Fresh User Reviews for Outdoor Dining in Sydney

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  8     

Both the trout pate and the BLT were excellent, and so were the chips. Prices may seem a bit steep considering the only menu is at the counter, and that's where you have to order also. But the portions are so large, I'd conisder this place value for money. The lovely setting is just a bonus.

May 31, 2012

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

2 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  1     

I have been there, as Tom B. says the service was very very poor, also, small amount of food in the huge plate, you can finish it with one forg action, it was $40 and for small amount of food.

I can tell that, it was the worst and poor service I have ever had. If you want to have this experience, don't hesitate to be at Efendy.

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

4.5 Below Average

Food  7      Ambience  3      Service  5      Value  3     

Very disappointing. I was a semi regular visitor. The food was good but the excessive loud Turkish music and heavy smoking which comes back through the open doors really made it a not enjoyable venue. Never again.

May 31, 2012

6.3 Average

Food  6      Ambience  9      Service  5      Value  5     

This is a beautiful restaurant for a special occasion and a nice dining experience, especially for 'commoners' like me who would not normally have this place on the radar and better still when it's a business 'shout'.

Definitely a place where people come to be seen rather than dine. Fortunately my back was to the Eastern Suburbs faux 'socialites' and the view out to the vegie garden was far more appealing.

The 'Collective Menu' made our 9 person group easy to cater for with all choices covered. Of the 12 small dishes the olives, lamb and rhubarb eclair were the stand outs. We did not go hungry and we were supplied with our left overs for take home and my Jack Russell agreed on the lamb as well!

The service was Ok but the over the top 'flamboyant' waiter was overkill for me and he was trained as a parrot to answer everything, but know nothing. The wine list was as boutique as you could expect with many local choices and of course prices to match.

Would I go again? Yes, if someone else was paying, but No if it was my money, there are better and more 'comfortable' establishments elsewhere.

May 31, 2012

6.3 Average

Food  5      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  5     

Love the room, decor, layout, however, left disappointed with the food. Chiswick has a great feel about it from the moment you walk in the door. The service was great and attentive given how incredibly busy they were on a Wednesday night. The tuna starter was a real let down. The fish itself was dull in colour and bland in taste, even with the accompaniments. The oysters were fantastic, the chicken parfait ok and the sirloin was a little tough and lacked quality flavour.

I realise I sound rather picky, but I just left disappointed after having higher expectations on the food. In saying that, there are many other dishes to go back and try.

May 31, 2012

9.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  10     

Il Piave is almost perfect. Italian generosity of spirit and flavour paired with a most exquisite restraint. Nothing is too much. The menu is very small, but so considered and balanced. No dish is overloaded, every ingredient has its moment to shine. The entrees and pastas are 'modern Italian' but prepared with such traditional integrity, every mouthful is like a prayer. The meat dishes defy choice. You will want to eat everything on the menu, and will return until you do.

May 31, 2012

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  4      Ambience  4      Service  1      Value  2     

I'm disgusted with the poor service here. It seems that the senior staff has no idea about customer service at all. After receiving a take away coffee that had sugar in it (I don't have sugar at all being a diabetic), I informed him over the phone when I ordered the following day what had happened. When I went in to collect my take away coffee he attempted to charge me for it! I explained that I didn't expect to pay for it after throwing out the other one. He was furious and was rude.

How on earth do people think they'll keep customers if they're so short sighted? good customer service goes a long way. That is why I will never return there even though it is one minute from my house. Rather I will back track 10 minutes out of my way to Parc in clovelly st where Michael and all his staff know about wonderful customer service, loyalty and consistently good coffee. It's no wonder they are so busy despite what day of the week it is.

May 31, 2012

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     

My husband and I dined here on a sunday night, and the service was fantastic. As it was our first time trying vietnamese cuisine, we decided to have the $88 tasting menu. I loved everything on the menu and thats saying a lot, as I don't usually eat pork or squid! The chilli salted squid was to die for. The seasoning was amazing and together with the white pepper sauce made such a beautiful dish.

The other stand out was the Mussels in coconut sauce so delicious I wanted more! Overall, I definitely would come back again as we had a great experience.

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

4.4 Below Average

Food  1      Drinks  7      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  1     

The refurb really opens this pub up, the indoor areas are many and comfy compared to the previous options. Pity the food has got worse, yet more pricey. $26 for a curry is way pricier than the thai or indian restaurants nearby. $18 for a soup? Go there for a drink before or after your meal elsewhere.

May 30, 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

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

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  10      Service  8      Value  7     

Great location. Perfect backdrop. I like the food but it is a little on the expensive side for what you get. Service is always solid. Good winelist.

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

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

I dined here on a Saturday night and enjoyed my time here immensely, and would definitely recommend it to others seeking yummy authentic Lebanese food and a fun lively atmosphere.

Our waitress was very welcoming and showed us to a large table near the front window, and was able to answer any questions we had, we enjoyed attentive but not over the top service which was nice for a change.

The food was the star attraction of course with the lamb shawarma having a fuller flavor than many I have had before, the mansaf dejaj had a very nice tenderized pulled chicken topping which I really enjoyed having never had the dish before. And we enjoyed the belly dancing show (if you’re up for some fun: joining in is encouraged!)

All in all a great night out for my anniversary, with a more unusual treat at the end of champagne and shisha out the front under their cozy heaters. I’m really glad I tried it despite mixed reviews online and thought I’d share my experience of a little of Lebanon in Newtown that I really enjoyed.

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

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  10     

My first time visit to this restaurant was very pleasant. My friends and I were unaware of how massive the serving sizes are! In hindsight, we could have ordered one chicken schnitzel and easily shared it between three people with hungry appetites!

The food was very tasty and the service was excellent. I would go back here again.

May 30, 2012