Kirribilli Club

7.3 Recommended

Drinks  6      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  7     

Always a good value, pleasant environment with reasonable quality, tasty food and nice staff. Always very clean and neat and timely.

Mar 10, 2012 

4.8 Average

Drinks  6      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  1     

Great location, fine service, great views, generally a nice place to sit and have dinner. But the price is on a par with some pretty darn good restaurants and the food is not of a particularly good standard. If it was half the price (which as a member you get some good two-for-one deals) it would be about right but for this money I'd head somewhere else for a much better meal and even better views.

Sep 14, 2011 

6.5 Recommended

Drinks  6      Ambience  9      Service  5      Value  6     

I struggled to think of how to review the Kirribilli Club Bistro after having had lunch here in a large group for a friends birthday last Friday 29 July. I will start with the plusses:

Yes the ambience is lovely, the bistro decor is smart and upmarket, the menu was quite varied and there was not long to wait for food after ordering. Also the food was Ok: I ordered the hot/cold seafood platter for one, others had steaks, ribs, lemon sole, pasta dishes, it all looked very tasty and it was very well presented.

The minus factors included: soggy chips in the seafood platter, they were in a very deep bowl with all the cooked seafood piled on top so they sat steaming underneath it all, also the calamari was very rubbery. The service at the bar was a bit lazy, I stood and waited for quite a while as two servers finished their happy/giggly/flirty conversation near the coffee machine.

The wine list was not thrilling or even mildly inspiring, quite boring and overpriced too boot. The service on the bistro floor was dismal: our group sat with dirty plates in front of us for at least 40 minutes as servers wiped down empty tables around us.

I asked one of them to come and clear ours and she said she would but after five more minutes of waiting I took matters into my own hands and started clearing them myself on to a table behind ours, well that certainly got them moving, they suddenly swooped on our table and cleared it all away: but as I said, it was after 40 minutes and took 2 not very subtle hints to get them to move.

For value I gave a just above average of 6 points because the seafood platter for $37 was good but had soggy chips and too much rubbery calamari. I would estimate that $30 for this dish would be closer to the mark for good value.

It must seem like I am nit-picking to the extreme here but I just expected more from this Bistro. It was not awful by any means but neither was it fantastic nor did it represent sensational value, a pity for a place with such a lovely location facing the harbour. I strongly doubt that I would choose it for a return visit.

Aug 03, 2011 

7 Recommended

Drinks  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Keep in mind this is a club - the food is of a high standard for club food and are priced as such. I generally stick with seafood or steak and these are usually very good. The view is unbeatable if you can get a seat outside but get there early as it can be busy, especially on a Friday.

Jun 09, 2011 

7.8 Recommended

Drinks  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

Dined at the Kirribilli Club last saturday night with a large group of 20 work colleagues for a farewell. We had a $ 38.00 2 course set menu with a choice of entrees and mains. All commented on how enjoyable their meals were and how efficient they were to take our orders and deliver. Great view to top things off. Will definitely be going back with my family.

Jun 06, 2011 

4 Below Average

Drinks  5      Ambience  5      Service  5      Value  1     

Asian tasting platter was very disappointing, the Thai fish cakes were like rubber. Moving on to the seafood platter, things didn't improve, it was more a chip platter. Two fresh prawns and a slimy piece of smoked salmon. Great location but its still just a club dressed up in Gucci.

May 15, 2011 

6.5 Recommended

Drinks  7      Ambience  8      Service  6      Value  5     

Went there on Saturday night. Meals came out in dribs and drabs, mine finally came out after everyone else had finished eating! It was only lamb kebabs + rice + salad (Lamb souvlaki), but was terrible, tough not tender and marinated in a bottled sauce! Steaks were hotchpotch, 'rare' ones were cooked 'well done'. Prices were not cheap for an RSL. Steaks $25-$35. A shame because it is a lovely club.

Feb 15, 2011 

5 Average

Ambience  7      Service  4      Value  4      Food  5     

I lunched with four other gents as a Xmas treat on the balcony at this restaurant. It's a case of first in, best dressed as they don't take small bookings. The food we ordered was shared plates and foccacias to start followed by flathead filets, atlantic salmon (2), filet mignon, and my choice of "reef and rump". At $32 for a bistro style dish, I thought as over the top. Comments by the others were:- "nothing to write home about", "it was alright" and "flathead is flathead". The meals were ordered via the counter and an allocated number, but they were prompt in getting the order to the table. There was no drink service to tables however, which I found to be a bit annoying. In all, I would give the bill o fare just an OK.

Dec 15, 2010 

6 Average

Ambience  8      Service  5      Value  3      Food  8     

I went to the Kirribilli Club based on a rave review I read in the paper, however it only partially lived up to this. Yes, the views are spectacular, great drinks prices and it was easy to get a table. However the food was dreadful. My husbands steak was beyond well done (he ordered medium-well) and was so tough it was like trying to cut through leather. I ordered Risotto, and was by far the worst Risotto I've ever had. It was swimming in oil. Large amounts of it. So much so, i just couldn't eat it. Even the waitress did a double take when she cleared my plate. Overall, the food is overpriced and under delivers. Maybe I caught them on a bad night? I'll only go for a drink and the view next time.

Nov 09, 2010 

7.3 Recommended

Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  8      Food  6     

Been coming here for a few years now with the family, usually for a Sunday night early dinner. We love the food and there's always something for everyone (kids are 21, 18 and 15). I don't feel it has the usual club atmosphere and the food is definitely not your average club meal. The balcony is of course the prime place to sit with views across the harbour, but the inside tables are good too.

Yes, you have to order your food at the counter and go to the bar for your drinks, no big deal really. I suppose if you are there when it's really busy there might be a long queue, but we have never had more than one or two in front of us. Parking is metered on the street or in the underground carpark.

Sep 03, 2010