Reviews



Restaurants, Modern Australian, Serves Dinner, Serves Lunch, American Express

Overall 7.2  31

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  8     


Used super fresh, "biodynamic" ingredients but proteins weren't cooked and seasoned to perfection, leaving the accompaniments to make up for the slightly lacking main part of the dish. Great service though. I don't think the food is worth the price tag (we went with a Spreets voucher). Sad it'll be closing at the end of March though!

Mar 24, 2012

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Restaurants, Japanese, BYO, Serves Dinner, Serves Lunch

Overall 5.6  157

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  7     


Value no-frills Japanese. Free appetizer on arrival. Menu hasn't changed for years- still $35 for a value set dinner that is big enough to fill 2 people (we have normal appetites). Sometimes the sashimi/sushi aint so fresh as they have it all pre-prepared from before you even order it (for efficiency purposes). Really cheap though and huge servings. Tempura is pretty good!

Jan 22, 2012

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Restaurants, Modern Australian, Licensed, Serves Dinner, Serves Late Dining

Overall 5.5  26

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  2     


Dishes are Exceptionally tiny! The waiter recommended we order 2 dishes pp to share as a table (of 6) but I think we each needed at least 4 dishes pp to fill us up. We're only Asians so it's not like we normally eat alot. Ordering more would've been fine If it wasn't for the exorbitant prices. Out of the 15 dishes on the menu (it changes all the time), it ranges from $15-$24.

However, I'm talking bout $20 for a dish of 4 sourdough dinner rolls served with a bowl of dashi butter and radish. Also we were given One scampi (served with a side of white seaweed) for $15! Omg this was way out of line. I cannot comprehend how the kitchen staff/senior staff can not feel guilty serving this amount of food and charging this sort of price for it. Also a winter garden salad (with Three lettuce leaves, Two pieces of shallots and a few other pieces of random veggies). For $15. Even a side salad at Any other restaurant is double the size yet Half the price of what we were charged.

Needless to say, with about 14 dishes, 4 cocktails (the tatanka is def worth a try), 2 bottles of reds, 3 desserts, it came to $65 pp. And I had to go to KFC after!

A friend had visited Duke back in Jan 2011 and everything was spot on: service, good portions, better tasting food. For nearly half of what we paid. Ridiculous. It must be cos Duke has made a bit of a name for themselves, but this shouldn't be an excuse to skimp on portions to fatten your own wallets.

I know this review sounds harsh but its exactly what happened. By all means, all veggie and seafood dishes were superb but the red meats (veal, pork and lamb) were only so-so. Not a great dining experience at all. I recommend going somewhere else down the road. Simply superb!

This place is a total ripoff altho with above average (not outstanding) food. So pls Don't go unless they change something about it. I hope the owners of Duke are reading this and other reviews on this site and taking note.

May 21, 2011

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Restaurants, Modern Australian, Has Bar, Has Cafe, Licensed

Overall 8  27

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     


This place is a gem! It is difficult to find a place in Sydney these days that serve up such a high quality standard of food without the Hatted restaurant price tag. Worked out to only be just over $100 for 2 people,(with a half bottle of wine, good and decently-priced wine list selection too), sharing the scallops and corn puree entree, a pasta and blue eye cod fish special of the day for mains, and sharing a chocolate mousse for dessert.

Ambience was rated a little lower as they had a function on the night we dined there, that took up the whole back section, so the noise was a little overpowering, but the service nonetheless was marvellous as the waiters never forgot to check up on us once in a while. Furnishings inside was like the (revamped) retro-style American style diners from the 1970s, and made for a very intimate dinner, whether for a romantic date, or for a casual dinner out with close friends.

We will most definitely return as they have an ever-changing specials menu where all their dishes sound tempting. This is a fantastic place all round!

Dec 26, 2010

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Restaurants, Japanese

Overall 8.7  22

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  9     


Had dinner here as a group of 4 and as per the below reviews, they serve very fresh and authentic Japanese food!

It's a casual establishment so don't expect attentive service or waiters who fully understand your requests, but very friendly service nonetheless! Also, ambience is also very casual, with a TV at the counter and the bright fluorescent kitchen being in full view of the long and narrow dining hall.

The best dish of the night was definitely the sashimi moriawase (i.e. a deluxe sashimi serving) which had So much sashimi on it, and only at $50, I would've happily paid ~$80 for the amount they served up. Very fresh fish, about 6-7 varieties of fish, and cut very well. Other dishes we tried were the scallops tartare (done quite well as scallops were fresh, although I found it a tad too cheesy), gyoza (Great!), flame grilled beef steak (Ok) and ton ton ramen (Ok, would not re-order).

Bill only came to $35 p.p., with us BYO-ing (at $3 corkage p.p.), worked out to be a very decent feed and will definitely return!

