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Awards
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2009 |
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SMH Good Food Guide 2009 - Three Chef's Hats |
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2008 |
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SMH Good Food Guide 2008 - One Chef's Hat |
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2007 |
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SMH Good Food Guide 2007 - One Chef's Hat |
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User Reviews on Darleys
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 41 comments
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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| Overall |
 
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Highly Recommended |
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Food 10 |
Ambience 9 |
Service 10 |
Value 10 |
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Simply the best meal I have ever had! Sorbet and oysters? Have to be tried to believed. Wine is way over priced but the food is worth every cent.
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nealo -
See my reviews 1 , 23 April 2009
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| Overall |
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Recommended |
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Food 9 |
Ambience 10 |
Service 6 |
Value 5 |
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My husband and I had dinner at Darley’s this week for his birthday. We were fortunate that we had a table on the enclosed verandah as it has a beautiful outlook over the garden and the weather was perfect that evening. The atmosphere was very special and gracious. Our waiter tried but was forgetful and our glasses remained empty for some time before another waiter asked us if we had a bottle of wine, which curiously was placed some distance away from our table and out of sight.
The food was of a very high standard as one would expect at this type of restaurant. For two courses each, one bowl of pureed potato and two coffees with one bottle of wine, it was a little expensive at $265 for two people. The wine is a little more than three times the retail price in a liquor store. However, it is worth a visit for that special occasion.
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Anne Marie -
See my reviews 27, 30 January 2009
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| Overall |
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Highly Recommended |
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Food 8 |
Ambience 9 |
Service 9 |
Value 8 |
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This restaurant is modestly expensive but top-notch. Great and inventive food although the seafood-stuffed zucchini flowers were slightly on the bland side. Wine list gets fairly stratospheric pretty quickly but we had the succulent Ashbrook Verdelho which didn’t leave the wallet too concussed. Poached apricot dessert is utterly brilliant. Intend to return for further adventures in palate-land. Highly recommend it.
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IrascibleEater -
See my reviews 4, 27 January 2009
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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| Overall |
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Average |
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Food 7 |
Ambience 5 |
Service 6 |
Value 3 |
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My partner took me here for my birthday as a special treat. We had heard about the restaurant and were attracted by the modern look of Lilianfels so were really looking forward to the evening. The first disappointment was the "olde worlde' feel of the place that the BMs simply can't seem to shake. Even though my partner had booked weeks before, and he advised it was for a special occasion, we must have got the worst table in the house.
I spent the evening looking at a dusty fireplace. It was the 13 Dec and Christmas carols were piping relentlessly and loudly dragging down an already shabby atmosphere. We asked for a change of music and were advised that this was not possible as the Chef is very keen on Xmas. We advised that it was not yet Xmas, we weren't there for Xmas and for about 15 minutes we got a break from it and then it started up again.
The food was good, but not worth $250.00 with just a couple of glasses of wine. We were not told at the time of booking that we had no option on a Saturday night but to have a 3 course meal. The "vegetarian menu" was scant. A real disappointment. Will definitely Not be going again.
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TamaraS -
See my reviews 7, 21 January 2009
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| Overall |
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Highly Recommended |
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Food 10 |
Ambience 10 |
Service 10 |
Value 8 |
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Romantic, warm, filled with charm and ambience. Darleys is definitely a very special dining experience. Walking in the huge wooden door, you feel like you are entering a manor from a time which passed over a hundred years ago. From the old chandelier lights, delicate tableware to the crackling open fire and the creaking floors, this is the real deal, set in yesteryear.
Whilst my experience at Darleys was for a work function. My husband is awaiting his experience with baited breath following my raves about this restaurant. The starter set a very high benchmark for an evening filled with a truly delicate tastebud experience. Jannei goats cheese with tabouleh.
For entree the warm beetroot and jannei goats cheese salad exercised not only my tastebuds but also had an amazing combination of textures in the mouth, furthering the whole eating experience. I was savouring every last fork full.
We also enjoyed a tortelini as an "extra" sent out by the kitchen. Again, it was the melt in your mouth texture, so light and delicate, not just the taste which left me talking about Hughes cooking since that very evening.
I enjoyed a most deliciously cooked snapper for mains, and was most disappointed not to have tried a dessert (due to a strict dietary requirement), as Hughes desserts have been raved about by other fellow patrons who have been fortunate to have enjoyed Darleys.
I would describe Hugh Whitehouses cooking a “Culinary Experience” as he definitely produces dishes which envelope your senses, from aroma to mouth feel and taste. His careful choice of local and fresh produce sets a standard of quality, which you cannot find in any city restaurant.
I left Darleys, walking out the door in a dream like state, as I considered the next opportunity I might take, to enjoy the very special Darleys experience once again, this time, with my special someone.
