4143 at the James Barnes

7.8 Recommended

Drinks  7      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  7     

This is a fantastic venue in an area which desperately needs more restaurants and bars.

Unfortunately, the food lets it down. We both ordered sirloin steak medium, mine was about an inch thicker than my friends and was bleeding all over the plate while his was grey and overcooked.

The service was excellent and the bar manager agreed our steaks were less than satisfactory and didn't charge us for them. I would return for drinks but would probably eat prior. Once they have ironed out the problems in the kitchen, 4143 has good potential.

Mar 29, 2012 

5.8 Average

Drinks  6      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  6     

Six of us enjoyed some tasty meals here one evening mid week. The place was relatively empty out in the back bar so we had no problems ordering food & drinks at the bar and receiving them quickly. Interesting setup with the outdoor front bar adjoining the car park. Pretty good value for what you receive overall. Not my sort of place so will not be returning in a hurry.

Feb 02, 2012 

3 Below Average

Drinks  5      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  1     

The drinks and the ambience are part of the reason why we picked this place for our work function but as soon as we got there, the service was terrible. Food took anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours to arrive with some of the table being served an hour before everyone else.

The line from the staff was "we got all the food dockets mixed up" was what we heard and then 5 minutes later the food was out, still very hot!

My meal was the fish and chips, which you would like to think that you can't go wrong, but it was over battered, over oiled and over cooked. Not even the side of garden salad could help drown this oil-fested dish.

Sorry to say, but we won't be coming back for the food anytime soon.

Dec 21, 2011 

5 Average

Drinks  6      Ambience  7      Service  1      Value  6     

A large group of us came to have lunch there, luckily we got in our orders before peak hours. Majority of us got our meals. However, the spaghettini with black mussels was quite small, easily finished the pasta in 4-5 helpings with my fork. Couple of workmates waited over an hour for their meals, and it never came. Service was terrible.

Dec 21, 2011 

8 Recommended

Drinks  7      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  7     

I heard about this new gastropub in Alexandria from a friend and was intrigued. It's a bit off the beaten path, so you have to know about it as there's nothing really around it.

The best thing about the place is the space. It's almost entirely glass, including the ceiling. It's a stunning space, very open and inviting. We went here on a Thursday evening, and while it wasn't very crowded when we arrived, it did get a little busier as the night went on. So there were plenty of tables to go around.

The wine list is decent, but the beer selection is limited as there are really no specialty beers here. After reading one of the reviews, I decided to try their wagyu burger. And being that somewhere else wagyu burger is my favourite, this one had some big shoes to fill.

The good thing is that this burger is cheaper than somewhere else (by about $10). While it was a very good burger, however, it was not as good as somewhere else (sorry!). So I would say that somewhere else has the best $24 burger, while 4143 has the best $15 burger in Sydney. Here, you could only get your burger cooked medium, while at somewhere else you can specify how you want it cooked.

Here, the burger patty looked to be machine formed into a perfect circle, while the one at somewhere else seemed to be hand formed. Also, the consistency and texture of the burger here was finer, whereas the one at somewhere else is crumblier and had more texture. But don't get me wrong, the burger here is good and is a great value for $14. My husband tried the chicken wings, and wasn't too impressed. Our friends who tried the fish and chips and rib eye steak were very happy with their meals.

All in all, a place worth a try with the best $14 burger in Sydney.

Dec 10, 2011 

6 Average

Drinks  7      Ambience  5     

I have been looking forward to going here for quite some time and was initially impressed by the venue itself.

Disappointed. I ordered my food and they forgot to give me my drink upon payment or even deliver it to the table. 40 minutes elapsed before I was presented with my food and it was not worth the wait. It was lukewarm, greasy and tasteless and in no way worth the price tag.

Dec 07, 2011 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Drinks  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  9     

Cool place - I thought i was in New York (sort of). Wed night ribs - $20 DONE. Excellent food - with added fries and a smidge of salad. James Squires Pils on tap which is nice. Not a massive menu but enough. Will go back and try a pizza or a burger. Not a fussy place but friendly, helpful staff I thought!

Nov 17, 2011 

2.8 Not Recommended

Drinks  4      Ambience  2      Service  4      Value  1     

I went here as part of a work function and it was handy for us because we work just around the corner. I found this place to be very upmarket and very expensive. It's in the wrong location to be honest, this place belongs at Darling Harbour. The cheapest thing on the menu was $16 so I waited until I got back to Newtown to eat something. The drinks are expensive, and they turned the Atm off, so most of us could not get any cash out. Everytime we went up to the bar we had to use the eftpos machine, it was very frustrating to say the least really.

Oct 06, 2011 

6 Average

Drinks  7      Ambience  6      Service  3      Value  8     

We have been here twice now. Our first experience as a table of four was pleasant although the room was very cold. Food was of a good standard, good value, with above average service. The wine list is ok with plenty of by the glass options. We thought great, finally a decent place we can walk to.

We came back about two weeks later to try the new $20 ribs deal, as a couple. It was a warm night so we sat outside. My partner ordered a bottle of wine which was opened and placed on the bar and then she ordered the ribs. It was 7 pm and they had just ran out of ribs. She asked if there was anything else that was on offer as we had returned specifically for the ribs.

Staff made a lame joke about cutting out their own ribs but no other menu items were offered at a discount. We left the already opened bottle of wine and went to Newtown instead.

We were disappointed the way this was handled as we intended to return for the ribs the following week with friends if they had been good. An alternate offer on the evening would have still provided them with a sale, including the already opened wine and happy customers.

Sep 15, 2011 

7.5 Recommended

Drinks  7      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  8     

Pros: Quality dishes at reasonable prices, Smaller sized dishes are still fairly decent in size, Nice décor and atmosphere, Plenty of outdoor and indoor seating, Car parking available. Suitable for private functions.

Cons: A bit in the middle of nowhere for most people, Probably limited public transport so would need to drive

Must try: Seared scallops on pea puree with chorizo, Affogato with Belgium white chocolate ice cream and Frangelico, Revisiting to try the cocktails with a designated driver.

Worth Trying: Wagyu burger, Braised lamb shank, Bread and butter pudding.

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Jul 19, 2011