Fresh User Reviews in Wollongong

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  10      Value  9     

After rating Samuels in Thirroul number 1 for the Wollongong area this randomly chosen venue came as a big surprise. Although the place is not as warm and cosy, the rest: service, menu and food quality are just as good.

The barramundi melted in the mouth and the texture of the beans was delightful and not overpowering. Steaks just perfect. Mushrooms - lovely lightly sour flavour. The “death by chocolate" easily serves 4 people and the quality matches the quantity. Customer service - outstanding.

May 26, 2012

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  7     

This is a great restaurant. The food is tasty and overall delicious although it depends on the chef that day, as well as the quality of the meat you get (sometimes the beef has been quite fatty). I would highly recommend their Panang curry and cashew chicken with dry chili. Delicious!

May 25, 2012

8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  10     

Wow, I must have eaten at a different restaurant to the other two reviewers because my experience was excellent.

Having been a fan of Dane Tobias's cooking since his days at Mt Kembla pub, I was excited when I learnt that he was now on the pans at Gigis. We arrived 15 minutes early for our booking and were briskly taken to our table, set up with menus and given ample time to make our selections.

We started out with the Arancini balls, which were crisp on the outside and oozy in the middle, and a greek salad which was tasty, however, I found the addition of rocket a little odd.

For main course I had the delightful Sicilian seafood stew which I am told is an original recipe of Gennaro Contaldo (Jamie Olivers mentor) whom Dane worked under. Fresh tasty prawns, fat mussels and fillets of fish brought together with a beautiful tomato based sauce on a bed of freshly made tagliatelle and a side of crusty grilled sourdough ideal for mopping up any remaining sauce.

My partner had the Gnocchi in meat ragu, which was also delicious. The most surprising aspect of the night was the bill which came to $93 for 2 entrees, 2 mains, 2 glasses of wine and 1 coffees. Its so refreshing to see a restaurant in Wollongong doing honest wholesome Italian food without the exorbitant price tag (Take note Lorenzo's Diner) and we will definitely be back for another helping.

May 24, 2012

7 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  8     

Great home made cooking. Authentic and tasteful. The staff are warm and friendly. You do feel as if you are at a friends place. Don't be in a hurry as the family run business can sometimes get overwhelmed. Decor is neutral and could do with a little spanishing up.

May 13, 2012

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  9     

I never get disappointed in this place. Tasty well known dishes, the generous portion size which made it great value and it's in a convenient location, hidden away from the main traffic. Last time I went the singer outside in the courtyard was a nice touch to the rustic charm of the old building. I'm taking my mum there for lunch this mothers day.

May 13, 2012

9.5 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  9     

This was my first dining experience at Bernardis on Crown and I thoroughly enjoyed my evening. From the cute little buckets filled with crayons to draw on the paper table covers to the friendly wait staff who tend to your every need! There is a great selection on the menu and the food is amazing, the Veal Scaloppini is to die for! I definitely will be heading back.

May 11, 2012

6.3 Average

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  5     

As a local I have eaten at Chedos many times. Brunch, lunch or coffees are always very good, though they like many cafes struggle a bit in terms of customer satisfaction on busy Sundays. Aware that the cafe/restaurant had recently changed hands we ventured up for dinner recently.

The chalkboard menu immediately revealed that the already fairly pricey evening meals had already been increased. Teething problems with new management should always be expected. However, of the 3 entrees we ordered: one was wood fired bread, one was cold pate and one was seared scallops, and yet we waited 40 minutes. The main meals were delicious but the portion size of the flat-head fillets at $35 each were meagrely to say the least.

The Angus beef fillet was very good and probably worth the $40 being charged. However, there were only 3 tables being served while we were there and it seemed obvious that our meal charges were paying the kitchen staff and little else. Chedos is a lovely cafe but the new management should not run the risk of charging restaurant prices for food and service that is adequate but of cafe standard only.

The current pricing would preclude most local evening diners. Perhaps, chedos should be open 5 days a week for breakfast and lunch only, but even then their prices are becoming too high for a cafe with no views and adequate, though not outstanding service.

May 10, 2012

4 Below Average

Food  4      Drinks  4      Ambience  9      Service  1      Value  2     

It is now under new management and they claim to make it more appealing to "the locals". Could not be any further away from the truth.

Arrived on a Sunday afternoon for a late bite to eat and a couple of lazy drinks. Found the food to be extremely ordinary, dull and flavourless. Ordered a few dishes and to their credit they were the same quality. Yes they were voted "best beer garden" but food is well below par. Staff were not rude but not by no means friendly.

Good beer selection yet wine list very limited and once again ordinary. It is very obviously the new senior staffs look at it as a large cafe servicing the drive through traffic and really do not care if you are happy or return. Such a shame!

May 08, 2012

2.5 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  3      Service  3      Value  2     

Horrible experience. The expensive fillet steak was well overcooked (I asked for medium - rare) and chewy. The broccolini was also well over cooked, as were the chewy little potatoes. The sauce was bland. I told the senior staff the problems and he was not gracious, nor did he offer a significant discount. Rather, he waived the corkage charge. Big deal! Would not bother with this place.

