Soop

Reviews

Restaurants, Italian, Has Bar, Licensed, Outdoor Dining

Overall 8.1 10

5.5 Average

Food 6 Ambience 6 Service 8 Value 2

Wow, really disappointed. Don't believe that the menu is ideal to share, the portion sizes are tiny. Would anyone think that it's appropriate to share one arancini ball between 4 people? Please. Even the mains were roughly a tapas bar size. It's bizarre, they go for all this rustic charm & ambience, and then serve you things that the chef could have sneezed onto a plate. I would definitely not go back, what a farce. Dishes were tasty enough, but if they think one starter, one main & one side should be enough, they're deluding themselves. I'm completely amazed it rates so well.

Jan 21, 2012

Orchards, Marriott North Ryde, North Ryde

Restaurants, Has Bar

Overall 7.2 8

5.8 Average

Food 7 Ambience 4 Service 7 Value 5

I stay at the Marriot for business and was keen to dine in but don't like to eat in my room, I'd rather look like a lonely businessman! lol Have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the friendliness of the staff. Not the cheapest but you expect that in a hotel restaurant.

The steak I had was 10x better than the specialty grill next door! Had a lovely pasta another night, definitely would recommend. Ambience? - hmm not easy to create ambience in a mostly empty mid-week dining room with TV's at each end. Better than a hotel room though.

Jan 12, 2012

Ribs and Rumps, North Ryde

Restaurants, Steak House, Serves Dinner, Serves Lunch, American Express

Overall 6.6 61

2.8 Not Recommended

Food 3 Ambience 2 Service 4 Value 2

Went for a work function a few weeks back, and have no desire to go back. When it comes to grill restaurants, a little bit of balance is a wonderful thing, unfortunately, not something this place practices. Fine if your idea of a great meal is a chunk of steak/ribs and some potato, but don't expect anything special to complement your meat. My medium rare steak was tough and overcooked, so not even the specialty is done right. Feels like an overpriced version of Sizzler. (without the salad/fruit bar).

Jan 12, 2012

Boheme, Richmond

Restaurants, Cafes, Modern Australian, BYO, Has Bar

Overall 7.5 8

7.3 Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 6 Service 7 Value 7

Just returned from Boheme for a work and very noisy, a little bit of a shame they've done away with the breads and chutneys they used to sell at the and some of that "bohemian" feel. A pretty modest wine list, and the menu appears pretty simple fair, but the quality of the food was outstanding.

I had a home-made gnocchi with pumpkin and spinach with a balsamic reduction, it was excellent. Beautiful soft gnocchi and wonderfully seasoned. Others had various salads/burgers and all agreed the food was great. Noticed on the way out that they do $4.50 pizzas for weekday lunch, which may further explain how busy they were. Will definitely be back sooner rather than later.

Nov 29, 2010

Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood

Pubs, Modern Australian, Has Bar, Licensed, Serves Dinner

Overall 7 7

4.3 Below Average

Food 4 Ambience 4 Service 5 Value 4

Just had lunch there with friends from interstate, now I'm a little embarrassed that I took them there really. The service was polite, but the food was extremely slow to come out. It was a cool sunny day, but sitting in the atrium was unbearably hot. A great range of drinks (but then it is a pub), but the food ranged from simple and overpriced to downright awful and overpriced.

The worst offender was an entree of deep-fried "prawns" with lemon aioli, they were the equivalent of emptying a bag of frozen bait in the fryer and dumping them on a plate, not cool. I had MB bugs, which were flavourless and without a decent dressing or tasty side to sex them up, were extremely disappointing for the price. A shame, as I've always liked the atmosphere of the place.

Nov 19, 2010

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Member since 2007

Last updated on 1st Jun 2012

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Displaying: 1 - 10 of 18 reviews

