Fresh User Reviews for BYO in Canberra

4 Below Average

Food  7      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  3     

Went to Mezzalira with four friends last night (25 May 2012) to celebrate three birthdays. Service was very poor with (mainly) surly wait staff sometimes deigning to 'do a favour' for patrons after numerous, successful attempts to (deliberately?) avoid eye contact.

Food was of a good standard, but serve size for mains was mean, even for nouveau cuisine. Ambience was good until the front door opened and the gentle five degree wind blew into almost the whole restaurant. Overall value for money was low, saved from very poor by the quality of the food.

May 26, 2012

9 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  9     

Lovely Sis Mantar and the best zucchini balls in Canberra! As a vegetarian there are lots of things to choose from, however, my boyfriend loooves the mixed grill.

May 26, 2012

3.5 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  6      Service  1      Value  2     

I have never been so frustrated in ordering a meal in my life. There were so many "House Rules" to follow to get your meal. One of our party was unwell and wasn't eating a large meal. An entree was all that they were able to eat. However, we were advised that you couldn't order a platter for two and an entree for the third person. All three had to get the platter. We also had to ask quite forceably to just get two mains and an entree.

Apparently the "House Rule" is that if there's three people, you have to order three mains. I don't mind there being "House Rules", but at least state them in the menu, or to the guests when they are handed the menu. One of the waiters was exceptionally rude, the other was polite despite the difficulties we were having when ordering.

I took two out-of-towners to this restaurant and was extremely embarrassed at the service and the extremely small size of the main meals (for the price paid). I will never take any guests to this restaurant again. It was good about 4 years ago, not so good now.

May 25, 2012

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  8     

Food was interesting and good. Service excellent. Pleasant decor. BYO, no corkage. Definitely worth a visit, we'll be back!

May 21, 2012

3 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  5      Service  2      Value  1     

This was a business lunch. Sad food, no service. I don't know why they don't switch over to a fast food franchise. Not Recommended.

May 19, 2012

1.8 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  1     

The waiter guy was really awful. He got our order wrong. After taking it back to the kitchen, he still charged us extra for his mistake！ No apologies, nothing. Do not go there, not worth the frustration.

May 18, 2012

6.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  7     

The food was delicious, this place has not turned me down like many other Indian restaurants have. The food quality was really good for what it was priced and so was the quantity. The naan-bread that I ordered was cooked well, nice and soft and the aroma of spices from the chicken were delightful. Though the wait-staff was polite she should be professionally trained to know some tips of the trade. Will definitely return.

May 17, 2012

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  7     

I'm not sure why there are so many bad reviews! Since I moved here from sydney in 2010 I have never had a bad experience! The food has always been excellent and the service is very welcoming and genuine.

May 17, 2012

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  6     

Food is quite nice but the crowded conditions and noise make the whole experience not so fun. They have packed in the tables and packed the chairs at each table so you've got your neighbours elbows in your meal, and can join in the conversation at the next-door table without raising your voice. It's Ok for a group but there's really much better Indian restaurants around.

May 14, 2012

7.8 Recommended

Drinks  9      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  9     

Fantastic laksa. Best in Canberra and indeed better than anything in Sydney too. We also appreciate the half-size laksa which is great for a lunch-sized meal. To be honest we've never got past the laksa so can't say much about the rest of the menu. The place is always busy, service is quick if not particularly friendly.

May 14, 2012

6.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  5      Service  7      Value  8     

A local cheap and cheerful that's always good value. The menu is the usual Chinese fare but the veggies are fresh and the sauces aren't gluggy. One of the best dishes is the duck pancakes. They also have an excellent laksa at lunchtime.

May 14, 2012

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

Excellent Indian, best we've tried in Canberra. They have all the usual favourites on the menu but there is real care taken with the balance of flavours. There are also a few standout dishes, the roast lamb with rum and the house special dahl (yes, the dahl is not just an extra but a must have!). Friendly and accommodating whether it's a quick Friday-night early dinner or a birthday celebration.

May 14, 2012

6.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  6     

A nice night out but it didn't quite hit the gourmet mark they are aiming for. We had 3 steaks ordered at the table, all medium rare. Three completely different, one well done because it was thinner, one medium and only one actually medium rare. Service fine but fairly casual in contrast to the prices.

