Ava M.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5 Average

Food  8      Ambience  4      Service  5      Value  3     

Hm, after hearing good things our dinner at TBD was a let down. We booked for the later sitting (after 8.15), and picked dishes from the menu instead of going for the 4 for $65 or 6 for $80 deg choices. They recommend 4-5 per person but with amazingly good Iggy's bread $8 for two, and a great tempranillo $49, we were totally full.

We had 6 plates at $17 each - snapper ceviche, mussels & pippis in a laksa broth, calamari with smoked corn puree, asian pressed pork belly with greens, scampi with yuzu curd, and beef with potatoes. The calamari & ceviche were standout, mussels and pork belly nothing special.. others were nice but not amazing.

Bill was $159 all up, but I would have been much happier paying that in a nicer setting. The space itself is a very casual cafe, so there was a huge contrast between food & atmosphere - it felt like a coffee & bacon'n'egg roll for $10 kind of place.

Because it was open to the road, lots of bugs were flying around inside - a moth landed in my wine glass, and we kept swatting them away all night - not nice. Also, the bus route that goes right by outside ruins what little ambience there is. Service was cafe-style, very casual, nice but nothing special. I'd recommend stick to the breakfast here, we won't be going back.

Feb 04, 2012

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  5     

Went for dinner with my boyfriend last weekend. We brought along a bottle of champagne (BYO - corkage $15 a bottle) and each had an entree and main. The food was all lovely, really clean flavours, fresh seafood, pretty presentation.

For entree we shared 6 oysters that came with a delicate dressing and the scallop carpaccio with apple and sorbet. They were delicious, according to my partner the scallop entree was one of his all time favourites, which is a big call.

For mains, I had the lobster tail special which was divine, and he had the open lasagne with scampi, beautifully executed making excellent use of great produce. With the entertainment card the meal was around $120 which was very fair, however, if we didn't have the $40 discount and we had ordered a bottle of wine it would've been $200, which would've been too pricey.

I recommend this place to anyone looking for a romantic meal, and the BYO policy is worth taking advantage of if you have a special bottle.

** Visited a second time, such a perfect meal. Waitstaff were lovely, meal was outstanding, overall such a great experience.

Aug 09, 2011

5.5 Average

Food  7      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  4     

Syracuse totally missed the mark of fine dining for me... The imposing room itself is a high-ceilinged space divided by small tables & vintage lounges, & is quite loud & busy. I like when I walk into a place that is humming, but in this case the hum was overridden by the squeals of 3 unrestrained under 6's (why bring kids?!) at the table next to us. Ambience, gone.

We decided on by the glass wines to try & get a feel for the wine list, which was expansive. Each of our champagne & 3 reds were fabulous, earthy, flavoursome drops that unfortunately outshone the food. We were served by 4 different waiters - seemed like they were having a difficult time navigating the overcrowded floor & weren't seen for more than 30 seconds at a time.

For "tapas", between 2 we shared the diced tuna tartare with toasted rice ($25, lovely flavours, unusually served without accompaniement), scallops with cabernet vinaigrette ($24, 3 shrunken scallops, moreish but hardly a 'share plate'), wagyu tartare ($25, to. die. for.), school prawns ($14, undercooked, worst rendition I've had at a restaurant yet), & a crab & burghel salad ($18, bland & poorly executed).

With our bill coming to $190 all up I felt really disappointed. For that price, I could have enjoyed a perfect meal at another excellent restaurant, but
instead wasted my time here. This experience was so lacklustre & the whole experience so hit & miss that I would not recommend it to others.

Aug 09, 2011

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  6     

Since moving to Melbourne in January & fine dining every weekend since, our meal at CSE was the best to date. The waitstaff were impressive, so professional, discreet & charming. The French fellow - tall with dark hair - was so attentive & really made it a special meal.

I had a prosecco & my partner a campari, & shared some veal-stuffed olives (delicious) as we browsed the menu, & were filled in on the specials. For entree we shared the guinea fowl ravioli & pumpkin panzotti (like agnolotti) which were absolutely delicious, so succulent & just beautiful flavours. The orange glaze on the guinea fowl was perfect to cut through the rich meat, mmmmmm.

