La Botte Da Ercole Willoughby, Sydney

User Reviews of La Botte Da Ercole, Willoughby

Displaying: 1 - 10 of 32 reviews

9 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 9 Service 9 Value 9

Can't recommend this place highly enough! Service is attentive and friendly and you feel like you're eating in your Italian Nonna's house (if you had an Italian Nonna!) The garlic prawns are consistently good and the vanilla panna cotta is worth the drive alone. I'm always a satisfied customer.

Feb 22, 2012

Meba
3

4.3 Below Average

Food 5 Ambience 6 Service 3 Value 3

Don't do it. Went here on the weekend with friends and left very disappointed. The portion sizes are small and the aim seems to be to extract as much money from you as possible. My 6 year old daughter asked for an apple juice. She was told they didn't have any but did have a fizzy one. We agreed but were horrified to discover on the bill the fizzy one was $10. Who in their right mind offers a child a $10 drink? My husband also asked when we arrived if they were BYO the answer was 'yes' not 'yes but wine only'. Also then horrified to discover a $6 corkage charge on a tiny bottle of beer. They also put the $6 corkage on a bottle of beer purchased from them! The woman serving us seem displeased to be questioned. Food portions are also tiny for the price being paid. You can definitely get better elsewhere.

May 16, 2011

KLO8
1

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 10 Service 9 Value 8

We been to La Botte with some friends. The food is surprisingly good and so is the atmosphere and the service. Prices are average like any other Italian restaurant. The owner "Ercole" wich is Italian for Ercules has got a very strong but welcoming attitude exactly what you expect from a pure breed 100% italian restaurant owner. Thanks Ercole, we will be back soon and on a regular base, we finally found a really nice Italian restaurant which is very rare
to find nowadays.

Apr 05, 2011

frustanera
5

7.5 Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 7 Service 7 Value 7

Have been coming here since I was born (21 years). Less so after the price increases of 2000 but still a few times a year. We love La Botte! The food is delicious, I love the Gamberi and the Agnolotti alla Botte.

For dessert we alternate between the home made tiramisu etc and the gelato, which we always had when we were younger. Staff are friendly but service can be a bit slow when it's busy. Tables are very close together but all up highly recommended.

Dec 31, 2010

sydska
17

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 9 Service 9 Value 8

Consistently good food. Staff always friendly and has a strong family/local feel.

Apr 26, 2010

mbenham
4

8 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 8 Service 8 Value 8

Haven't been since I worked in Willoughby 10 years ago. Pretty sure its the same owner, what a character. Loved it. Food was delish. Service was friendly, staff really welcoming and were great to my 3 year old daughter. Its got a nice feel to it and the sort of place you want to return too. Not a cheapie but not too pricey and good value when you consider the quality of the dining experience.

Mar 13, 2010

primeate
3

7.3 Recommended

Food 6 Ambience 9 Service 8 Value 6

Four of us visited on a Sunday evening just after New Year. Other local restaurants were very quiet, but Ercole's was full, including the outdoor seating on busy Willoughby Road. This in itself is testimony to the overall standard. The service was quick, friendly and helpful. The food was good but rather expensive. But the atmosphere is outstanding for a local Italian restaurant. This makes your meal an "occasion".

Jan 04, 2010

Neville
33

7 Recommended

Food 7 Ambience 7 Service 7 Value 7

I eat here when I need my fix of spaghetti with prawns and chilli. Yum! Always a great night with fresh tasty food.

Aug 03, 2009

bauer60
22

3.8 Below Average

Food 4 Ambience 4 Service 4 Value 3

I found Ercole the senior staff to be really rude. He doesn't seem to have time for new comers especially those he thinks aren't from the local area or don't look the assimilable anglo part. As for the food, it is rough italian home cooking but tasty nevertheless.

The pizzas and pastas are average but the mains can be interesting and worth coming to the restaurant for. The tiramisu was dry and average, other desserts come from a gelati provider, not made at the restaurant. Best the North can do for Italian? I'd rather hoof it over the bridge for real Italian in Haberfield and/or other areas of Sydney.

Jul 29, 2009

Oke
1

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 9 Service 10 Value 8

Growing up locally (even delivered the paper here!!) have known the restaurant and staff for many years. My family eats here, our friends and am always recommending it to newcomers. The food is always amazing, be it pizza or pasta. Washed down with a pinot grigio (wine list is good but BYO is also available) its hard to beat. Ercole is a truly great host and I love coming back for visits time and time again. It is a little pricey but I've never walked away without a smile on my face and a belly full of delicious food!

Jul 14, 2009