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Cafe Sydney Reviews
Fantastic dining experience in Sydney
Had an amazing time here. Cannot fault anyone or anything, everyone knows what they are doing and they all do it extremely well. If you want a special dining experience with great food, service and views this is it!!
Exceptional Birthday Dinner
My first experience at Cafe Sydney after hearing incredible reviews so booked this months out for a birthday. Café Sydney did not disappoint with fantastic service, incredibly good food and a great view. I would highly recommend anyone to experience the restaurant.
Cafe Sydney two star at best
Over the years I go to cafe sydney once a year and over the last five years it has deteriorated into what the name says “a cafe” it has a great location but food and feel to the restaurant is exceptionally poor and a waste of money. The Bloody Mary drinks are the worlds worst and as above food is similar in any cafe during the day but several times more expensive. I should have know as we got a booking a few days before for Saturday night where a few years ago it too a few weeks Sad not worth the visit
Very disappointing - not what it used to be
Sad to see an “icon” / great Sydney restaurant gone. Booked for a birthday dinner months ahead for family visiting from overseas. We were placed next to the toilets! The once great restaurant feels and looks like a canteen with a view filled with tours and groups that for some reason get the best tables. It is overcrowded with tables and no more table cloths but waiters with earphones communicating with each other rather than focus on the guests. The once excellent cuisine has become very average - clearly the kitchen does not cope with the amount of people coming through. Someone has bought this place to make money - not to give the great Sydney dining experience that it used to be. Very sad - don’t waist your money !!
Overpriced and underwhelming
Booked well in advance. Received worst table . The staff have the sleep sorted though advising you have to book not one month in advance but at least 3 to ensure a good table! Food was served cold. Kingfish entree served thickly cut not finely sliced and tasteless. We were there in a Friday night and the place turned into what only could be surprised as a nightclub. Music very loud. Despite slow service we were told with 15 minutes spare we had to vacate the table and they could serve us in the bar! Another bad table near the toilet was given to us. I was given a substantial gift voucher for a meal here in another Occassion and sadly I do t think I’ll use it! Such a shame prior to this I have used this restaurant for business purposes.
Great service and view
The view is epic and the service is great but I have been visiting this restaurant for over 7 years and the food has progressively got more bland. It’s not bad just not as good as it used to be. Would try and book in advance and if weather is good, get a table outdoors on balcony/terrace.
good
Good spot and beautiful view and outlook. The food is good but vegetarian options limited. Could be better for that. More options please
Fabulous food and views
Lucky enough to get a last minute booking during our trip from the UK and were fortunate enough to get a table at the front of the terrace with stunning views towards the Harbour Bridge. The food was amazing and service fantastic. Highly recommend.
Views!
Great views of the harbour! Decent menu, food was good. Not cheap, but we didn't expect it to be. Service was fine. Very hopping!
Always great! Thank you for the superb food, service and
Always great! Thank you for the superb food, service and atmosphere. Our UK family absolute loved the evening. Thank you
My favorite restaurant in Sydney.
Charming service, killer bridge views from the terrace, great food and drinks. Not inexpensive but not overpriced for what you get. Loud inside, I absolutely recommend eating on the terrace. Make reservations well in advance.
Location Location Location
What an amazing location. Great cocktails attentive staff and delicious food. Will definitely eat here again when back in Sydney.
So it was later in the evening(9:25pm) and not many places
So it was later in the evening(9:25pm) and not many places were open but we found them to be open until 11pm. We asked if we could order food and the bartender said yes if we ordered immediately. She was annoyed that we walked up for service. Mind you there wasn't a soul in the place! We got our order in and sat down . Upon sitting we realized she made my husbands drink wrong. He ordered a double Bullet on the rocks. She mixed it with coke- what a way to ruin a good bourbon! My husband took it back to her immediately without even taking a sip and said he didn't order his drink with coke. She was completely annoyed that she would have to remake it , because of her mistake! We received our dinner pretty quick as we only ordered two ceasar salads and a bread basket. The young woman that brought it to us was very pleasant. The salads were very large. So that was a pleasant surprise. Plenty of freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, and the chicken was actually a cooked chicken( as we had bones!) Didn't much care for the dressing , as it was very anchovy forward. Too fishy . Bread was amazing. Glad we were able to get some food, but wouldn't return for the poor service.
4.5/5 - Delicious, just missed in a few areas
It was a lovely lunch and although we chose to sit away from the window/terrace as such a hot day it was still a nice view. Food was delicious. Service also good although felt a little disingenuous sometimes, friendly but a little ‘here we go again another customer’ feel. May be a little harsh as they were helpful etc just gave that vibe. The only reason I have given a 4 not a 5 (4.5 if I could) is the bar area and dark furniture and colours felt quite dated in the daytime. I can tell at night it could look lovely with the lighting but it was a bit lack lustre in daylight. Feel it needs elevation as felt a bit 90’s, to then give the same elegant feel for lunch. However the terrace did look lovely.
The best service I have ever received anywhere in the
The best service I have ever received anywhere in the world! the food was excellent and beautiful views of the Sydney harbor and bridge.
It is how you imagined.
