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Bistrode

Overall Rating

7.1

 bullet Read 64 reviews 
 bullet Review this restaurant 

 

 

478 Bourke St
Surry Hills NSW 2010


Phone (02) 9380 7333

 

 

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Bistrode Details

478 Bourke St
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone (02) 9380 7333

view map Map

Cuisine

European, French

Chef

Jeremy & Jane Strode

Opening Hours

Lunch Fri from noon
Dinner Tues-Sat 6-10pm

Average Meal Price

$43 - based on one entree & main course only

Prices

Entrees $11.00-$17.00
Mains $26.00-$32.00
Desserts $9.50-$14.00

Licensed


Seats  40


Special Features

Child Friendly
Wheelchair Access

Notes

Bookings essential

 





Overall Rating              7.1  
 
Food                7.2  
Ambience                6.8  
Service                7.5  
Value                6.9  

 

Recommended based on 64 votes
(The Overall Rating is calculated using a Weighted Average)
       
 

 

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Awards

Awards 2010   SMH Good Food Guide 2010 - One Chef's Hat
  2009   SMH Good Food Guide 2009 - One Chef's Hat
  2008   SMH Good Food Guide 2008 - One Chef's Hat
  2007   SMH Good Food Guide 2007 - Editor's Picks - Favourite Bistro
  2007   SMH Good Food Guide 2007 - One Chef's Hat

 



Related Editorial Content


 

User Reviews on Bistrode


 
Displaying 1 - 10 of 64 comments
 
Page: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7   Next
 

 

 

Overall             Recommended
Food 6 Ambience 7 Service 8 Value 6

 

I took a friend there for his birthday some months ago and we went for Friday lunch, so it was fairly quiet so cannot complain that the kitchen was run off their feet. I meant to post a review at the time as to how relatively uninspired I found the food for the price. If you are paying this kind of money I think you should get more than simply the ingredients on a plate.

Maybe that's what "British food" is all about?! the produce used is fine but there seems to be little intervention by the chef to make it more interesting than what I can do/assemble at home. And isn't that why we go out, to have someone else cook for us and create some new culinary ideas? (otherwise we would all be eating at self-assemble Mongolian BBQ restaurants where you do it all yourself).

Good food prepared simply in this instance does not mean "classic", its just "simple" and uninspiring and effectively ordinary. Don't be blinkered by the chef's hat people to believe that this must be the Second Coming.
 
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mr mink  -   See my reviews 7reviews, 17 August 2010
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Overall             Recommended
Food 7 Ambience 8 Service 7 Value 6

 

Bistrode have introduced their series of Sunday roasts for $47.50 including a Winter cocktail and dessert served from 6.30 pm to help combat the Winter chills. Tonight's roast starts with a refreshing Stone's Winter Spritzer Cocktail served from large pitcher I spy on the bar counter. I'd happily have more of these which seems to have the right balance of alcohol and flavour.

After a hearty slice of bread and butter it's on to the main of Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding served with a side of green beans and roast potatoes. The roast beef is a quality cut of meat with thankfully little grizzle. The warm beans are nice and crisp although the roast potatoes could have been a bit more crunchy on the outside for the table's liking. Our English diner tonight has had better Yorkshire Pudding although I'm no expert and vaguely remember trying it once in the UK but can't quite remember what it was like.

For dessert we find the generous slice of Pumpkin Pie and Nutmeg Ice Cream an unusual choice which isn't really British in theme to match the Yorkshire Pudding and more American style. It has mixed reviews at the table but I sort of enjoyed it. I thought the thin light pastry was cooked beautifully and the topping added a nice crunch and taste, perhaps, more ice cream to finish it wouldn't have gone astray though.

My glass of 2004 Chateau Sainte Barbe Bordeaux ($11) was nice and quite light in taste. It was a filling meal so definitely kept me warm for the cold weather outside although I think it was quite pricey for a roast dinner. Service was attentive and fairly quick for the night although possibly felt a little bit chilly and insincere at times.

Simon Food Favourites food blog review
http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com/2010/08/bistrode-sunday-roast-surry-hills-4.html
 
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simonleong  -   See my reviews 13reviews, 12 August 2010
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Overall             Below Average
Food 5 Ambience 2 Service 5 Value 2

 

I went to Bistrode as part of a party of seven, and certainly won't be going back.
One of the parties was vegetarian and the daily rotation of the menu saw no published vegetarian mains on offer for this day, although the staff did offer two ad-hoc vegetarian options, neither of which we landed up selecting! This member of the party had a bowl of $10 chips for an entree.

I have frankly had better pub food than what was served up. Some food is made to order, and that is generally of a much better quality (and temperature!) than the pre-made dishes. Our party opted for a choice of the wagyu corned beef, sirloin, kingfish, most felt the food adequate, although not high-standard. I had the Toulouse sausages with baked beans, the baked beans were very dry and the sausage casing needing a steak knife to cut through, on top of the meal being in dire need to some mash potatoes to give it some body.

