Scarlett Restaurant

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  7     

Very good time was had here. Our mains were perfect along with the attentive service and lovely setting. The Live music and complimentary canapes were great.

Mar 28, 2011 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

Enjoyed a quick dinner at Lanes recently before a show at the Opera House. Fish was cooked perfectly and service was very attentive and professional. Lovely location, would not have found it except for Viva Sydney promotion, which made meal very good value. We chose to sit outdoors on a deck overlooking a laneway which was just lovely (in August). Would happily recommend Lanes.

Aug 25, 2010 

6.5 Recommended

Food  5      Ambience  6      Service  9      Value  6     

Went to this restaurant last Saturday for dinner. I used the Viva Sydney's promotion and made a reservation a couple of days in advance.

First I'll start with the good, the place is tucked away in one of the back lanes in The Rocks, nice and quite, I can see how someone would want to come here for a quite Sunday lunch, especially if you are already staying at the hotel.

Service was great, the two staff members who waited on us were both attentive and courteous, the girl always filled our glasses with water and the waiter was very professional (a bit more on this later).

The bad, we ordered a caesar salad and a prawn with rice as entrees, both of which are not too bad to be fair but ordinary. I reckon I can make a better caesar at home myself with the right ingredients. Now the shocking part, my sister found a little piece of paper, it wasn't big so I thought I'd let it go, I told her to just pick it out and put it on the table.

A couple of spoonfuls later, she found another piece of paper this time the size of 10 cent coin with the word "salt" written on it. That's when I felt I had to say something, I called the waiter over and complained to him, the nice young man took it away and came back a couple of minutes later and told us they'd make us a fresh one and we wouldn't be changed for it.

Anyway, to make the whole story short we finished our meal feeling full but very unsatisfied. The mains (fish and chips and steak) were a let down, I didn't finish it but I don't like wasting food so I asked for a takeaway container. The bill came to $39 with no charge for the salad and the buy 1 main get 1 free promotion. It was pretty cheap considering the location but I would have never found out and gone there if it wasn't for the promotion. I think you can definitely have a better meal else where for a similar price. If you are to pay the full price, it's definitely not worth it.

All in all thumbs down from me, don't think I'll be going back anytime soon.

Jan 13, 2010 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

I eat here quite often, not because its the best at anything really but because its dependable. Solid unadventurous hotel menu with well cooked comfort food in huge quantities combined with attentive service. Unpretentious and likeable because of that. Great cheese selection that changes regularly, if you can find any space for it.

Oct 20, 2009 

5.5 Average

Food  5      Ambience  9      Service  4      Value  4     

After reading a few reviews of Lanes, I was expecting a lot more. We arrived at around 7pm, and there were about 5 tables occupied in total, however somehow it took the waiter 15 minutes to even approach us with a menu!

I wanted to order the lasagna, but was told that "the last slice had just been dished up", so ordered the risotto with my mum. Hardly any flavour at all in this - rice was clearly cooked in just water (no stock) and tossed together with a few vegies.

Overall, the service was terribly slow (although nice staff), and the food was nothing to rave about - would opt for a home cooked meal rather than wasting money on a tasteless dish. The ambience was lovely though (surrounding the rocks), and for this reason, I would recommend Lanes for a quick coffee break only.

Feb 22, 2008 

7.3 Recommended

Food  4      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  7     

Reasonable prices, top service, the balcony was lovely but the food was quite bland. I had the risotto special & there were no spices or herbs what-so-ever, just plain risotto, bacon, parmesan cheese & steamed brocolli. The portions were large though.

Definitely needs more inspiration in the food department but everything else was great.

Jan 23, 2008 

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

On a busy Friday night when most restaurants were full, this hotel said they could find us a table in 20mins if we would like to have a drink in their lovely lounge while we waited. The staff were obviously busy but this in no way affected the service.

The food was excellent & we can highly recommend the lamb shanks (don't have starters as the mains are huge!). The steak with mustard sauce was also very good. We chose what turned out to be a great red at a reasonable price cab merlot(Smith & Hoopers 2005). We will definitely be back!!!

Nov 25, 2007 

6.5 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  7      Service  5      Value  8     

Despite the food and menu being standard hotel fare, the lovely relaxing ambience makes it perfect for a private get-together. Value-wise, this is what it seem, a mid-range dining experience with a price to match. An over-hanging tree on the veranda makes for a great setting for any meal, as does the polite service.

For our meal, however, problems kicked in at the kitchen. One of our mains became forgotten despite the general scarcity of customers and the delay for the others meant for a slow meal. The food quality is fairly stock-standard with excellent portions, but unimaginative flavours.

The food menu seems the type that stagnates without too much imagination. But I'd never blame the chef's team for that in a hotel restaurant.

The wine menu is a shining positive, however, with a good variety despite an over-representation of South Australia. It was excellent to see some non-mainstream natives getting runs on the board.

Overall, slow-food service and a nasty mishap marred an otherwise pleasant meal, so I'd encourage doubters to try it once and post reviews to see if this is systemic.

Oct 04, 2007 

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  9     

As my husband and I were wandering down the Nurses Walk to go to a cafe off Suez, we saw the sign above the archway and decided to try somewhere different, so we went on up. I'm so glad we did as we enjoyed a few drinks followed by a really nice meal. My veggie pie was delicious and my husband really enjoyed his fish. The lovely atmosphere and excellent service was a bonus. I'm looking forward to going back again soon. Highly recommended.

Jul 11, 2007 

8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  8     

Wow! what a find. Came across Lanes Bar & Restaurant by accident when walking down Nurses Walk on a friday afternoon, popped in for a drink and was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Live music and complimentary finger food, so impressed stayed for dinner. Will return!

Jul 24, 2006