For mains, we had the lamb loin & the john dory, which were perfectly executed dishes. The cos & witlof salad & green beans sides were very nice also, but as the mains came with veggies (such a surprise - why are more restaurants not doing this??) weren't really necessary.

I would highly recommend this restaurant - great place to take people out, sure to impress & satisfy. Also the perfect place for an anniversary dinner or similar special occasion. Also, Der Raum (awesome cocktail bar) is just down the road, so you can pop over for a drink afterwards.

May 07, 2011

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.5 Average

Food  4      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  7     

Our first time dining at Panama will be our last. My partner and I had a meal here 2 weeks ago and we left feeling disappointed. The room is beautiful, I love the bar area, pool tables is a bit weird and a waste of space, but the room is huge and the windows do the view justice. We were seated quickly as we had a booking, but it was odd that on the phone they had said they were nearly fully booked and we'd have to sit at the communal table, then we arrived and there were several empty tables all night. Uh, yeah, fully booked.

I was pleasantly surprised that nothing on the menu was over $30, but we found out why. The style of food is modern with a strong Middle Eastern slant. For entree we had the quail cigar with goats cheese and the duck terrine. Terrine was ok, but flavourless. Quail cigar was weird, poor use of produce and odd flavour combination. It tasted like McDonalds cheeseburger!

For mains, we had the rabbit 3 ways and the venison with beetroot. The rabbit was pleasant, juicy and flavoursome but umremarkable. Fair value for $26 though. The venison just wasn't done justice, overdone, dry and overwhelmed by the beetroot.

We used the entertainment card, so the meal and a half carafe of red came to $95, which was fine, but nothing special. I wouldn't come back for a meal, and wouldn't recommend anyone to dine here, but the space is so lovely I'd bring people for a drink before eating somewhere else.

Overall, totally average and a disappointing use of a great space.

May 07, 2011

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5 Average

Food  8      Ambience  4      Service  5      Value  3     

Hm, after hearing good things our dinner at TBD was a let down. We booked for the later sitting (after 8.15), and picked dishes from the menu instead of going for the 4 for $65 or 6 for $80 deg choices. They recommend 4-5 per person but with amazingly good Iggy's bread $8 for two, and a great tempranillo $49, we were totally full.

We had 6 plates at $17 each - snapper ceviche, mussels & pippis in a laksa broth, calamari with smoked corn puree, asian pressed pork belly with greens, scampi with yuzu curd, and beef with potatoes. The calamari & ceviche were standout, mussels and pork belly nothing special.. others were nice but not amazing.

Bill was $159 all up, but I would have been much happier paying that in a nicer setting. The space itself is a very casual cafe, so there was a huge contrast between food & atmosphere - it felt like a coffee & bacon'n'egg roll for $10 kind of place.

Because it was open to the road, lots of bugs were flying around inside - a moth landed in my wine glass, and we kept swatting them away all night - not nice. Also, the bus route that goes right by outside ruins what little ambience there is. Service was cafe-style, very casual, nice but nothing special. I'd recommend stick to the breakfast here, we won't be going back.

Feb 04, 2012

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  5     

Went for dinner with my boyfriend last weekend. We brought along a bottle of champagne (BYO - corkage $15 a bottle) and each had an entree and main. The food was all lovely, really clean flavours, fresh seafood, pretty presentation.

For entree we shared 6 oysters that came with a delicate dressing and the scallop carpaccio with apple and sorbet. They were delicious, according to my partner the scallop entree was one of his all time favourites, which is a big call.

For mains, I had the lobster tail special which was divine, and he had the open lasagne with scampi, beautifully executed making excellent use of great produce. With the entertainment card the meal was around $120 which was very fair, however, if we didn't have the $40 discount and we had ordered a bottle of wine it would've been $200, which would've been too pricey.

I recommend this place to anyone looking for a romantic meal, and the BYO policy is worth taking advantage of if you have a special bottle.

** Visited a second time, such a perfect meal. Waitstaff were lovely, meal was outstanding, overall such a great experience.

