mangia

3.4 Below Average

Food  4      Drinks  4      Ambience  3      Service  3      Value  3     

Very very average, RSL-type-food at huge prices. We began with the garlic bread - this, to me, is always one of The biggest indicators of what a chef can/will do. The bread was all wrong, the garlic was from a jar and it was dripping in margarine. Not a good start. My husband had the BBQ octopus which was teamed with tzaziki, very strange combination! I had the "crispy" skin duck which tasted like it had been sitting under a grill for a lo-o-o-o-ng time. My advice, don't bother. Go to the club for half the price and same food.

May 30, 2011

7.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

We had the 'Let's Do Lunch' special as part of the Crave Food Festival of Sydney. From the moment the doors were swept open upon our arrival, to the last moment when the crumbs were discreetly swept from our table, the service was faultless. It was attentive without being intrusive. We were given a lovely amuse bouche of a tomato gazpacho which was very tasty. Then we were given a very generous portion of incredibly delicious bread.

The serving of wine was very good and also quite generous. Then came the roasted river barrumundi on a pea and crab risotto. Obviously the chef wanted to keep the beautiful fish as the main event so not much was done to it, perhaps, a few spices would have made a more dramatic impact. The pea/crab risotto was not packed with flavour but rather packed with freshness! It was divine in a "I've just eaten something straight from the garden" kind of way.

Overall a wonderful experience. Aria is the sort of restaurant that we would never been able to do on our budget. So we were very excited but not blown away.

Oct 06, 2010

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

6.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  4      Value  7     

A simple cafe where you order your own food and grab your own cutlery. The food is quite good with very generous servings. We went there with a group of 12 and the food came out promptly and at the same time. The saltpepper calamari were very good as was the seafood basket. The caesar salad was different to your usual fare with poached eggs instead of boiled and prosciutto instead of bacon, although it was overcooked to the point of being leathery. The chips are to die for! The place could do with a little sprucing up/cleaning up. Overall, a very good experience.

Sep 05, 2010

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  9     

The food is seriously good at fantastic prices, probably the best value meal in Sydney. The waiters do try to sell their products (is that part of the job description these days?) so that before we had even got comfortable we were asked if we wanted garlic bread and sparkling water ($12!). The garlic bread is very different to the usual garlic bread with cloves of roasted garlic studded throughout the bread, not a good idea if you're going back to work!

The servings are very generous. And allowing BYO at $8 a bottle is also another wonderful incentive for the cash-strapped diner like me who doesn't want to compromise on taste! Will definitely be back for lunch to make the most of the gorgeous setting.

Apr 15, 2010

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  8     

We had a seriously fantastic lunch here. One was the special of asparagus with poached asparagus. Clean, fresh flavours - beautifully done. (where do they source asparagus from in April?) But the dish of Roasted Vegetable Stack was superb! Beetroot, aubergine, capsicum, pumpkin, asparagus and a wonderful tomato sauce. My husband tasted it and insisted we share but it was too damn good to give away bites! (a tad oily if there is to be any quibble) The staff were lovely and engaging and even involved our two kids in the preparation. Next time I want to impress my foodie friends I'm going to try to recreate that Veggie StacK!

Apr 11, 2010

3.4 Below Average

Food  4      Drinks  4      Ambience  3      Service  3      Value  3     

Very very average, RSL-type-food at huge prices. We began with the garlic bread - this, to me, is always one of The biggest indicators of what a chef can/will do. The bread was all wrong, the garlic was from a jar and it was dripping in margarine. Not a good start. My husband had the BBQ octopus which was teamed with tzaziki, very strange combination! I had the "crispy" skin duck which tasted like it had been sitting under a grill for a lo-o-o-o-ng time. My advice, don't bother. Go to the club for half the price and same food.

May 30, 2011

7.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

We had the 'Let's Do Lunch' special as part of the Crave Food Festival of Sydney. From the moment the doors were swept open upon our arrival, to the last moment when the crumbs were discreetly swept from our table, the service was faultless. It was attentive without being intrusive. We were given a lovely amuse bouche of a tomato gazpacho which was very tasty. Then we were given a very generous portion of incredibly delicious bread.

