prellaprats

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Restaurants, Modern European, BYO, Licensed, Serves Dinner

Overall 8.1 17

6.3 Average

Food 6 Ambience 7 Service 7 Value 5

It's hard to comment on this place, with it being such a range of quite average to pretty good. With some menus everything on it sounds excellent. The difficulty here is finding a main course you like! There are only 4 choices, 1 is vegetarian, 1 pork neck, 1 chicken and 1 fish. There are 2 'side' options - (more) potatoes, and an Ok if small and too sweet salad.

But by deciding what we didn't want, we were left with fish and chicken for this mid-week dinner. Both were good though small. The chocolate dessert was, with the bread, 8.5/10, so very good. The staff were very friendly, but a bit inattentive on a pretty quiet, rainy night. If their on-line menu looked like the one we ordered from, we would not have gone there.

Apr 20, 2012

Black Pony Cafe, Coogee

Cafes, Modern Australian

Overall 6.6 10

8 Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 7 Service 9 Value 7

This place serves very good food for dinner, with an obviously well-qualified and talented chef, so I'll have to try B & L too. Agree with all below except 'service 1' below. Must have been an 'off staff' day, as we were very well looked after on a busy night esp. by the 'young guy' who is a true professional. It's BYO now, and I sure hope it continues to be (even if it's say $8 a bottle), after they get a licence as I won't pay 'Aussie restaurant prices', ie 300% mark up, for wine. Ambience is OK right now (not too noisy or cramped) and it'll be better with upstairs open. Dinner prices are as high as they can be, so hope they stay at this level for at least a year.

Feb 03, 2012

The Montpellier Public House (Closed), Randwick

Restaurants, English, French, Family Dining, Good For Groups

Overall 7.2 30

6.3 Average

Food 4 Ambience 9 Service 8 Value 4

Now we've been to the 'new' upstairs and 3 times downstairs after 25 years of frequent Balzac visits. It seems the exceptionally talented Matt Kemp can't help returning to his Brit faves - lots of offal-based and strangely-named dishes. This would be Ok, but it limits other choices too much. Downstairs was busy, and, I think, what the 25 to 45 set love, so it will keep MPH in the black.

Upstairs should be as good as the old Balzac, but it isn't even close. No 'hats' from us. We thought downstairs was at least as good food and better value. I hope this value holds, as a few weeks ago their justly famous B&BP was a measly $6. It's $8 now, and though worth it, hopefully not a harbinger of gradually rising prices. Upstairs needs to be much better, and its food needs to reflect a more 'fine dining' experience.

As I've done before when Mr Kemp gets too Brit-fixated, I wait a few months then check the website. He always comes around. Britain is justifiably not famous for its cuisine.

Feb 01, 2012

Le Gobelet, Leura

Restaurants, French

Overall 7 56

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 9 Service 8 Value 8

4 of us went to Le Gobelet for a birthday. We had none of the other reviewers' problems with long waits, and really loved the food. The owners (madame and chef) are caring but strange (and, I'm sure, proud of it)! It is an 'evening out' not a quick dinner. I hope they don't sell the place before we can get back as it is not only a unique experience, but serves very fine quality food, done by a 'mad chef' who is extremely talented, likes a drink, and is probably an authentic existentialist.

Jan 29, 2012

Queen Street Rescue, Melbourne

Restaurants, Cafes, Modern Australian, Air Conditioning, Restaurant Bookings

Overall 3.7 1

3.7 Below Average

Food 3 Ambience 5 Value 3

We went here on a tennis visit after friends liked it. We didn't. We had the club sandwich and wagyu burger. The former was very dry and tasteless, the latter dull and overpriced and average quality. Good Prahran beer. We won't go back.