Aug 09, 2011

5.5 Average

Food  7      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  4     

Syracuse totally missed the mark of fine dining for me... The imposing room itself is a high-ceilinged space divided by small tables & vintage lounges, & is quite loud & busy. I like when I walk into a place that is humming, but in this case the hum was overridden by the squeals of 3 unrestrained under 6's (why bring kids?!) at the table next to us. Ambience, gone.

We decided on by the glass wines to try & get a feel for the wine list, which was expansive. Each of our champagne & 3 reds were fabulous, earthy, flavoursome drops that unfortunately outshone the food. We were served by 4 different waiters - seemed like they were having a difficult time navigating the overcrowded floor & weren't seen for more than 30 seconds at a time.

For "tapas", between 2 we shared the diced tuna tartare with toasted rice ($25, lovely flavours, unusually served without accompaniement), scallops with cabernet vinaigrette ($24, 3 shrunken scallops, moreish but hardly a 'share plate'), wagyu tartare ($25, to. die. for.), school prawns ($14, undercooked, worst rendition I've had at a restaurant yet), & a crab & burghel salad ($18, bland & poorly executed).

With our bill coming to $190 all up I felt really disappointed. For that price, I could have enjoyed a perfect meal at another excellent restaurant, but
instead wasted my time here. This experience was so lacklustre & the whole experience so hit & miss that I would not recommend it to others.

Aug 09, 2011

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  6     

Since moving to Melbourne in January & fine dining every weekend since, our meal at CSE was the best to date. The waitstaff were impressive, so professional, discreet & charming. The French fellow - tall with dark hair - was so attentive & really made it a special meal.

I had a prosecco & my partner a campari, & shared some veal-stuffed olives (delicious) as we browsed the menu, & were filled in on the specials. For entree we shared the guinea fowl ravioli & pumpkin panzotti (like agnolotti) which were absolutely delicious, so succulent & just beautiful flavours. The orange glaze on the guinea fowl was perfect to cut through the rich meat, mmmmmm.

For mains, we had the lamb loin & the john dory, which were perfectly executed dishes. The cos & witlof salad & green beans sides were very nice also, but as the mains came with veggies (such a surprise - why are more restaurants not doing this??) weren't really necessary.

I would highly recommend this restaurant - great place to take people out, sure to impress & satisfy. Also the perfect place for an anniversary dinner or similar special occasion. Also, Der Raum (awesome cocktail bar) is just down the road, so you can pop over for a drink afterwards.

May 07, 2011

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.5 Average

Food  4      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  7     

Our first time dining at Panama will be our last. My partner and I had a meal here 2 weeks ago and we left feeling disappointed. The room is beautiful, I love the bar area, pool tables is a bit weird and a waste of space, but the room is huge and the windows do the view justice. We were seated quickly as we had a booking, but it was odd that on the phone they had said they were nearly fully booked and we'd have to sit at the communal table, then we arrived and there were several empty tables all night. Uh, yeah, fully booked.

I was pleasantly surprised that nothing on the menu was over $30, but we found out why. The style of food is modern with a strong Middle Eastern slant. For entree we had the quail cigar with goats cheese and the duck terrine. Terrine was ok, but flavourless. Quail cigar was weird, poor use of produce and odd flavour combination. It tasted like McDonalds cheeseburger!

For mains, we had the rabbit 3 ways and the venison with beetroot. The rabbit was pleasant, juicy and flavoursome but umremarkable. Fair value for $26 though. The venison just wasn't done justice, overdone, dry and overwhelmed by the beetroot.

We used the entertainment card, so the meal and a half carafe of red came to $95, which was fine, but nothing special. I wouldn't come back for a meal, and wouldn't recommend anyone to dine here, but the space is so lovely I'd bring people for a drink before eating somewhere else.

Overall, totally average and a disappointing use of a great space.

May 07, 2011

3 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  5      Service  3      Value  1     

This is the second time we have dined at this disappointing and crazily overpriced restaurant. The service was atrocious, waiter forgot the specials, the staff were running around mixing things up, I saw two literally run into each other, so erratic and disorganised. We shared 4 stuzzichini at $18 a plate. The wagyu tartare was nice, but the rest were ridiculous. 1 tiny oil soaked soft shelled crab on a grilled chilli pepper, What were they thinking?!
Thats not even remotely italian and tasted awful.

