KatX

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

1 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  1     

Expensive and full of 'local colour', urr drunk youths shouting. Which was offensive even when *I* was one of them (they take it too far man!).

Portions are small, but with too much filler (like chips, or mash). Coffee is typically burnt, staff surly, tables too close, area not so much lit as open to the streetlights. And it's expensive, for the quality you are receiving.

I've been here so many times over the years because it was the only place open after midnight, locally. And really, that's the only reason you'd go here. Because it's open and the only other option is mcdonalds.

Sep 12, 2010

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  9      Value  7     

I just love this place. I've not been disappointed once (although I have not visited for around a year and a half due to no longer being local).

A little on the pricey side, but service is great. The servings are well proportioned and promptly delivered. The staff are friendly and very attentive, and quick to offer more drinks. It does get busy quickly, with hoards of locals clammering and celebrating, but that doesn't seem to slow the service down. Does get a bit loud though!

The atmosphere is a bit poorly lit (only houselights, no table lights). The mirror does help make the area feel larger, but also dated. The linens and cutlery are clean, and there's a good amount of space between tables. It does get loud when busy, but not more than any other popular chinese restaurant.

The food is quite anglo, but clearly that's what the customers want. If you want authentic chinese, perhaps, the hills district should be considered after parramatta and chinatown. But if you're after good food, quick service and a welcoming staff then give Winston Gardens a shot.

Sep 12, 2010

3.5 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  3      Service  2      Value  5     

Don't bother. If there's more than two tables already seated, you should expect an hour's wait for your entrees.

The ambience is terrible, the service is slow, food is undercooked, overcooked, and once, half-frozen. It's cheap though. So if you're out with mates on the piss, and want a steak and beers, this is probably the place in katoomba.

But if you're out with your extended family, prepare to be disappointed, angered, and left wondering if you should've just eaten drivethrough on the way back to Sydney. Also the childrens meals promise a drink, but they've not once been included with the meal. The waitresses offer excuses, but the drink they bring is included on the bill anyway.

If you do go on a friday or saturday, please expect the crowd to start getting a bit rowdy if you're there later than 7.

Sep 12, 2010

3.3 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  4      Service  3      Value  2     

The only visit I've made here, saw the restaurant packed, without a seat free, but still, that's not an excuse for the experience we received, especially on a friday night. The staff must be at the top of their game. The staff are young and pretty, but disinterested in table service. They'll smile as they deliver dishes to the table, but then you'll pretty much have to grab them by the arm to get more attention. Eye contact will not help you.

The medium-rare porterhouse steak ordered arrived /blue/, with tendons and fat that were impossible to cut, with soggy chips, overdressed salad but a very delicious cafe de paris butter. My partners lamb backstrap arrived overcooked and very tough, with a bland and uninspired tomato base.

The ambience is loud, the kitchen is open to the dining area, the staff lounge around the bar and registrar and ignore diners, and it's poorly lit. Not cosy or intimate, just dark. The kitchen being open is particularly unpleasant. It's a busy kitchen and diners do not want to see the staff being talked down to and told off by the kitchen staff. They also aren't very keen on hearing dishes being slapped around and dropped on benches.

It's also priced rather highly. It might've just been a 'bad' night. I expect that's not the case though, but we shall return before discounting this place totally (yes, the cafe de paris was /that/ tasty.

Sep 12, 2010

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.3 Average

Food  6      Ambience  4      Service  3      Value  8     

Okay. Politics and religion aside, I feel judged here. Nothing sets me on edge more than that. I also very much dislike being seated away from the 'main' areas because I have a child. It's happened each time I've gone to the common ground, despite tables being free in the downstairs area. It's an interesting seating arrangement given how the owner's religion treats children.

The food varies. It's tasty one visit, bland the next. But the servings are huge. The coffee and chai latte's are great. As are the milkshakes and juices. The food is extremely well priced (please feel free to research why and how this cafe can price as they do). The service is Bad. You will get two visits. The initial order taking, and then the food being placed on the table (normally quite a while later). And the waitstaff will offer an odd mixture of pleasantness and a quiet looking down, judgemental attitude. While being pleasant. They will then disappear from the dining areas and you won't be able to get their attention again.

