off the main road, easy to spot by the chimney and the queue at lunch.
- Address
- 69 Chisholm Street, Sydney 2020
- Opening hours
- Thu–Mon · 4:00pm – 12:00am
- Call
- +61 2 9324 5190
- [email protected]
