d&p

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

We heard that this place had changed from what I recall was a pretty ordinary cafe a few years ago. The daughter of our friends did some work experience here as part of a course she was doing, and made it sound interesting, so last Saturday we gave it a try. We arrived at 7:40 and the place was packed, with only one table free after ours.

Initial impression was great, nice decor, pleasant and efficient service, and some great-looking food on the tables, people eat early out in the suburbs! Despite the fact that the place was very busy, we were attended to promptly and efficiently. One of our party requires a gluten-free diet, and our waiter was certainly across this, and very helpful.

When our entrees arrived, we were all impressed by the presentation and then the taste. The dishes were all colourful, sizeable and really well cooked, calamari, bruschetta. Field mushrooms and the huge antipasto. All very good, and all eagerly devoured. Main course again looked and tasted great, chicken parmigiana, chicken tre sapore, veal calabrese, and a yummy chicken risotto.

For dessert, my wife and I shared a fantastic tiramisu, and my friend was sad to hear that the baked cheesecake had run out, and so settled for gelato. Timings were great despite a full house, and we had a great night. The atmosphere, the buzz, and the service were all excellent, and I think we will be back soon. Reasonably priced and licenced/byo. So good to find a really well-run place with fantastic food out here in the NW.

Sep 15, 2009

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  4      Service  2      Value  3     

This restaurant is situated within a small shopping centre, and the atmosphere is far from intimate. It was very noisy when we arrived, mainly due to a kids' party at an adjoining establishment. We had a round table for 6 outside the restaurant but within the centre itself. Not initially impressed, but then we found the service very friendly, and the food really good. The chicken/eggplant entree was particularly good, and our selection of mains was generally good.

The goat curry was fantastic, as well as the Sekewa chicken and char-grilled lamb. The lamb shank special was not as great, and a bit tough. But overall, we all enjoyed the evening and thought it was a great value restaurant, serving interesting food, and with excellent service. Well worth a try for a good-value, tasty and lively dinner experience.

Aug 10, 2009

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.3 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  2      Service  2      Value  3     

Saw this in the Entertainment book, and thought we would try it one Thursday night. Very quiet, not more than a dozen diners. Our waiter was really good, and chatted to us about the place and advised on food choices, since we confessed ourselves as novices with Indian cuisine. We tried the tandoori special as entree, and it was delicious, followed by one chicken and one beef main course. Every-thing was very tasty, and reasonably priced. Would have no hesitation about going again, and I'm sure we will.

Response from Management:
Hi d&p!

Thank you for your feedback!
Firstly, I must admit, when I read the rating I was disappointed but then I checked the other review that you've done on the same date and my only guess is that there was some internet glich in the overall rating because your personal comments were delightful! :)

Having said that I'm glad you enjoyed your time at our place, we 'll definitely look forward to seeing you again :)


Best,
Ali

Aug 10, 2009

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

Chose Ivan and Lizzie's, based on eatability reviews for a Saturday dinner with friends from interstate who were staying in North Sydney. What a great find! We arrived at 7 pm and were warmly greeted, and offered a choice of tables. The restaurant is comfortable and cosy, with a lovely relaxing atmosphere. We ordered calamari and the famous eggplant chips for starters, and both were really good.

For mains, I had the fantastic slow-cooked shin of beef, very tasty and cooked to perfection. Others tried the nasi goreng, sea perch with lemon grass curry, and the prawns, and everyone was more than happy with their selection. The rhubarb and fig cheese cake was good, though not quite what my wife thought it would be.

However, the sticky date pudding looked fantastic, and was devoured with relish by an allegedly "light-eater". Service throughout the evening was pleasant, helpful and unobtrusive, and it was only after Lizzie came over to say hello to us that we realised it was 10:45. We had all enjoyed a lovely evening, and will certainly be back soon.

Nov 26, 2008

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

Have just returned after dinner for 4 at Zibibbo on a Saturday night. Yes, you can still see the Germanic decor, but it's a pleasant place, and all the pictures in the wall are Italian. The hostess (co-owner and wife of the Italian chef) was particularly nice.

We arrived a bit early, and the place was packed, but we sat at an outside table and wine glasses came quickly, so that was no problem at all. Our entrees were perhaps a little disappointing - the mushrooms and antipasto were OK but not great. The mains, however, were very good....veal, steaks and the pork special. All perfectly cooked, and accompanied by a nice selection and quantity of vegetables. The atmosphere was good, and we all enjoyed the evening.