The 'atmosphere' is a poorly lit one, and a bit dirty. The restaurant was erected and decorated by the owners, but the decorations have not been cared for. The wall hangings are musty, the plants look ill, and it's offering a dingy feeling. There's cracked stained glass, and dust on the stairs.

I'm of two minds about this place. Relatively good food, but the service, ethos of the religion and where my money is going is a big NoNo. Doubtful that I'll go back.

Response from Management:
Dear KatX,

We are sorry that you had such terrible experience at our place. As you know, we are all amateurs here, and learning as we go, so we appreciate any input!
It's sad you had such bad luck with seating. We don't actually have any policies regarding seating children separately, we really try to be "child-friendly" and make it a family place, providing some kid's items on the menu plus offering toys, books etc on loan to customers with little ones.

In our own lives, we are very close to our children, so we try to be the same with our guests. Maybe we can improve, though. And we definitely do need to improve our service skills. That's one thing we really need to learn - so please, feel free to tell us face-to-face if you are not happy. It's a bit of a learning curve for us all, we come from pretty diverse backgrounds and not many have had proper training. (But, believe me, no-one would judge you here).

Thank you for telling us about the need to maintain the decor. Thanks to your comment, we are going to organise a "spring clean", and appoint someone to look after those poor plants. And one last thing. It seems that you have read up about us a bit - but you know, you can't always trust the printed word, even less so these days.

Our life is always open for inspection, and we are here in your town 24/7, so why don't you come and see our lives and find out more for yourself? We would live to meet you in person! You might just be surprised.

Love, from the Common Ground folks.

Sep 11, 2010

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

1 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  1     

Expensive and full of 'local colour', urr drunk youths shouting. Which was offensive even when *I* was one of them (they take it too far man!).

Portions are small, but with too much filler (like chips, or mash). Coffee is typically burnt, staff surly, tables too close, area not so much lit as open to the streetlights. And it's expensive, for the quality you are receiving.

I've been here so many times over the years because it was the only place open after midnight, locally. And really, that's the only reason you'd go here. Because it's open and the only other option is mcdonalds.

Sep 12, 2010

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  9      Value  7     

I just love this place. I've not been disappointed once (although I have not visited for around a year and a half due to no longer being local).

A little on the pricey side, but service is great. The servings are well proportioned and promptly delivered. The staff are friendly and very attentive, and quick to offer more drinks. It does get busy quickly, with hoards of locals clammering and celebrating, but that doesn't seem to slow the service down. Does get a bit loud though!

The atmosphere is a bit poorly lit (only houselights, no table lights). The mirror does help make the area feel larger, but also dated. The linens and cutlery are clean, and there's a good amount of space between tables. It does get loud when busy, but not more than any other popular chinese restaurant.

The food is quite anglo, but clearly that's what the customers want. If you want authentic chinese, perhaps, the hills district should be considered after parramatta and chinatown. But if you're after good food, quick service and a welcoming staff then give Winston Gardens a shot.

Sep 12, 2010

3.5 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  3      Service  2      Value  5     

Don't bother. If there's more than two tables already seated, you should expect an hour's wait for your entrees.

The ambience is terrible, the service is slow, food is undercooked, overcooked, and once, half-frozen. It's cheap though. So if you're out with mates on the piss, and want a steak and beers, this is probably the place in katoomba.

But if you're out with your extended family, prepare to be disappointed, angered, and left wondering if you should've just eaten drivethrough on the way back to Sydney. Also the childrens meals promise a drink, but they've not once been included with the meal. The waitresses offer excuses, but the drink they bring is included on the bill anyway.

If you do go on a friday or saturday, please expect the crowd to start getting a bit rowdy if you're there later than 7.