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marvinmini -
See my reviews 2, 23 November 2008
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| Overall |
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Highly Recommended |
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Food 10 |
Ambience 10 |
Service 10 |
Value 10 |
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As a chef people constantly ask me where I eat and how I rate restaurants. I constantly get asked for recommendations, I always start by asking how many $ do they want to spend, this is where you should start always there is no point going to a restaurant that a chef recommends without first determining how much money you wish to spend and also what you are looking for in cuisine. If you are looking to spend around $130 on food alone and you are looking for memorable high end cuisine than Darleys is the place for you.
I dined by myself and can honestly say that this was the meal of the decade for me. I took photos of everything I ate, contemplated every cut, every cooking process, every minute toiled in that kitchen over every minute detail that metamorphisised onto that plate, I rate restaurants based on value for money for what you get. If there is the amount of work gone into the dish as there is at this restaurant than $200 per person would be acceptable, and when you receive a dish and you are unable to critique it in any way than that is what you are paying for. Absolutely sublime combinations of texture and flavour, everything on the plate is exactly as it should be, PERFECT!
But don’t take my word for it go now empty the bank account, max the credit card worry about it tomorrow, this is the sort of place you want to be able to tell your friends you've been to.
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justice well -
See my reviews 10, 16 October 2008
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| Overall |
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Recommended |
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Food 8 |
Ambience 7 |
Service 8 |
Value 6 |
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Enjoyed a meal here with my partner recently during a mid week break. I have eaten here before several years ago and thought that it was fabulous. The restaurant has changed a bit, now the verandah is enclosed which takes away some of the character unfortunately.
The service was very attentive and what you would expect from a luxury hotel, but lacks a little character. The food was very good but rich and filling. The chef seems to like wrapping things in parcels. We were too full for dessert but had a cheese tart which was very interesting way to finish. I couldn't eat here very often, but it is ok for a one off special meal. I like my restaurants to be little more laid back when I am on holiday.
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Carol P -
See my reviews 5, 08 October 2008
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| Overall |
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Highly Recommended |
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Food 10 |
Ambience 9 |
Service 10 |
Value 9 |
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My husband and I dined at Darleys on a Friday night as part of a Gourmet Getaway Package at Lilianfels. Our first pleasant surprise was a note from Hugh Whitehouse in our room on arrival wishing us a good weekend accompanied by a package of "Aussie Dukkah".
The restaurant was fairly quiet for 7 on a Friday, the staff were perfectly attentive without being over fussy, and they obviously knew their product as they answered all of our (difficult and obscure) questions without batting an eyelid, my husband is a chef and I have food allergies so we certainly had a few!
The food, where to get started on the food? Sublime. Hubby started with the rock oysters, followed by the Hapuka fillet and then the clafoutie. I chose the spanner crab and prawn tortellini (which I have dreamt about since, one of the best food experiences of my life), followed by the duck and the coconut pannacotta. Neither of us could find a single fault with the meal, they were presented well, tasted exceptional and obviously used quality fresh produce.
"Value" might seem a bit down in other reviews, but I certainly think you get what you pay for. If I absolutely HAD to find a criticism, it would be that I personally found the lighting to be too dim, but I understand that is part of the ambience. Apart from that, Darleys would absolutely be on top of my "to-do" list for serious foodies.
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KLH -
See my reviews 1, 08 September 2008
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| Overall |
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Highly Recommended |
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Food 9 |
Ambience 9 |
Service 8 |
Value 7 |
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We spent a wonderful two and a half hours sampling the delights of Darley's winter degustation menu with matching wines. The highlight course for me was the snapper.
The matching wines were great choices though I would have preferred a less robust Pinot Noir as a segue between the semillon and shiraz. Portions were as expected for a degustation menu but enabled each dish to be enjoyed fully and left us satisfied by the end (in truth, the delicious pave dessert was disproportionately big and finished us off!)
Although I could not fully justify the price tag, even given that you are also paying for the Lilianfels experience and opulent surroundings, the dinner was a highlight of our Blue Mountains break and certainly a notch above most other restaurants.
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Adam G -
See my reviews 26, 01 September 2008
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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| Overall |
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Recommended |
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Food 8 |
Ambience 7 |
Service 9 |
Value 6 |
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We went to Darley's for my partner's 40th birthday recently. It was mid-week, so the restaurant was very quiet and the service very attentive. It was a really windy cold night outside and we had a cold draught around us, but we pressed on regardless because we didn't want to be camped on top of other diners.
We found the menu to be fairly restrictive, but the quality of the food to be very good. The prices are on the high side, especially the wine list which is incredibly overpriced when you know how much the same bottles actually cost. We'd go back, but only for a very special occasion as we found it a bit overpriced for what you get.
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weroona -
See my reviews 2, 06 August 2008
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