Nov 14, 2010

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Displaying: 1 - 10 of 29 reviews




Restaurants, Modern Australian, Serves Dinner, Serves Lunch, American Express

Overall 7.2  31

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  8     


Used super fresh, "biodynamic" ingredients but proteins weren't cooked and seasoned to perfection, leaving the accompaniments to make up for the slightly lacking main part of the dish. Great service though. I don't think the food is worth the price tag (we went with a Spreets voucher). Sad it'll be closing at the end of March though!

Mar 24, 2012

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Restaurants, Japanese, BYO, Serves Dinner, Serves Lunch

Overall 5.6  157

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  7     


Value no-frills Japanese. Free appetizer on arrival. Menu hasn't changed for years- still $35 for a value set dinner that is big enough to fill 2 people (we have normal appetites). Sometimes the sashimi/sushi aint so fresh as they have it all pre-prepared from before you even order it (for efficiency purposes). Really cheap though and huge servings. Tempura is pretty good!

Jan 22, 2012

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Restaurants, Modern Australian, Licensed, Serves Dinner, Serves Late Dining

Overall 5.5  26

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  2     


Dishes are Exceptionally tiny! The waiter recommended we order 2 dishes pp to share as a table (of 6) but I think we each needed at least 4 dishes pp to fill us up. We're only Asians so it's not like we normally eat alot. Ordering more would've been fine If it wasn't for the exorbitant prices. Out of the 15 dishes on the menu (it changes all the time), it ranges from $15-$24.

However, I'm talking bout $20 for a dish of 4 sourdough dinner rolls served with a bowl of dashi butter and radish. Also we were given One scampi (served with a side of white seaweed) for $15! Omg this was way out of line. I cannot comprehend how the kitchen staff/senior staff can not feel guilty serving this amount of food and charging this sort of price for it. Also a winter garden salad (with Three lettuce leaves, Two pieces of shallots and a few other pieces of random veggies). For $15. Even a side salad at Any other restaurant is double the size yet Half the price of what we were charged.

Needless to say, with about 14 dishes, 4 cocktails (the tatanka is def worth a try), 2 bottles of reds, 3 desserts, it came to $65 pp. And I had to go to KFC after!

A friend had visited Duke back in Jan 2011 and everything was spot on: service, good portions, better tasting food. For nearly half of what we paid. Ridiculous. It must be cos Duke has made a bit of a name for themselves, but this shouldn't be an excuse to skimp on portions to fatten your own wallets.

I know this review sounds harsh but its exactly what happened. By all means, all veggie and seafood dishes were superb but the red meats (veal, pork and lamb) were only so-so. Not a great dining experience at all. I recommend going somewhere else down the road. Simply superb!

This place is a total ripoff altho with above average (not outstanding) food. So pls Don't go unless they change something about it. I hope the owners of Duke are reading this and other reviews on this site and taking note.

May 21, 2011

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Restaurants, Modern Australian, Has Bar, Has Cafe, Licensed

Overall 8  27

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     


This place is a gem! It is difficult to find a place in Sydney these days that serve up such a high quality standard of food without the Hatted restaurant price tag. Worked out to only be just over $100 for 2 people,(with a half bottle of wine, good and decently-priced wine list selection too), sharing the scallops and corn puree entree, a pasta and blue eye cod fish special of the day for mains, and sharing a chocolate mousse for dessert.

Ambience was rated a little lower as they had a function on the night we dined there, that took up the whole back section, so the noise was a little overpowering, but the service nonetheless was marvellous as the waiters never forgot to check up on us once in a while. Furnishings inside was like the (revamped) retro-style American style diners from the 1970s, and made for a very intimate dinner, whether for a romantic date, or for a casual dinner out with close friends.

We will most definitely return as they have an ever-changing specials menu where all their dishes sound tempting. This is a fantastic place all round!

Dec 26, 2010

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Restaurants, Japanese

Overall 8.7  22

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  9     


Had dinner here as a group of 4 and as per the below reviews, they serve very fresh and authentic Japanese food!

It's a casual establishment so don't expect attentive service or waiters who fully understand your requests, but very friendly service nonetheless! Also, ambience is also very casual, with a TV at the counter and the bright fluorescent kitchen being in full view of the long and narrow dining hall.

The best dish of the night was definitely the sashimi moriawase (i.e. a deluxe sashimi serving) which had So much sashimi on it, and only at $50, I would've happily paid ~$80 for the amount they served up. Very fresh fish, about 6-7 varieties of fish, and cut very well. Other dishes we tried were the scallops tartare (done quite well as scallops were fresh, although I found it a tad too cheesy), gyoza (Great!), flame grilled beef steak (Ok) and ton ton ramen (Ok, would not re-order).

Bill only came to $35 p.p., with us BYO-ing (at $3 corkage p.p.), worked out to be a very decent feed and will definitely return!

Nov 14, 2010

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Restaurants, Japanese, BYO, Licensed, Serves Dinner

Overall 7.8  28

7 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  7     


Had dinner here with the boy and it's just like how the other reviewers here described it: original yet traditional jap food with a bit of the chef's creativity mixed in. Very fresh sashimi used and a large variety of hot pot dishes. The day's specials were interesting ( 3 of our 6 dishes were from the daily specials board). Aburi sushi is a notable mention.