Sep 12, 2010

3.3 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  4      Service  3      Value  2     

The only visit I've made here, saw the restaurant packed, without a seat free, but still, that's not an excuse for the experience we received, especially on a friday night. The staff must be at the top of their game. The staff are young and pretty, but disinterested in table service. They'll smile as they deliver dishes to the table, but then you'll pretty much have to grab them by the arm to get more attention. Eye contact will not help you.

The medium-rare porterhouse steak ordered arrived /blue/, with tendons and fat that were impossible to cut, with soggy chips, overdressed salad but a very delicious cafe de paris butter. My partners lamb backstrap arrived overcooked and very tough, with a bland and uninspired tomato base.

The ambience is loud, the kitchen is open to the dining area, the staff lounge around the bar and registrar and ignore diners, and it's poorly lit. Not cosy or intimate, just dark. The kitchen being open is particularly unpleasant. It's a busy kitchen and diners do not want to see the staff being talked down to and told off by the kitchen staff. They also aren't very keen on hearing dishes being slapped around and dropped on benches.

It's also priced rather highly. It might've just been a 'bad' night. I expect that's not the case though, but we shall return before discounting this place totally (yes, the cafe de paris was /that/ tasty.

Sep 12, 2010

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.3 Average

Food  6      Ambience  4      Service  3      Value  8     

Okay. Politics and religion aside, I feel judged here. Nothing sets me on edge more than that. I also very much dislike being seated away from the 'main' areas because I have a child. It's happened each time I've gone to the common ground, despite tables being free in the downstairs area. It's an interesting seating arrangement given how the owner's religion treats children.

The food varies. It's tasty one visit, bland the next. But the servings are huge. The coffee and chai latte's are great. As are the milkshakes and juices. The food is extremely well priced (please feel free to research why and how this cafe can price as they do). The service is Bad. You will get two visits. The initial order taking, and then the food being placed on the table (normally quite a while later). And the waitstaff will offer an odd mixture of pleasantness and a quiet looking down, judgemental attitude. While being pleasant. They will then disappear from the dining areas and you won't be able to get their attention again.

The 'atmosphere' is a poorly lit one, and a bit dirty. The restaurant was erected and decorated by the owners, but the decorations have not been cared for. The wall hangings are musty, the plants look ill, and it's offering a dingy feeling. There's cracked stained glass, and dust on the stairs.

I'm of two minds about this place. Relatively good food, but the service, ethos of the religion and where my money is going is a big NoNo. Doubtful that I'll go back.

Response from Management:
Dear KatX,

We are sorry that you had such terrible experience at our place. As you know, we are all amateurs here, and learning as we go, so we appreciate any input!
It's sad you had such bad luck with seating. We don't actually have any policies regarding seating children separately, we really try to be "child-friendly" and make it a family place, providing some kid's items on the menu plus offering toys, books etc on loan to customers with little ones.

In our own lives, we are very close to our children, so we try to be the same with our guests. Maybe we can improve, though. And we definitely do need to improve our service skills. That's one thing we really need to learn - so please, feel free to tell us face-to-face if you are not happy. It's a bit of a learning curve for us all, we come from pretty diverse backgrounds and not many have had proper training. (But, believe me, no-one would judge you here).

Thank you for telling us about the need to maintain the decor. Thanks to your comment, we are going to organise a "spring clean", and appoint someone to look after those poor plants. And one last thing. It seems that you have read up about us a bit - but you know, you can't always trust the printed word, even less so these days.

Our life is always open for inspection, and we are here in your town 24/7, so why don't you come and see our lives and find out more for yourself? We would live to meet you in person! You might just be surprised.

Love, from the Common Ground folks.

Sep 11, 2010

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.3 Below Average

Food  6      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  1     

Expensive food, out of the way location, poorly laid out dining and shopping areas, and the most surly waitress we've ever come across. I'd suggest avoiding this cafe. It's cute. The food is okay. It's also expensive and as other's have mentioned, the service is 'lacking'.

Sep 11, 2010