AnniC

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

8.8 Highly Recommended

Drinks  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  8     

I like it here. The fresh flowers on the bar make me happy and the cocktails are fifty billion times nicer than at Kuleto's. The staff are chatty and always let you taste whatever wine you are considering.

The dips plate is yum, and I love the Mary Poppins-esque rooftop view of Newtown from the upstairs terrace. There is no table service, so take care up and down the stairs after a few drinks.

Nov 18, 2011

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.5 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  4      Service  6      Value  5     

About the most average Thai I've eaten in the inner west. The lettuce parcels (a little like san choy bow) were filled with something so sickly sweet and coconutty it was like eating raw ANZAC biscuit mixture, and the "Angel Duck" had so much sugar (and pineapple in it) that all of us agreed it had a discernible taste of bubblegum.

The noodle dishes were so dry and tasteless we had to ask for soy sauce and chilli to add our own flavour. And it was expensive to boot. Give this one a miss, there are so many better options in Newtown.

Oh and the toilet door, right next to the kitchen, doesn't close. Nice.

Nov 18, 2011

8 Recommended

Food  9      Drinks  7      Ambience  6      Service  9      Value  9     

This place is a cut above any pub bistro in the inner west. A gazillion food choices with plenty of veg options, and every plate is bursting with food and colour. Try the corned beef in winter, and whatever the season, the sticky date pudding for dessert. Literally drowning in butterscotch sauce and sweating with fresh dates.

You order your food downstairs and take a table upstairs. It's basically self-service but it works. It's a really nice place for a homely dinner when you're done to death with Thai in Newtown.

Nov 18, 2011

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  10     

My new faaaavourite Japanese place. Beautiful sashimi - always fresh and varied, excellent nasu dengaku, and decent sized wines! I hate stingy wine portions.

I come here once every few weeks and am always astounded at the value. No matter how much I eat, it always comes in at around $20! Worth booking a table as it can be randomly busy. Don't tell too many people about this gem or I'll be sad.

Nov 18, 2011

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  9     

I tried this restaurant after being a regular at their sister cafe, Hopscotch in Annandale. I found it a delightful evening, my tuna carpaccio was delicate and my steak cooked to perfection. I always order my steak rare, and I am often served with either a slab of raw cow or a charred piece of cinder. I am not sure why chefs feel so compelled to take the piss, but at Blancmange I was pleasantly impressed at the perfect rareness of my beef.

My partner's pork belly (with lots of crackling) was also a tasty feast. Desserts are a must, the lemon delicious pudding was as good as my grandmother's. As at Hopscotch, courses can take a little while to arrive but are always lovingly prepared. Mr Grumpy is almost comedically sour, but Ian is lovely and chatty and makes excellent wine recommendations. The inner-west needs more of Blancmange.

** Returned to Blancmange July 2009. Just as fabulous as ever. Staff are welcoming and the food is impressive but yet comforting, in a coming-home kind of way. I recommend the desserts. All of them.

**Dined in the Private Dining Room November 2011. A really special experience for my birthday with 15 friends. The staff were attentive but not over the top, and there were 4 wonderful food options to choose from. All dietary requirements were graciously taken care of. Thanks Ian and the team!

Response from Management:
Dear Annabel, 



Thank you for your compliments, and thank for both taking the time to write about your experiences at Blancmange on Eatability – not once but three time now! Thank you also for sending an earlier personal email which I have already shared with all our staff. It is this kind of considerate appreciation and understanding of what we do that buoys us, it reminds us why we do what we do. 
It was a pleasure looking after you and I look forward to spoiling you next time you are in. 



Yours sincerely, 


Ian Meggitt 

Owner – Restaurant Blancmange

Nov 18, 2011

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

8.8 Highly Recommended

Drinks  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  8     

I like it here. The fresh flowers on the bar make me happy and the cocktails are fifty billion times nicer than at Kuleto's. The staff are chatty and always let you taste whatever wine you are considering.

The dips plate is yum, and I love the Mary Poppins-esque rooftop view of Newtown from the upstairs terrace. There is no table service, so take care up and down the stairs after a few drinks.

Nov 18, 2011

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.5 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  4      Service  6      Value  5     

About the most average Thai I've eaten in the inner west. The lettuce parcels (a little like san choy bow) were filled with something so sickly sweet and coconutty it was like eating raw ANZAC biscuit mixture, and the "Angel Duck" had so much sugar (and pineapple in it) that all of us agreed it had a discernible taste of bubblegum.

The noodle dishes were so dry and tasteless we had to ask for soy sauce and chilli to add our own flavour. And it was expensive to boot. Give this one a miss, there are so many better options in Newtown.

Oh and the toilet door, right next to the kitchen, doesn't close. Nice.

