Black Pony Cafe

4.3 Below Average

Food  7      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  4     

I have been here quite a bit. The food is great (have only been for breakfast though), but, unfortunately, the service has slowly become worse and worse, one girl in particular has been quite rude on a number of my visits. It's a real shame, I thought it was going to become a regular diner, but I'm over the disappointing service. Don't think I'll be back.

May 04, 2012 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  7     

Finally, a decent place to eat in Coogee. I've been waiting for years for a local cafe to provide interesting food with great ambience. Love this place, have always had fantastic service by the chef's son who waiters there most days, has a Newtown comes to Coogee feel.

Apr 11, 2012 

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  5      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  2     

I have eaten here three times now although the food is pretty good, there are too many flaws to forgive the price you pay.

Firstly the coffee is very inconsistent, there is a boy working there who makes ok coffee but the senior staff does not at all. They charge a 10% surcharge on sundays which is illegal in NSW which surely they know so I don't know why they think it is ok to charge this. The dinner menu has No vegetarian main course option.

I popped my head in the kitchen and noticed the chef using hollandaise from a carton! For the price you'd at least think they would make their own! Their fruit salad seemed like it had sat in that counter for days, their 'fresh oj' is not freshly squeezed, the fruit toast is the same loaf you get from Maloney's a few doors up, yet they get away with charging the same amount for one serve as the whole loaf costs at maloney's.

The staff are always on their phone, the music is way too loud and eggs are served on the toast which makes it soggy before it even gets to your table.
Overall highly overrated!

Feb 16, 2012 

5 Average

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  2      Value  4     

Finally got around to trying this place for Breakfast and the food was really good but on the expensive side for breakfast, a 10% surcharge on a Sunday and to top it off they charged me for Ketchup! who charges for sauce in a Cafe? and the service was shocking left sitting there for 20 minutes until I asked if we could order. They need to rethink a few things like Customer Satisfaction.

Feb 06, 2012 

8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  7     

This place serves very good food for dinner, with an obviously well-qualified and talented chef, so I'll have to try B & L too. Agree with all below except 'service 1' below. Must have been an 'off staff' day, as we were very well looked after on a busy night esp. by the 'young guy' who is a true professional. It's BYO now, and I sure hope it continues to be (even if it's say $8 a bottle), after they get a licence as I won't pay 'Aussie restaurant prices', ie 300% mark up, for wine. Ambience is OK right now (not too noisy or cramped) and it'll be better with upstairs open. Dinner prices are as high as they can be, so hope they stay at this level for at least a year.

Feb 03, 2012 

6.8 Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  6      Service  1      Value  10     

This place has to serve The Best breakfast in Coogee, dinner is fantastic as well! The food is consistent, the menu has plenty of variety and most importantly, the coffee is great! But the service is Shocking! The waitstaff need to pay more attention to the patrons and less to each other.

Jan 20, 2012 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

I highly recommend this restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I have eaten all three here and haven’t come across a bad meal yet! The menu has some really interesting dishes and its so good to finally have a decent and affordable restaurant in Coogee. The only downside is the size which is a little on the small side but once they open upstairs it will be a winner all over! The service is good and really friendly too!

Jan 13, 2012 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

I began with breakfast and ended the week with dinner, walking away deliriously satisfied with the experience and very full bellies. The coffee is strong and made to perfection, there's certainly no mucking about, the service is fast and efficient while very down to earth, you're not just another person here, but someone they want to get to know.

I ate the french toast, only word to describe it was sublime, crispy, crunchy, fluffy goodness smothered in real maple syrup with the most perfect crispy bacon. Later in the week I ate dinner, starting with stuffed zucchini flowers which were again perfect!

For my main I ate the sirloin with paris butter, no doubt about the meat was tender and cooked to perfection, the chips the perfect morsels of crunchy, salty goodness, with green beans that were crisp and just lovely. The pannacotta for dessert with mango salad is out of this world!

The service is relaxed and fun, while maintaining a high level of efficiency, the young guy and the tall red head on the floor make for a killer combo! The place looks great, it's warm, and the music was cool, so nice to have something like this in Coogee, no longer do I have to go into the city to get great food!

Dec 10, 2011 

6.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  7     

A welcomed addition to Coogee Bay Rd. I liked the look of their breakfast & lunch menus plus blackboard specials. A pretty decent coffee served here with friendly and quick service. Has all the right touches to be very popular amongst the locals.

Dec 07, 2011