Kingfish Bistro

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  10     

Great food, great people, great service, overall was very happy with this place, really cool and mellow atmosphere, great for dining with your loved ones. Regularly dine here and satisfied with each meal, keep it up guys.

Apr 18, 2012 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

Came here for a birthday dinner last night and thought it was great. Reasonably priced and we couldn't fault the service, they were very attentive. For entrees we shared the vodka infused smoked salmon & an octopus salad, which was very tender, between four. This was with a view to trying something from the desert menu but we couldn't fit it in after our generous mains. We would definitely go back and try something from the ever changing menu.

Mar 03, 2012 

6.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  8     

Great $29 dinner special if ordered before 7pm. Nice food, nice cold beer, all round good experience.

Jan 18, 2012 

5.3 Average

Food  4      Ambience  7      Service  2      Value  8     

There were six of us, three couples, all local, two had just bought into the area. Cashed up and ready to enjoy we headed for disappointment at Kingfish Bistro.

Staff were welcoming, friendly and completely innattentive after we had ordered.
Food was fresh but lacklustre. Entree started well, I chose the Spanish white anchovies with camponata and salsa verde - delicious! Those at table were happy with theirs, except for my friend to the right, it took a while but eventually he found his salad under the oil, he didn't finish.

Mains were served in amiable time and I looked forward to my Panko crumbed Flathead Fillets with hand cut chips, salad and tartare. I shouldn't have.
Flathead is a delighful fish with a breaking wave slap of sea spray flavour and when cooked well flesh is succulent. Here it was cooked well, the panko crust crisp and crunchy, the flathead just, and only just, ever so slightly leaning towards dry but very passable. What was missing? Ah Flavour! It realy had none.

Perfectly fried bland. Thankfully my partner said she enjoyed her whole snapper, others had the salmon, the linguine and said it was alright. My friend on the right had the sirloin. He didn't finish. During all this we had polished off a couple of bottles of wine and were ready for more. We weren't asked and eventually we couldn't be arsed.

We weren't asked about Dessert. We weren't asked about coffee. Asking is obviously up to the customer, can we have cutlery? can we have water? Can we have some service?

Look, the prices are very good for fresh seafood and the wine list is excellent (would have liked to try some more, see above) but overall we were underwhelmed and have crossed this restaurant off the list. We won't be back. The best thing about Kingfish Bistro is the website.

Dec 04, 2011 

9.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

I've been to Kingfish Bistro on three separate occasions and each time it has been great. It really is a bistro in the true sense of the word. Fresh, simple and unpretentious. Best of all it's cheap – you could easily afford to eat here once a week as many locals already do.

Everyone seems to be talking about Kingfish at the moment, I think that's because it's different. It's better than a pub meal, cheaper than an over-priced restaurant and consistently delivers amazing seafood. I've noticed the specials board changes often too, so it never gets boring. The service is warm and friendly too. You can't ask for more than that.

Oct 25, 2011 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

Seafood is best uncomplicated. Service is exuberant, fast, attentive and knowledgeable. The menu is short, but covers all bases. The oysters were sensational. The calamari perfect and the Snapper crispy skinned yet perfectly moist inside. Finding Dominique Portet's rose on the wine list was almost too good to be true and the cheese board was well balanced. It's great to finally have an excellent seafood restaurant in the precinct. Highly recommended and good value.

Oct 22, 2011 

9.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  10     

We were really well looked after when we visited the Kingfish Restaurant for the 1st time. It is relatively new to South Newtown. When I mentioned it was my partners birthday they even gave us an extra glass of wine.

We had the pork neck and salmon carpaccio. As we are small and small eaters as well, we normally share our meals so we had our plate divided up between us and it was certainly more than filling and delicious as well. The specials were really good value and to top it off we had a wonderful sweet between us which was a white chocolate mousse with a vodka jelly.

Our hostess was delightful and a lot of fun. We would gladly return.

Sep 29, 2011 

7.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  8     

We dined at Kingfish on Friday night, calling for a last minute booking on Friday afternoon. The service from the moment you walk in is very warm and welcoming. We started our meal with oysters to share, which were very fresh and delicious. Entrees were a kingfish and oyster chowder which was creamy and comforting, with plently of perfectly cooked fish. Not overcooked seafood in the chowder as often it can be. My partners prawn and chorizo hotpot was tasty but I would have enjoyed a bit more chilli for an extra kick.

For mains we both chose fish, although there are non fish options. My tuna was delicious and cooked just right. My partner's kingfish was melt in the mouth beautiful. They clearly know how to handle seafood. The dishes are quite simple but with lovely fresh, seasonal ingredients.

The menu is small, which I usually like, I always question places that serve too many dishes, how can you keep supply and freshness if you offer endless choices? In this case though, just one or two extra choices for each course would be an advantage. I feel the menu is a bit too small.

All in all a really enjoyable meal and reasonably priced. We would definitely go back. We are locals and although I don't think it is a special occasion restaurant, it is great for a simple, good quality meal.

Sep 13, 2011 

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  8     

Four of us ventured out on Friday night looking for a warm and hearty seafood meal. We had seen this place on our travels around Newtown/St Peters and thought to give it a try.

We were all impressed with the meals selected. Especially the chowder that 2 of us ordered, very warming and spicy also. Yum. The veal medallions got the thumbs up as did the salmon mains. All up a big tick. Wine list is small but adequate and the price point is very good.

It was a little cool on entry but the heater soon kicked in and the ambience picked up. Nice background music for a change, I can't recall the last time I recalled that at other restaurants.

Service is prompt and attentive, not too chatty. Just right for the 4 of us as we like to explore the menu a bit. Value is excellent... mains @ $20-25 and good prices for the wine, especially by the glass.

Jul 05, 2011 

6.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  5      Value  7     

I had high hopes for this place but it has just fallen short on my two visits.

The first visit was in January, our table had a couple of different entrees besides some oysters which were pleasant as were the mains, the worst thing was though a strange gruff little man started taking stuff off the table before had finished our mains including our water glasses, we asked the lady who originally served us they were about to close as we wanted to have dessert and she said no so we then asked why this gentleman was packing our table up when we hadn't finished, she made sure she looked after us from that point.

The second time was election night which was very quiet, we were there at 7 pm and during that time there was only 3 other sittings during our stay, food was again pleasant without being mind blowing. The main problem this time was there was only one type of dessert on the menu [tiramisu] besides a cheese plate, 2 from our table of 4 wanted desert but they had only one tiramisu left despite only having served 3 other tables that night. Service started off well this night but fell away sharply later despite being very quiet.

Overall the food is good but I wouldn't say excellent, the service is a bit over the shop and even though I am not a big dessert fan it would be nice to have more than one on offer for those who do like dessert.

Apr 18, 2011