Bronte Road Bistro

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     

Came here on a Saturday night with some pretty fussy diners and we were all impressed. We all had different dishes, fish, lamb ribs (sorry can't remember the rest) and very pleased with the flavours, presentation, and how fresh everything was. Wait staff were excellent and the wine selection was great.

Feb 18, 2012 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  10      Value  7     

With Balzac and Four in Hand not having any tables available on a Saturday night we visited Bronte Road Bistro for the first time. The tables in the side sun room are a bit close together but this being a small place anyway you kind of accept that. The door to the toilets creates a bit of a wind tunnel so it sometimes get a bit fresh, even for a pom.

Between the two of us we tried the mushroom soup, set apart from the norm with yabbie tails, scallops, peas and spring onions, perfectly cooked and a good foil with the onions, grilled silver dory, again perfectly cooked with nice accompaniments, roasted lamb rump - a great winter warmer. We also had a few excellent Sydney Rock oysters, obviously freshly shucked.

The service we got from a guy from Glasgow was first class. You know that frustration when you need a bit more bread and you try and catch the wait staffs' eyes and it seems to take an age for them to notice you? This guy was ever present without being overly attentive. A rare and wonderful skill. I quite like their pricing model as well. Same price for all entrees, same for the mains.

So basically an above average bistro menu, cooked with skill, turned in to something very special by a true expert of the waiting profession. Take a jumper though. And agree with the folks saying BYO would be a bonus.

Jun 17, 2011 

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  6     

Had my second visit to BRB the other night, although that is mostly because 4 attempts to book last year were successful only 25% of the time. The reality of restaurant business has kicked in now though and a 5pm request for a Saturday evening table was easily met. Have to admit, we found our dinner there fairly average. It is essentially a neighbourhood bistro with city prices and why BYO is not allowed amazes me. This is exactly the genre of restaurant where BYO has become the norm, indeed expected, in Sydney. Service was efficient enough although we had serious waits for every course. Fish mains were pretty decent though nothing too memorable. Desserts quite ordinary. An after-dinner brandy was clearly on the measly side so we were happy enough to mentally subtract some of its cost from our eventual tip. Our request for coats at the meal's end was met with a trio of blank stares so we simply retrieved them ourselves - the service could certainly benefit from a polish here. While not terrible value, we felt that $200 for a shared starter, 2 mains, a dessert and drinks was getting up there for a 70 minute dinner. I suspect we will be looking elsewhere for future local dinners out.

Oct 31, 2010 

6.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  4      Value  6     

I had dinner here last night with my boyfriend. The Bistro is charmingly set out, it opens into a warm room and around the back, where we were seated, is a relaxed airy dining area with a court yard to one end. I ordered the streak and frites and my boyfriend had the kingfish. The steak was very tasty and the Macca-like fries were nice too.

My boyfriend thought his kingfish was a bit plain, but it was cooked well and the accompaniments were also nice, particularly the bacon flavoured potato cubes. However, the serving sizes were a bit small, and while we were both content, the mains did not satisfy. Though the main drawback for us was the service. Our waitress was not very friendly and seemed rather short with us. She was a bit pushy about getting us to order more-entrees, wines, desserts, etc.

It did not seem enough to just order mains. Overall, the food here is good but not memorable, and not enough to make up for the service, so we will not be coming back.

Oct 23, 2010 

9.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  9     

For me and the kids, food is king. For the wife, service is king. We were all very happy with our visit to Bronte Road Bistro.

The food here was just awesome. I had the duck, and apart from the funny-looking and bitter-tasting vegetable (wtf is witlof?) that sat on the side, the dish was delightful. The duck was tender, juicy and tasty. The duck sat on a bed of a barley-like substance (I'd never heard of farro either!) that had the most amazing texture when combined with the juicy duck. This was certainly a great meal.

The wife had the steak and chips. This came with a slap of this really tasty butter concoction that gave a simple meal some real depth and pleasure. 'Chips are just chips!' I hear you say! No, these were pretty good. Thin. Crispy. Perfect.