Nov 18, 2011

8 Recommended

Food  9      Drinks  7      Ambience  6      Service  9      Value  9     

This place is a cut above any pub bistro in the inner west. A gazillion food choices with plenty of veg options, and every plate is bursting with food and colour. Try the corned beef in winter, and whatever the season, the sticky date pudding for dessert. Literally drowning in butterscotch sauce and sweating with fresh dates.

You order your food downstairs and take a table upstairs. It's basically self-service but it works. It's a really nice place for a homely dinner when you're done to death with Thai in Newtown.

Nov 18, 2011

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  10     

My new faaaavourite Japanese place. Beautiful sashimi - always fresh and varied, excellent nasu dengaku, and decent sized wines! I hate stingy wine portions.

I come here once every few weeks and am always astounded at the value. No matter how much I eat, it always comes in at around $20! Worth booking a table as it can be randomly busy. Don't tell too many people about this gem or I'll be sad.

Nov 18, 2011

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  9     

I tried this restaurant after being a regular at their sister cafe, Hopscotch in Annandale. I found it a delightful evening, my tuna carpaccio was delicate and my steak cooked to perfection. I always order my steak rare, and I am often served with either a slab of raw cow or a charred piece of cinder. I am not sure why chefs feel so compelled to take the piss, but at Blancmange I was pleasantly impressed at the perfect rareness of my beef.

My partner's pork belly (with lots of crackling) was also a tasty feast. Desserts are a must, the lemon delicious pudding was as good as my grandmother's. As at Hopscotch, courses can take a little while to arrive but are always lovingly prepared. Mr Grumpy is almost comedically sour, but Ian is lovely and chatty and makes excellent wine recommendations. The inner-west needs more of Blancmange.

** Returned to Blancmange July 2009. Just as fabulous as ever. Staff are welcoming and the food is impressive but yet comforting, in a coming-home kind of way. I recommend the desserts. All of them.

**Dined in the Private Dining Room November 2011. A really special experience for my birthday with 15 friends. The staff were attentive but not over the top, and there were 4 wonderful food options to choose from. All dietary requirements were graciously taken care of. Thanks Ian and the team!

Response from Management:
Dear Annabel, 



Thank you for your compliments, and thank for both taking the time to write about your experiences at Blancmange on Eatability – not once but three time now! Thank you also for sending an earlier personal email which I have already shared with all our staff. It is this kind of considerate appreciation and understanding of what we do that buoys us, it reminds us why we do what we do. 
It was a pleasure looking after you and I look forward to spoiling you next time you are in. 



Yours sincerely, 


Ian Meggitt 

Owner – Restaurant Blancmange

Nov 18, 2011

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  8     

Possibly the only place to go in Dulwich Hill. Family run with friendliness and efficiency. Wonderful home-made cakes and pies, lots of breakfast and lunch options (BLAT is a highlight) and excellent coffee. You can sit for hours and it's no trouble. It can get a bit pram-city on the weekends, just push them out of the way.

Nov 22, 2009

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  9     

I recently had dinner at Samurai for the first time and was very impressed. The sashimi was extremely fresh and delicate, and the eggplant dish we ordered (can't remember the name!) was absolutely morish.

I was very impressed by the generous portion sizes, and surprised by how small the bill was given how much we ate! Definitely the best Japanese in Rozelle/Balmain.

I think it's safer to book on Fridays/Saturdays, but you can usually secure a walk-in table on week nights.

Jul 25, 2009

7 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  7     

I always find the sushi and sashimi here lovely and fresh, and the staff sweet and helpful. Except for the pre-made nori rolls, all food is made fresh to order, with sashimi sliced off the fish while you wait (as it should be). I haven't tried much of the hot food but I often see people eating it and it smells great. A good place for a quick & healthy lunch or dinner on King Street.

Jun 14, 2008

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.8 Below Average

Food  6      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  3     

I wish I had read the reviews before I experienced the horror of Melinzana for myself. After being told my Pizza would be half an hour, I ended up waiting a total of two hours, and when I queried the delay, was treated with the most insolent rudeness I've ever encountered. It seems my experience was absolutely typical.

The pizza itself was OK, though overly salty and very oily. I might have enjoyed it more if it wasn't served to me 1.5 hours late by the rudest staff in the universe. These people really don't deserve the patronage they seem to enjoy.

Jun 14, 2008

7.3 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  6     

Think Billy Kwong without the ridiculous queues, the stuffiness, and the crate-like chairs. Quiet and civilised, Mahjong Room fuses modern and traditional Chinese in inventive, delicate ways. Nothing greasy, nothing heavy. I generally find the entreés more flavoursome than the mains, try the sesame parcels with duck.

Crispy chicken is great for main. I agree with the user below who said the tiger prawns and broccoli was boring and bland, a weakspot in an otherwise exciting selection. It can be expensive but the menu offers several reasonably priced options as well.

Aug 06, 2007