Bar Idda, Brunswick East

Restaurants, Italian, Has Bar, Licensed, Outdoor Dining

Overall 8.1 10

5.5 Average

Food 6 Ambience 6 Service 8 Value 2

Jan 21, 2012

Orchards, Marriott North Ryde, North Ryde

Restaurants, Has Bar

Overall 7.2 8

5.8 Average

Food 7 Ambience 4 Service 7 Value 5

Jan 12, 2012

Ribs and Rumps, North Ryde

Restaurants, Steak House, Serves Dinner, Serves Lunch, American Express

Overall 6.6 61

2.8 Not Recommended

Food 3 Ambience 2 Service 4 Value 2

Jan 12, 2012

Boheme, Richmond

Restaurants, Cafes, Modern Australian, BYO, Has Bar

Overall 7.5 8

7.3 Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 6 Service 7 Value 7

Nov 29, 2010

Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood

Pubs, Modern Australian, Has Bar, Licensed, Serves Dinner

Overall 7 7

4.3 Below Average

Food 4 Ambience 4 Service 5 Value 4

Nov 19, 2010

Mule, Brunswick

Cafes, Vegetarian

Overall 6.5 4

5.5 Average

Food 5 Ambience 6 Service 5 Value 6

Have seen this place slide over the past few years. While the coffee is still good, the food is bland and uninspired, and hardly bursting with quality ingredients (play "find the listed ingredient"!). Particularly disappointed recently when a kid's fish and chips turned out to be a dry old cardboard wedge of processed oven-bake fish with chips and a pot of sauce (for lubricant I imagine), especially when it's more than half the price of an adult serve of fresh-battered fish with chips and salad.

Normally has a good relaxed feel, though the last time we went, the younger staff looked more concerned with looking moody, and trying to ignore customers.
Not good.

Aug 06, 2010

Robbie's Stein, Brunswick

Restaurants, Modern Australian, Seafood, Tapas, Licensed

Overall 6.9 10

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.8 Below Average

Food 5 Ambience 6 Service 1 Value 3

Went here for breakfast with friends recently, were treated with absolute contempt because we had our child with us, as was another family that came in after us (I think the waitress didn't realise I was standing behind her with what she said, I won't repeat it). Service was slow, unfriendly. The food was nothing special either, I could cook the same at home! I realise it's not set out with children in mind, but friends were adamant that we should go there, won't do it again.

Addit: Our friend who initially recommended this place to us returned there recently with his son and new grandaughter, and had a very similar experience to us, much to his disgust. I wonder if the management realises this is happening? Seriously, if you have small children or an infant, avoid this place like the plague.

Mar 05, 2009

MoVida, Melbourne

Restaurants, Spanish, Tapas, Good For Groups, Banquet

Overall 7 99

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 8 Service 10 Value 8

Took friends from interstate, eager to see what the fuss was about. They've definitely hit on a winner here, the food was amazing, though they certainly pushed our palates to the limit! We decided it would be best to have the $60 banquet, as nobody could really decide on what to have. A great decision, as we got to experience dishes that we may have passed on, eg. never been a fan of anchovies, but the anchovy with tomato sorbet was brilliant, a sign of great things to come!

Croquette was delicious, the scallops divine. Some of the more substantial racion dishes were a bit challenging, not size-wise but very rich and not to everyone's taste. The air-dried wagyu beef with truffle foam and poached egg was magic, but I struggled with more than a few mouthfuls. I was concerned going in that we might not feel satiated after the 10 small plates, but the last few rich racion dishes completely did us all in!

The waitstaff were very professional, informative and unobtrusive, certainly not snobby as some others reviewers felt. The restaurant is a lovely space, perhaps, a little stuffy, and dark but that added to the intimacy. The $60 banquet is great value (the same dishes off the menu would cost you ~$90+), and great for first-time visitors. Now we know what we'll have when we go back, which I hope is soon!

Feb 20, 2009

Vin Cellar, Prahran

Restaurants, Cafes, Modern Australian, Has Bar, Licensed

Overall 8.1 8

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 9 Service 9 Value 7

Absolutely brilliant food here, the duck is delicious and the best scallop entree I think I've ever tasted. Great wine list as you'd expect and the waitstaff are very professional. The chef made us up a tasting plate of desserts which was divine!

Feb 13, 2009

Pearl Cafe, Richmond

Cafes, Modern Australian, Licensed

Overall 4.6 8

6.5 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 5 Service 7 Value 6

Had lunch with work colleagues, it was a shame that we didn't come in 10 minutes later when a table freed up, teetering on a stool in our business attire was downright uncomfortable!

The waitstaff were quite professional and attentive, we started with a glass of wine. Now, call me old-fashioned, but I don't care for white wine served in a trendy stemless glass, sort of flies in the face of why wine glasses have a stem in the first place doesn't it? Anyway... We found the food delicious, everything from the salads to the curry, noodles down to turkish delight and coffee were great, and well worth the reasonable price.

Will definitely come again, though I might hover and insist on waiting for a table next time...

Feb 05, 2009