Fresh User Reviews for Hip and Trendy in Sydney

4.5 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  7      Service  3      Value  3     

Sigh! My general belief that restaurants that appeal to tourists are not much good, has sadly been proved correct on many occasions. For a long time, Catalina was a noble exception. Alas, on last visit the food, although good, was no longer great and the service was, how can I put it politely? Disappointing. bye bye Catalina.

May 31, 2012

4.5 Below Average

Food  8      Ambience  3      Service  2      Value  5     

The arrival of this restaurant in North Turramurra was a welcomed addition to the offerings in the area, replacing the defunct Quattro and hopefully offering more accessible pricing than the upmarket Cooks Garden.

We've eaten there twice and attempted to book for a third time only to find it booked out on a Friday evening.

The menu and the quality of the food are to be commended, this place could be a real gem. The experience, however, is really let down by ambience and most of all service.

The ambience would be greatly enhanced by the installation of a door closer as the door blows open frequently rendering the closest tables useless. The table layout is confusing and cramped but that could easily be turned into an advantage if staff were able to work effectively with it.

The real problem is front of house. Leaving people waiting at the door or outside it causing confusion, the lack of effective table planning (get policy right on reservations), the lack leadership on the floor and the under trained staff who clearly have no game plan to work to. All this can be resolved readily, employ an empowered front of house manager, define a service plan, train the staff, monitor them and provide feedback.

I want to see this place succeed and I hope that they are able to work on this because the food is really good but they are turning off many locals at the moment.

May 31, 2012

9.2 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Drinks  9      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  9     

We went here for my boyfriend's birthday and it was perfect. Exactly what I was hoping for. We went for the 8.15pm sitting as we didn't want to be rushed. The staff were fantastic, not pushy and offered some great tapas (mushrooms, squid and meatballs). We followed this with the chciken skewers. The vibe was dark, sexy and romantic in the resturant. The sangria was great! It would be good though if it came in a jug as opposed to buying it by the glass ($15 per glass).
I would definitely go back again.

May 31, 2012

9.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  10     

Great food and plenty of it. Saf is a great host. Always making sure everyone is looked after. I will definitely be going back again.

May 31, 2012

3.6 Below Average

Food  3      Drinks  4      Ambience  3      Service  5      Value  3     

Disappointing and over priced. By far the worst Caesar salad I have ever tasted. Absolute rubbish! I will never go back to this Hard Rock Cafe. Give me McDonalds any day of the week!

May 30, 2012

8.4 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Drinks  8      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  8     

Went Saturday with friends for my birthday. The design is stylish and inviting which seemed to suit the diverse crowd. Lots of tasty tapas arrived hot and fast (prawns wrapped in jamon and paella sensational). We all had a great night so a big thanks to all!

May 30, 2012

4.8 Average

Food  7      Ambience  2      Service  5      Value  5     

This placed is always packed and popular in the evenings, particularly on weekends and last Friday did we got lucky by dropping in without a reservation. We were told from the outset that yes, they could fit us in though we needed to be done and dusted in an hour, which was fine, we intended grabbing an entree and pizza to share. If you like the hustle and bustle of a busy cafe (this is not a restaurant in my book) then great, lots of staff running around like headless chickens.

But if you prefer a relaxed, more sedate dining experience, avoid at all costs! The service was fine, though wihin 20 minutes, we felt pressured to eat up and be gone, the waitress 'hovered' constantly like a bird of prey to the point of annoyance. We were outside which was fairly manic, though going inside to settle the bill all hell was breaking loose with cutlery being dropped left right and centre!

The food? Ok, nothing amazingly flash to be frank. I'd give it another go, perhaps, for lunch on a nice day though wouldn't rush back in a hurry.

May 30, 2012

9.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  10     

One of our favourite places to eat in Manly. The food is great, it's so fresh and tasty and the portions are really generous. Only problem is as mentioned below they are so popular and busy you have to be lucky to get a table if you don't call ahead, so sometimes we miss out and have to settle for second choice venue.

May 30, 2012

6.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  5      Value  8     

I like Seachange for brekkie. The food is always consistent. Love the Cali.
The thing I don't like about Seachange is that the tables are so crammed in that you feel like you are sitting on top of the people around you. You actually have to stand up at times to allow people to get around you. The staff are young generally so sometimes service can be hit and miss but we go back.

May 30, 2012

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

We love the Little Monk for dine in or takeaway. The pork belly is especially delicious, but everything that comes out of that tiny kitchen is a sensation.

May 30, 2012

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

Had a Maranello pizza, a spaghetti bolognaise and garlic bread between 2 adults and 1 little kid for weekend lunch. It was plenty. Pizza was tasty, pasta was good but sauce a little bit on the tart side. My kid must have enjoyed it, he ate 2 cereal bowlfuls of the pasta.

