Let’s get one thing straight, darling: if you’re looking for a sterile, soulless Midtown lunch spot to suffer through a sad salad, this ain’t it. Isla & Co. in Midtown is what happens when a Bondi Beach dream walks into a New York bar, orders an espresso martini flight, and bites you right on the arse with kangaroo-level chutzpah.
Yes, I said kangaroo. And no, it’s not a metaphor.
THE VIBE: The Aussie-bred lovechild of the Parched Hospitality Group—the same rakish rebels behind Hole in the Wall, Daintree, and Wallflower—Isla & Co. is more than just a pretty face. With locations in Midtown Manhattan (25 W 38th), Williamsburg, and West Palm Beach (for when your inner surf goddess demands sun and spritz), this place nails that elusive unicorn energy: laid-back yet hot, sophisticated but never snooty, and dripping in good taste—both aesthetically and gastronomically.
Imagine soft golden lighting bouncing off lush palms, the scent of fresh espresso and truffle fries hanging in the air, and a playlist curated by someone who definitely knows at least one DJ from Melbourne. It’s less restaurant, more mood board for the “hot but wholesome” lifestyle you swore you’d start living after last Sunday’s hangover spiral.
THE PLAYERS: Behind this sun-kissed food-and-booze fantasia are two swaggering sons of the Southern Hemisphere: Barry Dry, a Perth-born finance escapee with the kind of visionary panache that makes you wonder if all good business plans start with “screw it, I miss Aussie coffee;” and Tom Rowse, CSO and operations wizard, whose résumé reads like a LinkedIn success story with a splash of GQ.
Together, these two are bottling that warm, easy confidence of the Aussie brunch scene and pouring it straight into Manhattan’s icy veins. You’re welcome, New York.
THE FOOD: Here’s where the kangaroo bites. No, literally—there’s Kangaroo Tucker on the share plates menu. It’s punchy, flavorful, and not for the faint of palate. But if marsupial munchies aren’t your thing, the Mushroom Toast (a woodland goddess’s fever dream) and Kimchi Sambal Scramble (spicy, funky, and borderline addictive) will do just fine. Don’t sleep on the Mini “Big” Brekkie, which is like a morning-after hug wrapped in bacon and good decisions.
Sweet tooth? The Strawberry Cheesecake Waffles will make your therapist irrelevant. It’s joy disguised as breakfast.
THE DRINKS: If brunch is religion, then coffee is gospel here. Flat whites, mochas, Nutella-laced concoctions—your caffeine cravings are covered with the same care you’d expect from a Melbourne café, which is to say, obsessively.
But don’t get too comfortable. Isla & Co. shifts from coffee temple to cocktail playground come evening. Their Espresso Martini Flight is essentially the adult version of a juice tasting, except you leave with eyeliner smudged and one step closer to texting your ex.
The East Side Spritz is a sassy garden party in a glass, while the Basil Gimlet could charm the pants off even the most committed vodka skeptic. And then there’s the Margot Robbie cocktail—chic, bold, and guaranteed to make you say “cheers” in an Australian accent after two sips.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Isla & Co. is for the girlies (and boys) who brunch, the suits who flirt with culinary rebellion, the creatives who drink mezcal on Mondays, and the wanderers who wonder if maybe, just maybe, New York could use a little more sunshine—and a little more kangaroo on the menu.
So grab your SPF, your sass, and your appetite. Because darling, in this jungle of concrete and chaos, Isla & Co. is your slice of Down Under heaven. Tell them the one with the cheeky grin and the dangerous heels sent you.
Isla & Co., 25 West 38th St., Midtown. 718-388-8935. isla-co.com.
