Stuyvesant's House

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  5      Ambience  2      Service  1      Value  3     

Bitterly disappointed considering this restaurant has been around for so long, the service was appalling, seafood was awful, steak was quite nice but absolutely swamped in sauce and above all, very overpriced, can hardly believe this restaurant is still operating.

May 13, 2012 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  8     

Went here for something different and the experience was great, we walked out very satisfied! Rudi is a great host and provided great service, my partner loved the German beer and wine selection and the pork knuckle was fantastic, the crackling was delicious and the meat fell off the bone, very tender. Will come back here again in the near future.

Nov 22, 2011 

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  6     

Dined here for the first time last night. Was not busy (Monday night) and the food was exceptional and authentic. The service is very "direct" in that special German/European way :) but I quite liked it. Their style is not for everyone. I will definitely eat here again.

Oct 11, 2011 

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  8     

The moment that I arrived in the restaurant we were greeted with open arms. That is what you should expect from a great venue. We were offered German beer and it was first class. The bitter balls complement it perfectly. Rudi is the perfect host. If you wish he will recommend dishes from top to tail and his brother max in the kitchen makes it happen. But the number 1 reason that you should frequent is the incredible wine list. If you enjoy an aged wine cellared well go and talk to Rudi. I have been coming here for many years and quite frankly you can't whack it. Try it. Marc Washbourne

Sep 27, 2011 

6.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  5      Service  8      Value  5     

If you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen, that sums up this place. On the plus side, the food is excellent (Max is a great cook), best roasted pork knuckle and roasted duck in Sydney, the sea food is usually good. The service by the senior staff, whilst some may find offensive and a bit pushy is actually very good, you never have an empty glass.

The wine cellar is among the best in Australia, and that's no joke. Rudi knows what he is talking about when it comes to wines and does not mark up the price very much, however, be very careful about what you are advised or you could be up for big $. On the minus side, not always a good place for a romantic dinner, unless you enjoy waiters/waitress's being berated for the slightest imperfection (some people actually go for that very reason!, not me though).

Quite expensive and watch your bill, nothing is complimentary (you will be charged for pretzels and bitter ball unless you say something). Overall if you enjoy big, rich meals with lots of flavour and a Bavarian/German feel you won't be disappointed.

Aug 22, 2011 

5 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  2      Value  4     

Food was nothing special (had the suckling pig) but not terrible either. The thing to be aware of is that the waiters will bring out extra food and drink without you asking for it, act like it is complimentary, and then of course bill you for it at the end. Not a pleasant surprise when the bill comes, especially with a large group of people.

Jul 25, 2011 

2 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  2      Service  2      Value  2     

One word sums up my experience here - "Horrible". I will never eat there again. Very rude people. The food was less than average and can only be described as poor, with particularly low grade fatty meat. I did not like the atmosphere and got the feeling the staff did not like it either.

Jul 08, 2011 

1.5 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  2     

This place has to be a joke. I can't understand how a restaurant like this operates in real terms. It was like an episode of Fawlty Towers from start to finish.

We were waiting almost half an hour for our table, when we showed up on time for our reservation, until a flustered waiter, literally out of breath, hurried us to a table that had not even been cleared yet. We ordered drinks, and received warm beers in chipped glass mugs.

The menus were forced under our nose, and I could not for the life of me believe the exuberant prices of some of the dishes. Before we could place our order, we received 'complimentary’ bitterballs that appeared later on our bill. Not impressive.

The food was Ok at best, when it wasn't under cooked (schnitzel), and there was far too much on the plate. Then appeared a kitchen staff/senior staff who interrupted our conversations, and left crumbs on our table from whatever had fallen out of his moustache.

The wine list is rather extensive, but on closer inspection the wines are just 'known', and not a single member of the floor staff could confidently direct us in any direction, so we chose for ourselves. The wine arrived, tepid, and was served without any grace or flare.

Then our host appeared, again, this time, slightly more pickled. What happened next was pretty disturbing. He proceeded to tell off one of the poor overworked and tired wait staff, then slapped him (ok it was a little playful) on the back of the head. This Marx brother/ Three Stooges routine sealed the deal for us, and after waiting another 30 mins for the bill, we left before dessert, with no intentions to return. Spend your money elsewhere.

Jun 17, 2011 

3.3 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  4      Service  1      Value  4     

Just wanted to write a review of my experience here last night. Hopefully the management read it. I entered with my wife drawn in by the ok looking menu, interesting look and reasonable number of empty tables inside and out. We walked to the bar where there was a waiter pouring drinks and refusing to acknowledge I was even there for a good 5 mins. I finally asked if I could get a table for 2. He responded in the rudder manner possible. You make a reservation you get a table and turned his back on me again. We've just moved in to the area and eat out all the time. Something tells me I will not be making that reservation. Good luck with your business if you have staff members like that.

Jun 05, 2011 

7.5 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Seems you either love it or hate it depending on your sense of humour. What we did witness was great "comfort" food and wine though dished up in a warm, cosy (if not a little kitsch) restaurant. The house speciality (the Schweinshaxe) was tender, tasty and huge. The prawns were pretty good (maybe a touch too oily but not so much that it spoilt the dish). The sausages were fantastic.

The schnitzel (my wife had a half portion and even this was huge) was tasty and the bitterballs were pretty good, even though we weren't given much of a choice in selecting them! But hey, it's $3, and they were really delicious and helped tide us over until our entrées arrived (which wasn't too long). We would go again.

Jun 01, 2011