ZanziBar Newtown

5.8 Average

Drinks  5      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  4     

Expensive and a bit yuppy.

Aug 09, 2011 

7 Recommended

Drinks  7     

The bar itself is perfectly fine. The door staff, however, really put you off the place. I have been here before and had a good experience, but tonight (a Friday night) I came by with some people having just come from a dinner dressed in black tie, at which we probably had a couple of glasses of wine each. All we wanted was a place to have a nice, quiet drink before heading home, but the 'bouncers' at the door thought we had had 'too much to drink' - the first time we had ever been turned away from a bar. However, they proceeded to let people in who were clearly drunk. They suggested we come back tomorrow - wishful thinking, as they have certainly put us off the place for a very long time.

Jul 23, 2011 

1.5 Not Recommended

Drinks  3      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  1     

Would never go back. I got a spreets voucher for my birthday which said "tapas for 2 and a bottle of wine or sangria" $39 (value $98) - I do not think it was worth $39 let along $98 and on top of that when you look at these individual items on the menu they add up to $77 not $98. Tapas is $42, sangria is $23 and dip plate is $12? I'd say this is misleading advertising wouldn't you?

Also, when looking at the individual tapas plates - this is not worth $8.00 each plate - unless they were stingy because they had so many people using the vouchers. Either way it was so small and very average food. The potatoes were not cooked and cold, chicken ribs were so tiny we felt like we were eating a bone, prawns were horrible and more like bait prawns, squid was actually half decent, beetroot chips were pathetic, and there were three little pieces of chorizo - seriously disappointing.

The only nice thing was the squid. We walked away hungry and disappointed. Just glad I didn't have to pay for it because I probably wouldn't of. If Zanzibar want to promote their food via discount sites and get their name known - they better do a good job in the future! I would never go back!

Jun 19, 2011 

6.8 Recommended

Drinks  7      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  7     

I will preface this with the fact we went here with a voucher. It was great value.

The rooftop bar was a really pleasant way to spend a Sunday evening. Their drinks selection is fairly good. The food was great. We were delivered the 3 tiered "high tea" stand. There was a good selection of breads, dips, deep-fried school prawns, chicken, calamari, chorizo, patatas bravas, etc. I'd go back.

May 23, 2011 

6.8 Recommended

Drinks  8      Ambience  7      Service  5      Value  7     

Recently my friend and I redeemed a Jumponit.com voucher at the Zanzi Bar. I rang during the day to book and was told I didn't have to because it was a midweek. My friend and I were not happy when we arrived and found most of the tables upstairs booked. We settled for downstairs and after our meal, our tapas plates and glasses were never removed. I have to take them up to the bar myself so that my friend and I could chat to each other. The food was really good and the entertainment was fun. I must admit that I won a free drink. Just not impressed with the staff... except for the guy with the mic!

Jan 27, 2011 

4.8 Average

Drinks  5      Ambience  6      Service  3      Value  5     

Quite nice Tapas selection but one does have to wonder about staff selection here (roof bar that is). The guy was grotty (its one thing to have urban grunge chic customers, another to have a cruddy guy behind the bar - he even sneezed over the bar area without covering his face) - gross.

Jan 23, 2011 

5 Average

Ambience  6      Service  3      Value  4      Food  7     

Arranged a dinner for 10 people, when we got to Zanzibar there were only 4 stools around the table, those with no stools had to stand for the rest of the night! Food was good if a little expensive.

One thing that bugged me, Zanzibar took a deposit when booking the table which I haven't a problem with. The issue I have is it took over 2.5 months for the deposit to be refunded. The staff were mean't to call a couple of days after the booking to process the refund but they never did. I had to keep chasing them for weeks before I could speak to someone who could do the refund. When I gave my credit card details it still took 3 weeks for the refund to get back to me.

Nov 22, 2010 

8 Recommended

Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  8      Food  7     

I've been to Zanzi a few times for drinks, while I love the rooftop bar, they don't have a great selection of beers on tap and often they run out, which means travelling downstairs each drink.

My boyfriend and I went there for dinner recently and were absolutely blown away by the food! As a vegetarian, the menu was impressive, the risotto-stuffed field mushroom was by far the best meal I've ever eaten at a bar/pub. My boyfriend had the garlic-butter stuffed chicken with pesto mash and was equally impressed.

We found the staff very friendly and while the food is a little expensive for a bar, and we did have to wait a little while, it was very much worth it. We've recommended it to all of our friends in the area. Will be coming back to try the vege burger with 'kickass aoli'!

Sep 23, 2010 

7 Recommended

Drinks  8      Ambience  9      Service  4      Value  7     

The food was o.k. The staff a little rude. There was a menu stating that the cocktails were two for one and after ordering the waiter advised that was an old menu and that I could not have two for one cocktails. He was very rude about it.
Nice rooftop bar.

Jun 29, 2010 

3.3 Below Average

Drinks  8      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  1     

I have eaten here twice and both times been very disappointed. Their serving sizes were horrible, not to mention we waited 2 hours for another serving of mini burgers which are labelled as "All you can eat". We left and got Oporto's instead, because simply because of the 1 serving in the 3 hours we waited.

Mar 24, 2010