Martini Bar & Restaurant

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  7     

Martini is in a nice loft style space, with lots of natural light and high ceilings, it was terrific at 7pm on a Summer night with a warm vibe about it. Wife kicked off with a cocktail which she loved and I had a cold beer.

Just shared the bread and oil to start, nice Italian bread and good quality olive oil. Mrs had the barramundi for main and she loved it, crispy skin and beautifully cooked fish with some beans underneath. I had the chicken which was really well presented and tasted great, had some mushrooms with it. We ordered a side of potatoes and they were excellent.

Didn't see any pizzas on the menu and I am sure they used to do them in the wood fired oven, shame as the street needs a couple of decent pizza places. Wine list is ok here but a couple of things were not available, overall service was pretty good, nice and efficient.

Feb 27, 2012 

4.3 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  7      Service  4      Value  3     

Vowed never to go back to this restaurant shortly after it opened, but some friends chose it for a gathering recently. Amazing how you can survive serving up ghastly food in a nice space. There's a nice, uncrowded atmosphere and it feels like a nice place to meet and eat.

However the food is truly awful. I had the whitebait fritters, which should be re-named green greaseballs, and the rabbit roulade - a stewed cricket ball would have been just as tender and more flavourful. The pushy-to-aggressive upselling of desserts, liqueurs and side dishes was also quite disturbing.

Fortunately, we were there for each other's company rather than the food, so it didn't spoil the evening completely. Next time this bunch of friends gets together, it will definitely be somewhere else.

Sep 30, 2011 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  10     

Came across this place the other night, for what you pay the food is excellent. Entrees and mains all reasonable priced. Will be going back.

Mar 20, 2011 

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  8     

Have now eaten here a few times in the past 2 years and generally enjoyed the experience. Only 4 decent mains on the menu at the moment; (purposely disregarding the pizza menu).

Arguably it is better to do only a few dishes well, rather than many dishes that are hit or miss. The prosciutto wrapped filet steak was generous & tender but needed more jus to allow for the filet drying as it cooled toward the end of the meal.

A relaxing ambience in the late afternoon for a drink at the bar before being seated (try the prosecco). However the balcony is not recommended until at least 7:30 in summer when the sun goes down behind the buildings across the road. The heat & glare can be a bit much.

Feb 27, 2011 

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  6     

Have been here a couple times now, absolutely love the pizza n their cocktail menu is great. Ideal for any occasion, and there staff are professional and accommodating. I will definitely be back in a hurry.

Feb 10, 2011 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  7     

I have taken my girlfirend here half a dozen times or more over the past two years and we have never been disappointed. The food is always delicious!
The service is great too, the owner/manager/or maitre de (not sure who) is great, always accommodating with any changes, recommendations, etc. Highly recommend.

Feb 07, 2011 

1.3 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  2      Service  1      Value  1     

Do not go here with a Jumponit voucher! It's an absolute rip off. We went there with 5 of us expecting a great night out. We paid the voucher in advance, booked online and had it confirmed.

We arrived and got told that 'they had been trying to call us but the reservation had been cancelled due to overbooking'. Which is bu****it, there were no missed calls what so ever, besides the place was only filled for a quarter. Our voucher has expired now, so we wasted 40 bucks. Terrible experience, will spread the word.

Feb 02, 2011 

2.3 Not Recommended

Food  5      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  2     

We went there a couple of nights ago, and yes we had a Jumponit Voucher. It was also extremely hot with the humidity at 200% (or thereabouts). First of all, when we called to make a reservation, the first thing we were asked was 'do you have a voucher?', when we replied that yes we did have one, suddenly it became very very busy and hard to get a booking.

Anyway, we were finally booked in on a midweek night, and arrived there to find the place only 1/3 full at best. We were shown to the farthest table from the window, and sat down. It was extremely hot, so I asked we could move outside to the verandah, where a nice cool breeze was blowing and there was an empty table. We were told, 'no that was being kept for other people who were coming in about half an hour'.

Well, bad luck we thought, pity we didn't know to make a reservation for outside, but will know better next time. The waiter took our voucher and we ordered. Then 2 ladies came in, and asked for a table, 'yes of course' they then asked if they could sit outside, the maitre d' asked if they had a reservation, I heard them say they hadn't, but he then proceeded to take them to straight to another table on the verandah!

Well that made me even hotter! Then a family who had been on the verandah finished their pizza and left, and a group of 4 people, who had been sitting near us, went up and spoke to the waiter, and wouldn't you know it, suddenly they were being shown to That table outside! They looked v v cool and comfortable. I then asked again, as the people who were supposed to go on still empty table obviously hadn't turned up, could we please have it, but again we were told 'no, that it has been reserved" (it wasn't even set up for dinner).

Getting very hot under the collar by now, we finished our entrees, which were really nice and tasty. But it was so hot we really couldn't enjoy the meal. Nothing if not dogged and persistent, we asked again, if we maybe could move to a table near the window at least, this time the waiter interrupted before we had even finished and said really rudely 'No, I already Told you the table was booked!'. I said, 'no, I've given up on that table, could we have one near the window? and Hurrah, we finally moved to where there was some cool air.

We had our mains, very nice too, and quickly left and had a coffee in Norton Street where people are polite and friendly to you. I don't think restaurants should go into any sort of voucher deals if they then can't stand the people who use them. I know I'll never go back there, even though the food was nice.
A most unpleasant dining experience. (when we walked past after coffee in a coffee bar, we looked up and saw the outside table which was 'reserved' was still empty).

Jan 29, 2011 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  10     

Went there the first time last week with a jump on it voucher, 4 people. We booked 1 hr before arrival, they did ask me if I had a coupon and took the registration number. Had a great table on the balcony, food was very nice and service spotless, we only paid $34 extra on the top of the $99 voucher and had great dinner. My friend also went there 2 weeks before me with the same voucher, she loved it too.

Jan 26, 2011 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  9     

We were entertaining guest at the Martini Bar on Friday night. The staff were wonderful in the way they organised a selection of antipasti and were only too accommodating with making changes to my friends dish because of her allergies. The sommelier was fantastic and knowledgeable. After reading the past reviews I was a little hesitant to go, but lucky we did. We have tried restaurants all over the world and found that Martini Bar was in line with some of the best eateries that provide a no fuss fresh and wholesome food.

Jan 24, 2011