The serving of wine was very good and also quite generous. Then came the roasted river barrumundi on a pea and crab risotto. Obviously the chef wanted to keep the beautiful fish as the main event so not much was done to it, perhaps, a few spices would have made a more dramatic impact. The pea/crab risotto was not packed with flavour but rather packed with freshness! It was divine in a "I've just eaten something straight from the garden" kind of way.

Overall a wonderful experience. Aria is the sort of restaurant that we would never been able to do on our budget. So we were very excited but not blown away.

Oct 06, 2010

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

6.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  4      Value  7     

A simple cafe where you order your own food and grab your own cutlery. The food is quite good with very generous servings. We went there with a group of 12 and the food came out promptly and at the same time. The saltpepper calamari were very good as was the seafood basket. The caesar salad was different to your usual fare with poached eggs instead of boiled and prosciutto instead of bacon, although it was overcooked to the point of being leathery. The chips are to die for! The place could do with a little sprucing up/cleaning up. Overall, a very good experience.

Sep 05, 2010

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  9     

The food is seriously good at fantastic prices, probably the best value meal in Sydney. The waiters do try to sell their products (is that part of the job description these days?) so that before we had even got comfortable we were asked if we wanted garlic bread and sparkling water ($12!). The garlic bread is very different to the usual garlic bread with cloves of roasted garlic studded throughout the bread, not a good idea if you're going back to work!

The servings are very generous. And allowing BYO at $8 a bottle is also another wonderful incentive for the cash-strapped diner like me who doesn't want to compromise on taste! Will definitely be back for lunch to make the most of the gorgeous setting.

Apr 15, 2010

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  8     

We had a seriously fantastic lunch here. One was the special of asparagus with poached asparagus. Clean, fresh flavours - beautifully done. (where do they source asparagus from in April?) But the dish of Roasted Vegetable Stack was superb! Beetroot, aubergine, capsicum, pumpkin, asparagus and a wonderful tomato sauce. My husband tasted it and insisted we share but it was too damn good to give away bites! (a tad oily if there is to be any quibble) The staff were lovely and engaging and even involved our two kids in the preparation. Next time I want to impress my foodie friends I'm going to try to recreate that Veggie StacK!

Apr 11, 2010

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  8     

We went for breakfast because it offers very simple and very cheap meals and coffee. There are only 5 things on the breakfast menu and they are all very reasonably priced . The coffee is seriously good as is the hot chocolate. This is the sort of place that caters for locals and the budget minded without compromising on quality.

Apr 11, 2010

6.4 Recommended

Food  7      Drinks  7      Ambience  8      Service  5      Value  5     

For a suburban pub the food is actually quite good. Huge servings. Go for the steaks, they were cooked to perfection. When my friend was dissatisfied with hers (too rare) they didn't just whack it back on the grill. She received a totally new meal. The service is mediocre. Young and inexperienced. A little on the expensive side. They have board games for the kids and/or you!

Apr 08, 2010

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.5 Average

Food  6      Ambience  4      Service  6      Value  6     

There is an extensive menu and some dishes that are not on many other Chinese menus, so that's a plus if you're adventurous. The food was good but very oily. Service was very slow because it was so busy. It took about 40 minutes for our food to come out. They neglected to bring cutlery and water after three requests. Maybe they need more staff?! I think 888 is better but when we drove past it was empty yet Harmony was packed! Better prices? definitely. Better food: on par apart from the oiliness. I don't think we'll go back, we'll go to 888 for the outstanding service, awesome fried rice and lightness of meals.

Mar 19, 2010

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  6     

A nice place to have a meal with the fountain close by. (too bad about the rogue pigeons!) The children had calamari, nice and crispy, chips, boring and bland, caesar salad, way too much cheese and not enough bacon and croutons (please tell me where I can get a decent, well-balanced caesar salad in Sydney!) and Nonna had a very nice vegetarian foccaccia that was not too doughy. Overall a pleasant dining experience that could be improved with more quality ingredients and attention to detail.

Dec 29, 2009

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.8 Average

Food  3      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  5     

This is the sort of place you come with a big group of people. Very loud. The food was overpowered by garlic and is very oily. The hummous and babaganoush were very good and then everything went downhill from there. The lady's fingers were oily, the sausages tasted like they cam from Woolies, the fried eggplant was reheated and, therefore, rubbery, the salads were boring, the meat on the kebabs was tough. If you know and enjoy good quality food, then this is not the lebanese restaurant for you.

Dec 12, 2009