Food was good, was glad when the staff changed the music to some latin stuff. I'm not keen on pop music during my meals.

May 30, 2012

4.3 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  6      Service  3      Value  3     

Firstly – the view is spectacular. However, this isn’t enough to make up for the incredibly slow service, the tatty furniture and the average food at ridiculous prices.

We were seated along a couch on one side of the table and although it was stuffed with cushions you could see all the wear and tear on it, making it look like furniture from a youth hostel rather than a nice restaurant. Similarly the metal surfaces needed polishing and there were crumbs on the chairs.

We arrived at 12pm for our lunch booking and didn’t get our entrees until 1.30pm. It then took another hour for mains. We had asked repeatedly about the delay and in the end we wanted to leave before the mains even came. When they did arrive they were really average and somehow things which should have been flavour-packed were bland. The only mains that some of our group enjoyed were the simple grilled fish, although again the sauces served with them were nothing special. And for $35+ dishes you feel ripped off.

I wouldn’t come back here, there are far better places around.

May 30, 2012

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  8     

My husband took me to Otto's for a surprise birthday dinner, and it was such an impressive dining experience. The food is exceptional and well deserving of their One Chef's Hat (although personally I think it matches the criteria of Two Chef's hats). The service was professional and charming from our arrival right through to the end of the meal.

I highly recommend the souffle with truffle for entree. It was exquisite, with the right feathery and silky texture you would expect from a perfectly baked souffle. My main of smoked duck breast, raisin puree and roasted hazelnuts was absolutely gorgeous, the meat was beautifully tender, moist and melted in the mouth. Absolutely one of the best duck dishes I've eaten. A side order of truffle infused potato mash was so delicious and creamy my husband and I were fighting over the last spoonful.

The dessert menu is innovative and creative. I ordered the Amaretto liqueur brûlée with cocoa meringue, amaretti biscuits, cherries and sour cherry sorbet. Such a complex and quirky dessert item sounds impossible to execute but it was simply delightful. It's cheeky presentation looked like a little campfire on the plate.

I highly recommend Otto's if you are after a memorable dinner. Ask for seating upstairs if you are seeking a quiet, romantic dinner. My only complaint is to do with the furniture, the tables are too small which warrants the need for extra caution not to knock something onto the floor, and the chairs were uncomfortable. Othwerwise, Otto's gets a huge tick of approval.

May 30, 2012

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  9     

Went to Vicini on Saturday night after hearing lots about the place and it didn't disappoint. We are from Surry Hills and have been heading to the Inner West lately and will certainly be back. Arrived about 8pm to a packed restaurant upstairs with the fire place roaring, the restaurant had a great buzz to it. We shared a few starter plates and my favourite was definitely the octopus. I had the lamb special for a main washed down with a bottle of Chianti, it was all first class, the wine list was great. Would highly recommend!

May 29, 2012

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  7     

Great breakfast. High quality ingredients. Bacon ang eggs cooked perfectly.
Coffee great. Friendly, attentive nice staff. They like our poodle also which is a plus. Highly recommended.

May 29, 2012

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  7     

Great food as you would expect. Good service as you would expect. Nice ambience. Even the occasional famous face would appear. A very enjoyable night out.

The only thing I would say that I found awkward was eating in the dark outside. Just a tad more light please so I can see what I'm eating. Highly recommend the dessert even if you can't fit it in. They even do a good, satisfying pot of loose leaf tea, a mark of a good all around restaurant. Would definitely go back again.

May 29, 2012

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  7     

Booked in for a mid-week meal for a special occasion. We were the only couple in the entire restaurant, so felt a little awkward. The waiter we had was absolutely professional. Pity about his colleague who kept pacing the restaurant with obviously nothing to do. Food, however, was delicious (duck entree was nice) and worth the slight awkwardness. Furnishings were impressive. Worth trying, it has promise.

May 29, 2012

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  9     

We were hesitant coming to a local restaurant in lane cove, which is our local but not know for good food. And the reviews didn't make us want to come either. Despite this, we tried it for dinner on a Sunday.

My partner and I both really enjoyed our meal. The pizzas were fantastic, more napoli style rather than the crispy roman style which I think some people can call 'soggy'.

The ambience is very much like the italian pizzerias, loud and busy. Which is reflective in the service (these guys were not nearly as rude as the ones in italy). Upon reflection, our waitress was quite lovely.

We didn't have an issue with water, we asked for tap water and tap water was delivered. We had no issue with value or the cost of the pizzas. It didn't cost more than what you normally pay in other North Shore italian restaurants.

May 29, 2012

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  8     

Since reopening, Finefish is far better value than previously, while retaining the good quality seafood and good service.

May 29, 2012

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  5     

Absolutely love the food here. It was a great fun night. If you want value for your money I do suggest else where.

May 29, 2012