Vintage Cafe On The Rocks

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

I went to this cafe with a friend while visiting Sidney and was thrilled with the quality of the food and the friendliness of the waiter/owner who served us. We enjoyed listening to the soft music sung live right next to us. This was the most enjoyable meal I had during our stay. I was only disappointed later when I found I did not have time to return as they only serve food during the day and three evenings a week. More hours please! The pizza was delicious, the stuffed pastries different and tasty, and the prices reasonable.

Feb 08, 2009 

1.8 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  2     

I went to the Vintage Cafe for a friend's birthday and was very disappointed. For starters we waited 25 minutes after sitting for them to even ask us what we wanted to drink, after we were basically ignored. Then the food was pretty average with some of the mixes of food served not making any sense, and the bread was stale. Then they had ran out of a particular spirit that a friend drank but still had it advertised on the menu, on top of all that they had no toilet facilities! Total disappointed!!

Jul 27, 2008 

3.5 Below Average

Food  1      Ambience  7      Service  4      Value  2     

I suspect the Vintage Cafe were caught unawares by the extensively advertised, fantastically obvious and hugely popular Aroma festival today. Surely if they'd been familiar with this event then they would have prepared adequately for the throng of people that swarmed through the doors.

We were advised when being handed menus that there would be a sizeable wait for food - around half an hour. No problem said we and ordered. One hour later we made polite enquiries after our errant meals and were told "five minutes". Ten minutes later, one of our three meals was trotted out. Scrambled eggs with salmon and dill. Flaccid, rubbery, dry eggs with a splodge of salmon on the side and not a scrap of dill to be found. Tasted as good as it looked.

A further five minutes passed and out came the Vintage Big Breakfast number one. Cold bacon, pleasant chorizo and fried eggs that bounced. I couldn't pierce the yolk with a fork; instead they bent. A further five minutes and out came Vintage Big Breakfast number two. The same awful scrambled eggs, the same cold bacon, the same curiously good chorizo.

A fifteen minute spread for three cold meals after more than an hour of waiting is really unacceptable, even in the challenging circumstances brought on by the Aroma festival. The cafe wasn't filled past its capacity, it was simply full and the kitchen and wait staff were unable to keep up. The worst meal I've had in a very long time.

Our efforts at complaining were measured and polite but clearly not welcome with the member of staff we approached. The compensation was to waive $2.60 for the bouncy fried eggs and a genuine apology from the poor waitress on the till who was the least culpable participant.

Jul 06, 2008 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  7     

I've been to this restaurant twice with no problems and no real issues. The food is always a winner and the price is also not bad. Just recently we had a great night out and we got served pretty quickly and frequently. Will definitely come here again with friends for a quick dinner and a couple of jugs of sangria!

Jun 11, 2008 

6.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  4      Value  8     

We went here on a Saturday night in a group of 12 for a birthday. We called them twice before we got there to confirm the numbers. Unfortunately, they mixed up the seating arrangements and they had no place to fit 12 of us and instead squashed us into a table for 8. The restaurant is pretty tiny with the max capacity inside at about 30-35. They appeared under staffed on the night and service was poor.

We had ordered a number of tapas but they kept coming out at the rate of 2-3 dishes per 1/2 hour (portions are tapas sized, not enough to feed 12 of us at a time!) which left everyone starving between the dishes! The whole meal lasted about 3 hours because of the slow service.

The food on the other hand was the best part. Eggplant stuffed with ricotta, Piri Piri Barramundi and the Chorizo Pizza were my favs! The bassa Nova and Jazz adds a nice touch and the owner/head waiter was very apologetic at the end of the meal for the mix up of seating.

We enjoyed the food and atmosphere so would go back but probably do a dinner for 2 and not 12. This restaurant is not your best bet for large groups.

Jun 08, 2008 

4.3 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  1     

Went to this place for a friend's grad night party. Was a pretty bad experience. We were there on petisco night, so it was 'entree-sized mains' galore. Honestly, about $10 for 6 garlic prawns wasn't exactly my idea of a good time. The chorizo pizza was nice but $17 for four small quarters...

Conclusion: The food was alright, but not value-for-money. The service was indifferent. Plates weren't cleared until prompted, nor was water provided until the same. The alcohol was meh. (Vodka with orange tasted somewhat dubious, bourbon rum with coke tasted weak.) The music was nice but turned out to be a bit loud when ordering. Probably won't return here.

Jun 07, 2008 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  6      Value  9     

Had a wonderful night here not a long time ago. The service needs a bit of work though as the waitress who originally served us didn't seem to understand that she was speaking too soft for us to hear her over the music. She came repeatedly for our order after we had ordered the drinks even though we had told her that we would call for her when we were good and ready. Getting hassled was not what I would call good service.

Environment was blast with the mix of modern and traditional design. Really really added to the whole feeling of the night which was what I really lacking in some restaurants. Food was good for value and even though they are in small portions, it gave us a chance to try an array of food for good prices.

A limited but good selection of wines and drinks. Will definitely be going back in the near future. Prospective gfs look out! You're in for blast! LOL!!

May 30, 2008 

4 Below Average

Food  8      Ambience  4      Service  2      Value  2     

Although the food was amazing it took a long time to come, was tiny serves for tapas, and we had to repeatedly check on our food to make sure it was all coming out. The ambience was really dependent on the music which was good but not really appropriate for such a tiny space.

May 08, 2008 

8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  7     

This is a favourite little nook of mine in the Rocks, and I've been its customer a number of times, usually for breakfast, lunch or brunch. This review is for my first dinner at Vintage.

It was great to find a place in the city on a Saturday night that is not spilling over either with a noisy crowd or deafening music. While the rest of the city is pumping, Vintage is nice and mellow and a great place to linger.

Live bossa nova sets a lovely tone, and on a balmy autumn night it was very civilised to sit on the balcony and catch the evening breezes over a glass of wine. We enjoyed a tapas selection which included stuffed roasted tomatoes, eggplant, paprika beef skewers, meatballs and field mushrooms. Everything was pleasing to the palate, with the eggplant and stuffed tomatoes being particular favourites, and the meat dishes being good meaty accompaniments.

Staff were friendly and helpful in taking our orders, and advice given was spot-on. There were some lapses, in forgetting to give us menus at the beginning, and with a bit of bill confusion at the end, which was a bit stressful as we had a show to catch. But it was all handled with goodwill, such that this would be no barrier to future visits.

Before this visit I hadn't known that Vintage was open in the evenings. I'll be frequenting this lovely little establishment more often.

Apr 27, 2008 

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

I have visited this cafe a couple of times. Once for breakfast, the Mediterranean Omelette is lovely, great flavour and the coffee here is excellent. The other time was for dinner we had Tapas the stuffed mushrooms and tomotoes were great as well as the meat and seafood dishes. The staff here are super friendly and they had a live musician as well which was great. Great value for money. Will definitely visit this place again.

Apr 07, 2008