Al Aseel

5.8 Average

Food  6      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  4     

Mediocre in all aspects when compared with Al-Aseel Greenacre and even when compared with the local Surry Hills Lebanese restaurants it doesn't stack up. We were the only table on a saturday lunch hour (for a good reason).

Aug 27, 2010 

3.8 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  6      Service  2      Value  3     

We're Redfern/Surry Hills locals who had thoroughly enjoyed the Al Aseel experience in Greenacre, so we were very keen to try out the offering in our backyard.

Unfortunately, we were very disappointed. The service was unfriendly and completely chaotic. We waited over and hour and 15 minutes for the first of our dishes to arrive. We had to keep reminding the staff that the main components of our meal were yet to come, and by the time they did, we were so starving that we had eaten all the accompaniments already. The shawarmas were tough and un sophisticated anyway. We didn't receive any mint or other herbs which is the custom with Lebanese food.

Two of our dishes never came in the end, and by that point it looked like the kitchen had given up, so we asked for the bill, which still had those dishes on it and 3 extra drinks that we never ordered. When we requested a correction to the bill, the staff were completely unapologetic and even seemed to be suspicious that we were taking them for a ride!

What a let down. In all the time we wasted, we could have driven to Punchbowl or Greenacre and back, had a great meal and paid less.

Aug 01, 2010 

3.5 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  3     

Disappointing experience that will not be repeated. Rude service, arrogant atmosphere. Fatoush good but not the best, meat hard to chew, and dips too salty. The best part of the meal was the bread. The warak aneb (vine leaves) were Greek style (dolmathes), I though it was a lebanese restaurant. The couple dining with us ordered a seafood platter that was equally overpriced as it was overcooked with rubber octopus and flavourless prawns, the flavouring on the seafood as synthetic as the rubber octopus.

Terrible, but I guess that was our gamble ordering a seafood platter at a Lebanese restaurant that can't even serve up good Lebanese food. Luckily Surry Hills has a good variety of other Lebanese restaurants to choose from, this place is overpriced and tasteless.

Jul 27, 2010 

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  9     

We've been there a couple of times for lunch, once during the week, which was ok, second time on the weekend which was fantastic, food was really fresh and at least as good as the food they serve at Greenacre.

Jun 27, 2010 

4.8 Average

Food  5      Ambience  4      Service  5      Value  5     

I went here 3 weeks ago, it was fantastic the best Lebanese food I have ever had, the service was great, as of the below reviews, should relax, this place is great and we have been back now 4 times, do your self a favour and enjoy the food.

Jun 09, 2010 

7 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  8     

Fantastic food and a buzzy atmosphere (if a little loud at times). We have tried this for lunch (when it is quiet) and dinner when the place is heaving. Fabulous value for money and a perfect pre or post theatre supper, it is just two minutes walk from Belvoir Street Theatre.

Jun 04, 2010 

2.5 Not Recommended

Food  4      Ambience  3      Service  2      Value  1     

I've dined in many Lebanese restaurants throughout Sydney. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst. I went there with two friends on a Thursday night. The place was packed. We hadn't made a reservation but there was a group leaving as we arrived. So the wait was minimal.

We decided to order the banquet #2. It was $45 and seemed ok from its description on the menu. It took an eternity for the dips and salads to arrive. Luckily for them, these dishes were the most enjoyable. The Labne was thick, creamy and tasty, the babaganoush smokey and the fattoush salad was plentiful and tasty too.

I'm afraid it was all down hill from there. The remaining dishes were nothing to write home about. The lamb kebabs and chicken were dry and tasteless. The kofta was ok however. A fish dish was also ok but a dish of prawns and squid (3 of each since there was only 3 of us) was lousy. You get softer rubber from a shoe sole than the squid they served up. The ambience is awful. The background music was way too loud. It's not enjoyable when you have to shout in a conversation.

The service was terrible. It took a long time for our dishes to arrive. But this was at odds with some of the wait staff who were always eager to remove plates from our table that still had food on it. We couldn't work that one out. For a while it seemed we had reached the end of the banquet (since no food had arrived for quite some time). Luckily one of my friends grabbed a menu and we discovered there were 3 more dishes to arrive.

Moments later, the waiter begins to clear our table. We told him (or rather shouted over the music) that there were three more dishes to come. He looked at us disbelievingly. He rattled off the dishes we did get. And then we ratted off the dishes we were waiting for. He didn't seem to take to kindly to that.

Anyhow, I don't know why we bothered. Of the dishes we waited for and finally received, the vine leaves were cold (I didn't know a Lebanese restaurant would serve up Greek-style vine leaves) and the felafel crunchy but dry.

We couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. It cost us $51 per head. We ordered some lemon drink which was $6 a glass. Now I don't mind paying $6 for a good, lebanese-style lemon drink. But this was so watered down it wasn't funny. Overall a terrible and expensive experience. There are many other fine Lebanese restaurants in Surry Hills. So do yourselves a favour and give this place a wide berth.

May 31, 2010 

3.8 Below Average

Food  6      Ambience  2      Service  2      Value  5     

We have dined at Al-Aseel, Greenacre and thought we would try their Surry Hills venue for a change. When we got there a few of our people dining almost slipped on their tiles. Their fitout looked more like a cheap cafe style. They had all uneven tables that didn't join together, wobbled around as they were not firm/even on the ground.

The theme was brown and beige, yet all the chairs were messed up in uneven colours. They had a table in front of the bar which made the place look untidy with stacked up bits and pieces. Very unorganised looking. They had an outside area which had water leaking inside. The staff were terrible. Didn't speak clearly, hard to hear them when responded to you, had to repeat yourself to them a couple of times, for them to understand, very unprofessional. The waitresses hair was not brushed. Just very untidy. Their menu reads on the front Al-Aseel 'Fine Dining'

May 24, 2010 

2.5 Not Recommended

Food  3      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  3     

Terrible. Obviously trading on the good SMH review. Packed to the rafters on a Saturday night, service non existent, had to go to the counter to ask to get wine, no menus, you just get what you're given, food appalling, tasted very stale, do not eat here. Couldn't even hear ourselves speak through loud music with belly dancers at 7.30 pm, speakers drowned out any conversation, easily one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had in Sydney. The SMH review went to their heads and they have no idea how to deal with it. Awful with a capital A, do not waste your time and money!

May 22, 2010 

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  8     

Went there for an early dinner on Wednesday night, the food was great though we ordered far too much. The trio of dips were superb, as was the country salad which had a massive amount of feta-like cheese. By the time we got to mains, mansaf lamb and wifey had skewered meats it was a battle to enjoy. Overall, would certainly recommend this place, but go easy on the dips and bread!

May 18, 2010