Would be happy to go back. It's BYO, and also in the Entertainment book, and parking is easy.

Oct 18, 2008

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

We heard that this place had changed from what I recall was a pretty ordinary cafe a few years ago. The daughter of our friends did some work experience here as part of a course she was doing, and made it sound interesting, so last Saturday we gave it a try. We arrived at 7:40 and the place was packed, with only one table free after ours.

Initial impression was great, nice decor, pleasant and efficient service, and some great-looking food on the tables, people eat early out in the suburbs! Despite the fact that the place was very busy, we were attended to promptly and efficiently. One of our party requires a gluten-free diet, and our waiter was certainly across this, and very helpful.

When our entrees arrived, we were all impressed by the presentation and then the taste. The dishes were all colourful, sizeable and really well cooked, calamari, bruschetta. Field mushrooms and the huge antipasto. All very good, and all eagerly devoured. Main course again looked and tasted great, chicken parmigiana, chicken tre sapore, veal calabrese, and a yummy chicken risotto.

For dessert, my wife and I shared a fantastic tiramisu, and my friend was sad to hear that the baked cheesecake had run out, and so settled for gelato. Timings were great despite a full house, and we had a great night. The atmosphere, the buzz, and the service were all excellent, and I think we will be back soon. Reasonably priced and licenced/byo. So good to find a really well-run place with fantastic food out here in the NW.

Sep 15, 2009

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  4      Service  2      Value  3     

This restaurant is situated within a small shopping centre, and the atmosphere is far from intimate. It was very noisy when we arrived, mainly due to a kids' party at an adjoining establishment. We had a round table for 6 outside the restaurant but within the centre itself. Not initially impressed, but then we found the service very friendly, and the food really good. The chicken/eggplant entree was particularly good, and our selection of mains was generally good.

The goat curry was fantastic, as well as the Sekewa chicken and char-grilled lamb. The lamb shank special was not as great, and a bit tough. But overall, we all enjoyed the evening and thought it was a great value restaurant, serving interesting food, and with excellent service. Well worth a try for a good-value, tasty and lively dinner experience.

Aug 10, 2009

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.3 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  2      Service  2      Value  3     

Saw this in the Entertainment book, and thought we would try it one Thursday night. Very quiet, not more than a dozen diners. Our waiter was really good, and chatted to us about the place and advised on food choices, since we confessed ourselves as novices with Indian cuisine. We tried the tandoori special as entree, and it was delicious, followed by one chicken and one beef main course. Every-thing was very tasty, and reasonably priced. Would have no hesitation about going again, and I'm sure we will.

Response from Management:
Hi d&p!

Thank you for your feedback!
Firstly, I must admit, when I read the rating I was disappointed but then I checked the other review that you've done on the same date and my only guess is that there was some internet glich in the overall rating because your personal comments were delightful! :)

Having said that I'm glad you enjoyed your time at our place, we 'll definitely look forward to seeing you again :)


Best,
Ali

Aug 10, 2009

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

Chose Ivan and Lizzie's, based on eatability reviews for a Saturday dinner with friends from interstate who were staying in North Sydney. What a great find! We arrived at 7 pm and were warmly greeted, and offered a choice of tables. The restaurant is comfortable and cosy, with a lovely relaxing atmosphere. We ordered calamari and the famous eggplant chips for starters, and both were really good.

For mains, I had the fantastic slow-cooked shin of beef, very tasty and cooked to perfection. Others tried the nasi goreng, sea perch with lemon grass curry, and the prawns, and everyone was more than happy with their selection. The rhubarb and fig cheese cake was good, though not quite what my wife thought it would be.

However, the sticky date pudding looked fantastic, and was devoured with relish by an allegedly "light-eater". Service throughout the evening was pleasant, helpful and unobtrusive, and it was only after Lizzie came over to say hello to us that we realised it was 10:45. We had all enjoyed a lovely evening, and will certainly be back soon.

Nov 26, 2008

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

Have just returned after dinner for 4 at Zibibbo on a Saturday night. Yes, you can still see the Germanic decor, but it's a pleasant place, and all the pictures in the wall are Italian. The hostess (co-owner and wife of the Italian chef) was particularly nice.

We arrived a bit early, and the place was packed, but we sat at an outside table and wine glasses came quickly, so that was no problem at all. Our entrees were perhaps a little disappointing - the mushrooms and antipasto were OK but not great. The mains, however, were very good....veal, steaks and the pork special. All perfectly cooked, and accompanied by a nice selection and quantity of vegetables. The atmosphere was good, and we all enjoyed the evening.