May 14, 2012

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  8     

Wonderful mains! We loved the idea of the entree sized meals, basically a do-it-yourself degustation. Very finely balanced flavours in all the dishes we tried, just a delight for every plate.

Service was impeccable, best we've had so far in Canberrra. Friendly but unobtrusive, and amazingly prompt. We never had to wait for more wine, bread, anything. Only downside to the meal was the dessert, which was nothing special after the fabulous mains. We will definitely be back (though next time I'll have the cheese plate for dessert).

May 14, 2012

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

Ate there last night and have to say, great value for $. Food and service were spot on! Have been to some great places before but really impressed with this one! Highly recommended.

May 13, 2012

4.8 Average

Drinks  6      Ambience  6      Service  2      Value  5     

We went for dinner, not going to a show so happy for a long dinner and dessert. The food was good but the service was atrocious. They must have wanted to get home as we were rushed. Pushed to order the wine when only halfway through our opening drink, next thing it was on the table, opened!

The food came out one course straight after the other. When we said we would wait to order dessert, they were back in 2 minutes, we said give it ten, so they were back 3 minutes later and the desserts followed a couple after.

We left and went for coffee elsewhere. My suggestion, dine elsewhere, Canberra has plenty of choice with good service, don't waste an evening at the Hermitage.

May 11, 2012

4.3 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  6      Service  4      Value  4     

We had a group booking so only had available a limited menu. We found one entree didn't come out at all and when questioned afterwards told "we ran out of those" and on the mains some of the vegies were missing. Service was bad, slow and inaccurate and when we pointed out the problems were told "sorry about that" and No effort was made to make up for their mistakes and No cost reduction was given. We will never go there again!

May 10, 2012

2.3 Not Recommended

Food  3      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  2     

The food isn't great but it's really the bad service that put me off the most. My husband is gluten-intolerant and we picked this restaurant because it has gluten-free pasta available. We requested gluten-free pasta when ordering the dish but when it came it was clear that it was not. When I asked the waitress if it was gluten free she replied 'I dunno' so I asked her if she could check. When she came back she said it wasn't (making no apology) and when I told her we had ordered it gluten-free she shrugged and said 'Does it have to be?'.

I explained that my husband is gluten-intolerant and she then rolled her eyes and said 'You have to ask for gluten-free pasta'. Despite explaining that we had requested gluten-free she offered no apology. Such appalling service we would never ever go back.

May 09, 2012

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  6     

After reading all the reviews we were expecting something really good but we were disappointed. We ordered the banquet. The food and service were well timed, however, the food was average except for the entree mushrooms which were divine. The bread served with the dips was bland commercial lebanese bread and we found the amount of food for a banquet not enough.

May 06, 2012

8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  9      Drinks  9     

Just opened last Sunday at Garema Place Canberra City. Located at the other end of the Garema Arcade from Gus's Cafe facing the large screen and fountain. Like its name, the signature dish is Pho. The noodle staple of Vietnam. Small menu of delicious entrees and a range of noodle dishes. However, you cannot go past the soupy noodles. The soup base is as I tasted it in Vietnam and the noodles so soft and tender. I really evokes memories of the country.

There are two soup base used, beef and pork. Both are hearty and the servings generous. Add the crunch of the fresh bean sprouts and the thinly sliced beef you have the making of a wonderful meal in a bowl of contrasting texture and taste.

I've been back twice since it opened and tried the pho and hutieu (pronounced her tieu). The beef pho is my favorite but the hutieu was also very good. The later is lighter soup and has a hint of chicken. For someone who prefers a less complex and depth of flavor this would be the one to go for. For all the noodle dishes you can get a choice of noodles but traditionally its the thinly sliced rice noodles which goes best

My favorite entree is the BBQ pork patties which they call nem noung. The flavor can only be described as awesome. The taste is not spicy and there is a sweet aftertaste but its the texture and feel in the mouth that makes this a great morsel to bite into. Most patties just fall apart but this one holds together and has good body.

I'll be returning to try some more of the meals on offer. Hard to believe there is a real noodle shop in town! and such value for money

Opening hour unstated but from lunch to supper at 10pm, Monday to Sunday. Average entree cost $4.50 and bowl of noodle $12. Serving size generous.

May 05, 2012