For mains we had two pastas, a porcini tagliatelle and a "mub crab and prawn" spaghetti. There was one tiny prawn and minced crab for $30. Felt sorry for the table next to us, their $40 mains were tiny and just came as a piece of meat. Do not waste your money! Can't stress how much we don't recommend this place.

May 07, 2011

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  8     

This place has so much wow factor, its a great option if you're looking for a unique dining experience particularly for a group of 6 or less. I've been 3 times now, and every time leave feeling really satisfied. The food is lovely and exotic, almost too spicy for me sometimes (not chilli hot but loads of spices) but extraordinary flavours when a dish comes out right.

I'd definitely recommend the cucumber starter, the eggplant and lamb-mince salad, the signature hot and numbing pork, the cold lamb salad. I could go on and on. The cocktails are nothing special, though its a cute list. The waiters are discreet but have personality, which they are actually allowed to show unlike many other fine diners.

I'm always pleasantly surprised when we get the bill, usually comes to around $140 for two with a bottle of red and lots of food. The desserts are must try also, had a lovely one with amaretto and mandarin, the flavours stayed with me for an hour after we left!

You can try similar flavours without breaking the budget at Chairman Mao in Randwick, but for the exotically brooding and mysterious ambience I'd recommend trying Spice Temple.

Oct 16, 2010

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.5 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  3      Service  3      Value  3     

This place is so less than average. There is much better Vietnamese for a much better price nearby (Bay Bua, Annam, Xage). There is no atmosphere in the restaurant sense, but because I've visited twice for very casual occasions I haven't minded being hustled around, drinking wine on the steps nearby whilst waiting for a table, or being stink-eyed by the waitresses trying to move us along.

In Sydney we should be used to this kind of fast-service Asian by now. But at somewhere like Spice I Am on Wentworth, at least the food is worth it, as well as being value for money. Phamish don't do great food, the prices are just too high, and it just feels cheap and nasty for some reason. If you don't get a table before 7.30 beware, almost half of the menu will be sold out and you'll be left with the least popular options. And they are least popular for good reason. Not worth it!

Oct 16, 2010

6.8 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  5     

Went with a group of 6 last night to Porteno. They do 2 sittings, we were booked for the 6-8.30 sitting (they only do bookings for groups of 6 or more) and when we arrived at 6 pm there was a very large crowd gathered at the front door, waiting for it to open. When the doors opened everyone rushed forward, so even with a booking we had to wait another 10 minutes in the queue. It was like the punters rushing for the Boxing Day sales - madness!

The venue inside is gorgeous, very unique and traditionally styled. The space downstairs is kind of awkwar, however, and the room is really humid thanks to the open grill in the corner. This did fill the room with amazing smells all night so added to the atmosphere.

Between 6, we ordered some warm olives ($8) & bread with pate ($2 a head) which were nice nibbles to start though nothing special. I'm not a white wine drinker but always start a meal with a sparkling, and here the sparkling rose ($14.5) was delicious.

Then we had some beef empanadas ($4 each) which were a flavour sensation but unlike at Bodega, there was no accompaniments. An aioli or some diced tomato salsa would have lifted that dish. For mains we had the beef ribs ($38), the suckling pig (~$50) & the lamb ($42), with sides of fried brussel sprouts ($14), polenta ($16) and beetroot salad ($14). The meats were juicy and tender, but not stand out, and the sides were average. I found the brussels sprout too salty, and no crackling on the pig! Travesty! The polenta was a joke, incredibly liquid & served on a flat plate, & just tasted like melted cheese.

The food arrived one dish at a time so it was a very disjointed meal, and the servings were less than liberal. We had a lovely 08 Malbec ($58) which was the highlight for me. Altogether the bill came to $60 per person, which I thought was not good value for the amount of food or quality. Its certainly a down-market option from Bodega, but the prices are on par.

Oct 16, 2010