The ambience suffers enormously from an impractical layout, the point of the giant bar taking up half the floor escapes me and a heavy use of cold, austere surfaces. For an upmarket restaurant, the fixtures and fittings were very second-rate, and there were no sound-absorbing materials anywhere to cope with the venue's tendency to reverberate sound everywhere.

You literally could not hear another member of the party speak, and they're sitting right next to you. Additionally, the insulation is very poor: sit at the front of the restaurant in winter and you'll boil under the A/C, sit at the rear of the restaurant and you'll freeze in the rear section, which seems to be a reconverted carport! When diners started asking for their coats, you know it's cold!

The staff came in two forms: overly happy and helpful, or overly curt and pretentious. The venue did not represent good value for money based on the quality of its food, ambience and service.
 
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minrdi  -   See my reviews 3reviews, 17 July 2010
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Overall             Recommended
Food 8 Ambience 7 Service 8 Value 8

 

Came here about a couple of months ago, not in the mood to write an elaborate review but let me just say it very good food and service, the place is tucked away in one of the backstreets in Surry Hills and the inside is a bit crammed, tried their corn beef which I thought was very good. Will definitely come back for more.
 
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4dish1soup  -   See my reviews 20reviews, 03 June 2010
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Overall             Average
Food 6 Ambience 6 Service 5 Value 6

 

We dined here recently for my partner's birthday. Unfortunately, we were both really disappointed. The evening started well with a fantastic quail entree which was paired with an exquisite salad, but the wait staff were slightly invasive and we felt as though they tried to upsell and were shocked that we did not order dessert.
For mains we order wagyu corned beef big mistake! The dish was flavourless and highly over priced.

The restaurant promote themselves as unpretentious but I would disagree strongly and argue that it was way more pretentious than any other fine dining restaurant we had been too. I would recommend crossing this one off your places to try, you're definitely not missing anything but disappointment.
 
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Intrigued  -   See my reviews 4reviews, 30 May 2010
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Overall             Recommended
Food 8 Ambience 8 Service 8 Value 8

 

Dined last night at Bistrode with 3 friends. Perfect setting for a wintery Sydney night with the rain outside, we felt transported to a cosy London venue. The food was fantastic, chard and goats cheese tart for entree was delicious, duck and radish salad for main a perfect mix of flavours and the quince and apple crumble to die for (we shared between 3 instead of 2). Corned wagyu beef got high marks from the guys. Service was constant and friendly, and no patronising attitude at all. We will definitely be back and would recommend Bistrode in a heart beat.
 
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Urban Appetite  -   See my reviews 22reviews, 23 May 2010
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Overall             Recommended
Food 8 Ambience 6 Service 7 Value 7

 

Very simple food cooked nicely. Very quiet on the evening we went so ambience was slightly lacking. Took advantage of the BYO so value is good. Have to say the chips were the highlight, crispy outside and soft inside. Would go back.
 
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Diva.  -   See my reviews 7reviews, 13 May 2010
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Overall             Recommended
Food 8 Ambience 7 Service 4 Value 8

 

We tried Bistrode recently on a Thursday night with some friends. We had mains and dessert and went BYO (which they offer on Tue-Thu). Steaks were great as was the bone marrow. Desserts were also great, but the cheese was too cold. In addition my better half has an allergy to peanuts (intensely frustrating) and he ordered the honey tart with a salted peanut ice cream, but with vanilla ice cream as a substitute.

It's at this point we'll agree with other patrons/reviewers, Jane Strode was fairly patronising when running through "why" the tart was paired with the listed peanut ice cream etc and how the vanilla wouldn't work too well etc. which really peeved me to be honest. Bill was reasonable. I'd recommend the place but I'm guessing they aren't keen on changing their menu around, the only negative to an otherwise good evening.
 
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Blairegourmand  -   See my reviews 160reviews, 14 March 2010
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Overall             Average
Food 4 Ambience 7 Service 6 Value 5

 

Ok I had heard so much good reviews from friends about this restaurant. It was me and my partners four year anniversary so I wanted to take him somewhere nice. Now it all started great where we had the chicken liver pate with a glass each of a recommended glass of chardonnay by our waiter to complement the dish with was gorgeous.

Then our mains came out where I had ordered the corned beef which was just too salty to eat. I told the waiter and he tried to make me look stupid by telling me corned beef is cured and is supposed to be salty which I already knew. Plus they never arrived with our side of potatoes we ordered. Don't get me wrong, I love salt and salty things but this was unbearable and for them to claim as I'm ignorant was therefore unforgivable. Won't be returning.
 
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5473950  -   See my reviews 6reviews, 18 November 2009
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Overall             Recommended
Food 7 Ambience 7 Service 7 Value 6

 

Took my partner here for his birthday and we both really enjoyed the experience. We ordered the Wagu corned beef, yum and also the salmon. Both dishes delicious. I did the find the wine list expensive, apart from this though, the overall experience was great.
 
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orange12  -   See my reviews 76reviews, 01 October 2009
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 64 comments
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