Would be happy to go back. It's BYO, and also in the Entertainment book, and parking is easy.

Oct 18, 2008

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

6.5 Recommended

Food  3      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  6     

Having enjoyed a fantastic stay in Prague last year, we were very keen to try out this place. Today, on a warm sunny day, we were passing close by, and decided to drop in for a beer. And the Krusovice was really excellent. Tempted by the menu, though not looking to eat a heavy meal, we decided to order the Mixed Sausage platter, with a side of sauerkraut. What a disappointment!!!!

I did not like the sauerkraut very much - seemed really sweet rather than savoury. It was OK, I suppose, but not what I expected. The sausages, however, were woeful. We had 3 different sausages, all basically frankfurter-type sausages, and though they did not taste too bad, we encountered no less than 5 pieces of inedible gristle. You can get better sausages at any deli. So whilst there may be some much better dishes on the menu, and the menu certainly reads well, I find myself reluctant to return.

How hard is it to serve a few grilled sausages that are pleasant and edible? The location and ambience were great, the service was fine, the beer was great but how can you serve such poor quality basic food to paying customers who were really keen to love this place, but now have lost their enthusiasm???

Oct 12, 2008

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  7     

Have been for weekend lunch here a couple of times. Very tasty food and reasonably priced. Certainly a place with character, and authentic Spanish atmosphere, but they really could improve the outside tables and chairs and get rid of the crappy plastic tablecloths. Today we had the patatas bravas, calamari plancha and albondigas (meatballs) and all were very tasty.

If you don't like heaps of very powerful aioli on your patatas and calamari, I suggest you ask for them to serve it on the side, it's really good, but also very rich and strong, and heaped onto these dishes. Despite comments from other reviewers, I thought the servings were reasonable, so that 3 tapas dishes, bread rolls and a bottle of wine was just about right for a light lunch for two. They also do great coffee.

May 11, 2008

7.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

We went to Gelbison on a fairly busy Saturday night, and ate in the semi-outside area which we thought would be quieter....which it was. Service was pretty good throughout, especially the lady from Thailand, and we enjoyed a comfortable dinner. Very nice bruschetta, and tasty though rather thick minestrone.

Three of us enjoyed some very nice chicken and veal main courses, though my friend was not overly impressed with his lasagne, which was a bit oily and lacking in meat content. No-one tried the pizzas, though they certainly looked good on the table next to us. Pricing is reasonable, and our overall experience was good. Would go again.

Apr 06, 2008

8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  7     

Nice place with lovely varandah, and quite busy for a Tuesday lunchtime. Service was nevertheless prompt, polite and efficient throughout. We had a somewhat skinny garlic bread to start with, and then our main courses. I chose the beef rib eye, served on mash & peas, with a wonderful mushroom sauce. The beef was very tender and cooked exactly as requested.
Others chose the chicken schnitzel, and the chicken breast with prawns, and all were adequate servings, well-cooked, tasty and well-presented. The ladies ordered desserts, which were also really nice - apple & raspberry crumble, and passion fruit gelato in a dark chocolate ball.
It's not a cheap eat for lunch - mains averaged $25 and of course it is not byo. So it was $180 for the 4 of us. But the quality of the overall experience just about justified the price. Certainly a pleasant place for a nice lunch.

Feb 05, 2008

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  8     

Despite the varied reviews on this site, we had dinner (8 people) on Saturday evening. We booked for 8pm, and were promptly shown to our table, at the back of restaurant. It seemed that every other table was already occupied when we arrived.

It crossed my mind that the service might thus be slow, but our waitress quickly sorted out drinks and menus, and we ordered about 8:20.
Our entrees arrived promptly, and most were very good. The whitebait fritters, scallops and vegetable risotto were particularly good. I had the field mushrooms, which were a bit disappointing...just 3 small grilled plain mushrooms and a few lettuce scraps.

Mains were similarly prompt, and not one of our group had any complaints about their food, which included 2 seafood dishes, veal shanks, schnitzel, and my very tasty veal pamigiano.
Our waitress was excellent - always seemed to be there when we needed her, and was very efficient and pleasant to deal with. We thought that it was overall good value - zero corkage, complimentary bread and vegetable plates with the mains.

The only downside was that it was very noisy, and so hard to converse to anyone not right next to or opposite you. Partly this was due to one very loud nearby table, and also because we were in the smaller area at the rear of the restaurant. Overall, a good experience, and good value.

Feb 03, 2008