Tuga X Village

Petersham might be considered the heart of Sydney’s Portuguese community – but Diogo Ferreira has created his own little Portugal in Clovelly.

His cafe Tuga X Village (formerly named Village on Cloey) is kind of a hybrid of his Portuguese pastry business Tuga (only a couple of doors down) and the breezy cafe. The beautifully bright, white-tiled space has a cornucopia of house-baked pastries spilling across the marble front counter, which takes up half the small room.

Here, you’ll find foods that Ferreira has added to his repertoire over many trips to Portugal, alongside perennial favourites including Village’s ever-popular bacon and egg roll on house-baked Turkish bread. Ferreira is particularly passionate about the bolo do caco, a Madeiran sweet potato bread that’s cooked on a hot plate (a “caco” is a flat stone slab).

There might also be açorda, a rustic bread-based stew served with a fragrant garlic and coriander paste and poached eggs. Another Portuguese classic, caril de frango – a fragrant chicken curry served with bolo do caco – is also a sure-fire hit.

Tuga’s popular almond croissant is available, as are danishes, Portuguese doughnuts (bolo de Berlim), and, of course, pasteis de nata (Portuguese tarts).

You can order coffee at Tuga, then wander down to Village to collect it. Beans for milk coffee are supplied by Single O, while filter – available in a self-serve tap – is made with a rotation of single-origin beans.