May 08, 2012

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

Lunch on a cloudy autumn day. My wife and I sat inside and enjoyed the view over North Beach and the marine traffic off shore. Our ordering was not rushed, we ended up with one of the specials of the day (so large we shared) together with alcoholic refreshments. The two desserts were of high quality and full of flavour. Then to finish great coffee! Polite and friendly service has been a hallmark every time we have visited for lunch at North Beach.

May 07, 2012

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  9     

Went to this restaurant when recommended that they serve good coffee. We saw the food being served and asked for the menu. The food was delicious and full of flavour (I am use to CBD food which is often tasteless and pricey). The figgy pudding was beautifully presented and tasted fantastic. Best food I have had in a long while. The service was excellent and the place was packed with patrons. Highly recommended.

May 07, 2012

8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

Absolutely beautiful food, fairly priced and great service. Definitely be back!

May 01, 2012

3.8 Below Average

Food  1      Ambience  8      Service  5      Value  1     

Had some good experience, but also on two occasions very bad ones. The food was cold and I walked out.

Apr 30, 2012

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     

So often I feel at cafes like I'm being rushed out the door. The Little Blowhole Cafe is a place you can chill out at, and never feel like someone is waiting to pounce on your coffee cup! It has a very relaxed feel, the coffee is excellent, the staff seem genuinely interested in cooking! and the food is made from natural ingredients. I've had the pumpkin and rocket salad which was yum, and have returned for the Eggs Benedict lots of times! Kids are made to feel welcome, and you can always get a park! Enjoy!

Apr 20, 2012

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  9     

Food is fresh, delicious, is valuable for having dinner, fast and friendly service. Especially steak cook so perfectly. Seasonal meals are attractive, prawn pasta with salsa verde served crumb is wonderful. This valentine's day, 3 course meals special u must be coming. We have really nice dinner, happy coming back.

Apr 19, 2012

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  10     

Contrary to the previous review, Chefs Choice Does Not use Msg in their food. My mum and I eat here all the time and being a celiac she can't eat Msg or she gets really sick.

The food is tasty and so affordable! No matter how busy it is the food is always out fast and hot as well. As in, burn hot. Be careful with that! The interior is tacky and old but clean. If you need ambience but love the food they have another restaurant in the east end of Wollongong city called Top Choice, same menu but with a nicer interior.

Frankly I like the plastic tables and chairs. Service is speedy and depending on the waitress can be super friendly or really abrupt, but they've never been rude to me. My personal recommendations are san choi bow or salt and spicy tofu for entree, and for mains I recommend tom yum soup, vegetarian chow mein, or honey chicken.

For sharing I recommend a salted fried rice and a mafu tofu hot pot (its not vego). Steer clear of the pork mince and beans.

Apr 19, 2012

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  7     

Great cafe with good service and even better food. Have had breakfast and lunch here over the past fortnight and the coffee is great. Sitting outdoor is the way to go.

Apr 15, 2012

6.3 Average

Food  5      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  5     

We have been going to the lagoon a few times a year for many years now and always for our anniversary, we pick the seafood platter probably 80% of the time and up until last sat' night have been very happy with the meal.

For the 1st time we left disappointed, the platter was Way below par and as such way over priced. What has happened here, we don't know, but we are sad to see our favorite restaurant become an also ran.

They happily substitute items we don't like every time at our request
the sakanaki prawns in place of the tempura 1's are a sad mistake, tasteless in comparison as was the squid which was replaced, the addition of a small handfull of greasy small cooked prawns didn't help either, you lost interest after the 1st so so taste of them, most of the rest of the platter was ok but far from up to the usual stds.

Staff were great, kitchen needs a shakeup and for the 1st time we left feeling we paid way too much for what we got.

Apr 13, 2012

8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  8     

Arrived for an early dinner without a booking Easter Sunday night. Lucky for us, we secured a table of 4 near the door. We saw many people turned away as the restaurant was at capacity.

Service was polite and friendly without being too intuitive and proactive. At the same time all requests were met and menu suggestions were made.

Food was great quality and very tasty. Fried rice with chicken, they use proper chicken meat not just the leftover meat which is a great barometer for a quality kitchen. We had a curry dish, noodle dish and a BBQ dish and all were superb.

The only blemish on the experience was that upon leaving the restaurant our clothes had a slight smell of the food which might require a stronger exhaust fan for the kitchen.

Other than that, a great dining experience and we will definitely revisit when we are in the Gong next time.

Apr 10, 2012

1.3 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  1     

Where do I start.... took about 20 minutes and asking twice to get water, our food arrived Coles and the calamari was chewy. Says byo on the Internet but apparently not on public holidays? then when we showed them our entertainment card they said we couldn't use it as it was a public holiday. I argued as I had read the rules and it was only specific holidays that you couldn't use it. After the manager came they agreed to give us the 25% off. Very unenjoyable the whole experience. Please don't go there they are hopeless and rude.

Apr 08, 2012