The only issue I had with the food was that it seemed for suited for a western palate as all the dishes are on the salty side (I.e. lots of sauce or salt added in), so therefore not what traditional jap food should be. Good sake selection (5-6 types that you don't see everywhere) for just under $30 per 300mL.

Prices range from $10-$16 for entrees and under $30 for mains. Worked out to be $70 for 2 ppl. Service was friendly and efficient but the place could do with a good spruce up as it's quite dated and metal chairs aren't the most comfy or suitable for indoor dining.

Will def return as their specials are interesting and pretty decent value for the quality of food they dish up!

Nov 06, 2010

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Restaurants, French, Modern Australian, Child Friendly, Licensed

Overall 7.7  83

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  8     


Went here 2 weeks ago with 2 girlfriends and we had an amazing time! We arrived just before 7 on a Fri night and it was just before the rush of crowds came filling in, so only had to wait about 20 minutes for a table.

Sat at the small bar after our selection from a decent and not-overpriced wine list.
It's a great small, French/Mod Aus bistro-style casual restaurant with entrees <$20 and mains <$30 (for very generous portions).

Ordered two entrees to share (salmon carpaccio and grilled baby squid [special of the day]) and they were absolutely Divine! Done very very well, very fresh ingredients. The high quality of the entrees followed on with the mains. We ordered the fish and chips (super-fluffy batter and very fresh fish, forgot what the type was), confit of duck (very nice sauce) and the mustard-crusted wagyu beef cheeks.

All 3 were very different and each was very fulfilling, satisfying food of a very high standard. Dessert was simple (not spectacular), and nice way to finish off such a great night with great dishes.

Waiters were all very friendly. The only let down was the noise built up to an unacceptable level due to the poor noise-reducing design of the interior. But would definitely recommend to anyone to try this charming place!

Oct 16, 2010

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Restaurants, Thai, Good For Groups, Romantic and Intimate, BYO

Overall 7.1  29

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  7     


Dinner here with a party of 6. Friendly service, above average Thai food out of all the Thai eateries I've tried in Sydney. Perfect for any occasion, whether a romantic date, small group catchup w mates or even a big group! Papaya & soft shell crab and king prawn pad Thai were notable! Will def be back again!

Oct 09, 2010

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Restaurants, Bars, Music Venues, Spanish, Tapas

Overall 7.6  92

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  8     


A fantastic place for a casual yet beautiful and warming dinner with close friends! They use very fresh ingredients and special mention goes to the jamon croquettes and roasted garlic mushrooms tapas! Their jamon (cured meats) were also very very good as well.

The only downsides were the fish of the day (could not taste the natural flavours of the fish as it was overpowered by the sauce) and the creme brulee for dessert (overcooked but they took it off our bill when we told them and that was a nice gesture).

Waiter was very attentive and friendly, however, as we were sitting in the corridor (they have only a few tables that are fully inside the restaurant whereas most of the tables are in the hallway lobby area to the building), and it was a particularly cold night, we could feel some cold chills even though we were under the heaters.

Overall, a great place for a casual catch up with mates (as tapas seems to be more suited to 4 or more people so that you get to experiment more of the menu) that serve top notch food and a decent and varied wine list. Highly recommended.

Jul 04, 2010

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Restaurants, Modern Australian, Family Dining, Fine Dining, Good for Brunch

Overall 7.5  225

7.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  7     


We came here as a group of 6 on a Friday night and expected it as a place you'd expect to splurge on. Gorgeously decorated and a great place for a romantic date, it's busy but lighting was intimately lit.

Found the service to not be attentive enough, we found ourselves having to gesture quite a few times when ordering food or requesting the bill and menu before we caught a waiter's attention. It'd also be a nice gesture if they could ask the table whether we wanted our coats in the cloakroom, instead of having to ask for it ourselves.

Think service is an area they need to improve on considering it's One chef's hat restaurant in a 5 star hotel. They also nearly got our wines mixed up (by nearly pouring a different wine into my glass). Food was inventive and high quality, with most of us ordering the Macleay Valley rabbit loin and chorizo mushroom duxelle and the red wine poached barramundi. Barramundi was so-so but the rabbit was absolutely superb!

Wine list was basically a mini-book but the (cute) French sommelier was knowledgeable and recommended us a nice Pinot Noir.

Overall, the highlight the of experience was definitely the desserts, we shared the Chocolate Assiette (have died and gone to heaven), Violet pannacotta and blueberry mousse (which I hated as it tasted like medicine to me, but the rest of my party adored), Creme Brulee (was ok, but bit too sweet) and toffee soufflé and brownie ice cream (bit too sweet, probably would have been better with a fruit based sorbet instead).

Probably wouldn't be going back anytime soon, as there's other better Mod Australian restaurants that serve much more innovative dishes. However, our experience was very happy and fulfilling overall.

Jul 04, 2010

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