The 8yo daughter, who only eats once or twice a month, devoured her gnocchi. I didn't try it only because when she does decide to eat, it is so rare, that I prefer her to eat everything she possibly can! She just loved it. And I also liked the way that they gave her a kids sized portion of the meal.

For dessert, I had the chocolaty thing. It was warm and fuzzy and nothing like I expected. Initially it was a bit bitter, kind of like a 99%-cocoa-kind-of-chocolate. But then, it just grew on me. The ice-cream/sorbet thing that was on the side really gave it what it needed. Now, this was really a crowd pleaser.

I will be going back here, and I will be recommending the Bronte Road Bistro. Oh... forget to mention the bread. I had never thought that I could recommend a restaurant just because of it's bread. Amazing bread! Oh... and... not that it matters to me, but my wife was most delighted with the service.

Aug 19, 2010 

9 Highly Recommended

Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9      Drinks  9     

I'm a bread person and to be honest, I'm keen to try this place cos they carry Iggy's bread. I've never tried Iggy's bread before, but I read how good it is and I tell you, it does not disappoint! At $1/piece, it's a total steal and it comes with olive selection too!

To make the whole trip even better, the food was great! We girls had the black squid risotto as entree. It was the special of the day. We also had another with goat cheese in it (not a fan, but the other 2 are). The risotto was a delight! It's creamy and I love the deep fried squid tentacles that are sprinkled on it. The overall taste is just sublime! It's a pity that it comes in entree size. I would happily have that as a main course!

For the main, we tried the fried steak. My girlfriend read that it's a worthwhile dish to have, and indeed it is..! I love the charred exterior combined with the juicy centre. The fries came in heaps, which is supposed to be a good thing cos they're done just like the way I like them, i.e. crispy on the outside, and soft-hollow in the centre. However, I was so full and I had to leave more than half untouched. Total waste!

Regardless, we still have space for dessert! We had the chocolate molten cake with blood orange ice cream. They're ok.... but I've had better. The coffee was organic coffee and it's one of the best I've ever tasted. Smooth and pure taste of coffee. A pleasure to end the meal.

Service was professional and quick. Ambience is just perfect for chat session, it's a place where you wish the time would stand still so you can stay there forever! I'd definitely be back and soon!

May 23, 2010 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  7      Drinks  8     

I really like this place. Its got a great atmosphere, very relaxed and tasteful, not too many tables all bunched in on top of each other. I have eaten here about 5 times. The food has always been good. The service friendly and professional. This place has customers any night of the week which is always a good indicator.

Apr 18, 2010 

5 Average

Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  2      Drinks  4     

Tried it twice and still a little disappointed. Fish under-cooked and had to be returned. The same piece of fish came back, now cooked but looking a mess (should be replaced, it was their mistake but we pay). Too much salad dressing on the salad, why not ask or have it separated? One small piece of bread and no side plate, it's all a bit mean. Attentive service but not enough to compensate for lacklustre food and poor value.

Apr 02, 2010 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9      Drinks  7     

This a fantastic local restaurant. We've been about 6 times since it opened and have always been impressed. The ambience is great (especially if you can get a seat in the front room near the bar). The menu is relatively small, but it does change regularly. We always order the chacuterie plate to start, which has a great mix of cold meats and pate to nibble on (get some of the house bread to go with this).

I've tried lots of their main options and have always been happy. The steak frites is always good if you are hungry. Staff are great. All in all, this is a great neighbourhood restaurant. Highly recommended.

Mar 30, 2010 

9 Highly Recommended

Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  9      Drinks  10     

Love the place. Keep coming back for the scallops and steak! The manager, Stewart remembers what we'd like and can recommend a brilliant wine to suit our tastes every time. The service is always attentive and while we're packed in fairly tight, the atmosphere makes us feel welcome. The hardest choice whether to walk here or to Sauce at Coogee for a steak, good problem to have!

Nov 11, 2009