Jan 29, 2012

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Last updated on 1st Jun 2012

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Displaying: 1 - 10 of 13 reviews

Devonshire, The, Surry Hills

Restaurants, Modern European, BYO, Licensed, Serves Dinner

Overall 8.1 17

6.3 Average

Food 6 Ambience 7 Service 7 Value 5

Apr 20, 2012

Black Pony Cafe, Coogee

Cafes, Modern Australian

Overall 6.6 10

8 Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 7 Service 9 Value 7

Feb 03, 2012

The Montpellier Public House (Closed), Randwick

Restaurants, English, French, Family Dining, Good For Groups

Overall 7.2 30

6.3 Average

Food 4 Ambience 9 Service 8 Value 4

Feb 01, 2012

Le Gobelet, Leura

Restaurants, French

Overall 7 56

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food 9 Ambience 9 Service 8 Value 8

Jan 29, 2012

Queen Street Rescue, Melbourne

Restaurants, Cafes, Modern Australian, Air Conditioning, Restaurant Bookings

Overall 3.7 1

3.7 Below Average

Food 3 Ambience 5 Value 3

Jan 29, 2012

Queens Park Pizza, Maroubra

Restaurants, Pizza, Food Delivery, Serves Dinner, Serves Takeaway

Overall 6.1 14

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 7 Service 9 Value 9

After about 20 visits, agree totally with below review though it is better than 'simple casual'. All of the meat, fish and pasta dishes we've had are well above this, and we've never even tried the pizza. Best time to go is about 8:15 or later as it tends to be less crowded, as it is justifiably very popular!

Dec 15, 2011

Puntino Trattoria, Woolloomooloo

Restaurants, Italian, Pizza, BYO, Licensed

Overall 6 52

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 8 Service 9 Value 9

I reckon I've been here 30 times, and it isn't that local for me! The service is 'old style' Italian - efficient and professionally friendly. The food was really good the first time I went, and is now even better. And parking around here is just a bonus! Creative high-quality specials, excellent pasta, fresh ingredients. I could come here every week. I don't eat pizza much, so can't comment on it.

May 11, 2011

Doyles on the Beach, Watsons Bay

Restaurants, Fish and Chips, Modern Australian, Seafood, Vegetarian

Overall 5.4 149

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful

7.8 Recommended

Food 8 Ambience 8 Service 8 Value 7

I think many of the poor reviewers here are missing the point of this place. I reckon I went here almost every sunday for 2 years in the 1980's - obviously, we loved it. It has changed a lot, as it probably had to. If you want a 'fish and chip' place with a view, go somewhere else. If you want the views, reasonably priced wine (go for the high-middle priced wine, their low end wine is overpriced), and really very good seafood, this place ticks all the boxes. The secret is, it's not a nostalgia trip. The food is very up-to-date - just order slightly more complex mains. You would pay more for less in quantity and quality terms at most of the high-end Sydney restaurants. Go here for more complex high-quality seafood dishes - not for their 'fish and chips' which are seriously overpriced.

Dec 05, 2010

Tarte Elysée, Eastgardens

Cafes, French, Child Friendly, Has Cafe, Serves Breakfast

Overall 7.8 1

7.8 Recommended

Food 10 Ambience 5 Service 7 Value 9

This little place is an off-shoot of the justifiably famous 'Paris cake shop' in Bondi. This means it ain't cheap, but the quality is outstanding! Get cakes, pies, quiches, (didn't try the coffee). And just savour the flavour.

Aug 16, 2010

Bellagio, Waverley

Restaurants, Modern Australian, Has Cafe

Overall 6.1 23

2.5 Not Recommended

Food 2 Ambience 3 Service 2 Value 3

I, also, came here dozens of times for a really good brekkie or lunch for years. It changed hands, and the menu, service and quality dropped through the floor. Poor food, lousy service and a really boring menyu and food. I tried 3 times in the last year or so, only because it Was that good before but it really is gone. Maybe the new owners could read these reviews and fix their problems, as we need a good place in this area as there isn't one, but I doubt it.

Aug 16, 2010