What a superb experience this was. It doesn't market itself very aggressively at all - you have to look for it. It's in the perfect location. When you imagine your view of Sydney harbour well, this is it! From the bustle of Circular Quay, ascend in a lift from Customs house entrance, and you emerge into luxury surroundings which are modern and gleaming. Step out on to the balcony for the view and then - excellent food and wine with service to match (your reviewer does not often say that). Let this be a measure of how we enjoyed it. Ate here late February, and while at the table booked for our last night in Australia in the middle of April.
Once again we had a wonderful time.
The food and wine were great, a fabulous venue with great views but it is the wonderful professionalism of the team that make it such a great experience. A special shout out to Matt who was absolutely fantastic.
Not my best meal or restaurant experience.
Basically, you should expect to be served your meal as the Chef likes it. I asked for my main entre to be cooked medium; it was not medium based on my opinion and taste. I sent my meal back for more heat, and what came back was a new entre undercooked, the same as the first. I complained and was told this is how the Chef servers it. I was offered to try a third time or have a different meal served. but at this point, my seven friends at the table were finished with their meals and I declined the offer to try again. The charge for the dinner was removed and I left the restaurant hungry. I understand the cultural differences in cooking food and how it is served; however, as a paying customer, I don't understand why I can't get the meal cooked with a little more heat; I am the one that is going to consume the food. My rating is I am submitting is 2 out of 5 because the seven other people at the table seemed to enjoy their food. For me alone, I would submit a rating of 1 out of 5, Just trying to write a fair and acurate review of my experience.
Phenomenal
Food, presentation, service & ambience - seldom does a restaurant excel in all four, but Cafe Sydney does. This is that rare restaurant where 5 Stars just isn’t enough. We dined on the patio overlooking the harbour. Service was excellent. From the cocktails to the homemade ice cream, the food & presentation was superb. And the price was very reasonable considering the value we received.
This timed seating ridiculousness has to end.
The pandemic is over so there's no excuse any more. Been told, politely, that if we wanted desert we would have to eat it in the lounge less then 2hrs into our meal is unacceptable. Food and ambience is still amazing, service is still good but the fact that there are a "lot of double bookings tonight" (their words) isn't the patrons problem. Patrons btw paying $200 to $300 per head. Maybe they need to speed up their service and stop mucking around with changing forks, moving glasses about and otherwise chasing their tails. So they lost 4 deserts and another $180 bottle of wine from us. Won't be back until this times seating stupidity is gone.
Amazing food and equally amazing staff!
We had a splendid evening at Café Sydney. Food was delicious with lots of taste and interesting flavor combinations. The sommelier advised us a great wine. But what struck us on top of all this, was the thoughtfulness of the staff. Next to us was a rather loud table. Without us asking, the staff looked proactively for a quieter spot. We thought this was simply magnificent! Thanks for this great evening.
Not really worth the substantial price tag
Had lunch with my partner here recently. We were looking for something more upmarket and came here for lunch, attracted by the decent view that appeared to be on offer. PROS * Service was decent and staff were quite friendly. * The quality of the meals was of a high standard. * Cocktails were high quality. * Its located in the customs building adjacent to circular quay so its fairly central. CONS * The quantity of meal was quite small. We had three courses and I wouldn't have described myself as being full at departure. You need to order sides in addition to the mains to give enough volume. * The pricing was high. I acknowledge that this is to be expected at higher end restaurants but even still we ended up paying around $370 for three courses, a bottle of wine and a couple of cocktails at lunch. Some of the charges were quite petty such as $14.20 for tap water. We were also hustled for a tip which created an awkward experience at the time of payment. This is not an Australian custom. * I felt the restaurant was quite crowded and noisy. This is partially because of the density of tables on the terrace but also was contributed to by the construction work occurring in the neighbouring building (sound of jackhammers). * Although the cover picture makes the view look stunning, when sitting at table level it is really only unobstructed for those sitting on the outside of the terrace, which is the minority of tables. For most of the terrace tables you have to look through other tables and passing wait staff to try to get a look. Overall I felt like it had too many cons to justify its hefty price tag.
Just an awful experience.
Prepaid for Valentines dinner (should have known) and left before eating. The venue is set up for chaos and speed. If you're looking for a nice dinner out, look elsewhere.
Not worth your time.
An awful experience from the start. This is a night club run with ear mics and slow service. We prepaid for Valentines Night and left before eating. I’m 50 and a DJ, this is not how a restaurant should be run. Ouch. Ate ~$300 in expense.
A Sydney classic! You really do pay for the view and the
A Sydney classic! You really do pay for the view and the name. The food is good- very small servings for what you're paying if you aren't ordering appetizers and starters, which I would absolutely recommend. Service was great, booking and communication also great
Never disappoints!! View is amazing and the food service
Never disappoints!! View is amazing and the food service and ambiance even better!!! We visit Sydney often from NY and Cafe Sydney is always on the trip agenda!
Wonderful evening as the sun was setting g
The location with a fabulous view was a great start to the evening. The food was wonderful, service relaxed and attentive.
COCKROACHES.
I have to start with that because we saw no less than 5 while we were there which was less than an hour. And those were just the ones we saw. This was among the worst dining experiences I've ever had from start to finish. When we arrived, the host berated my wife for not checking her email (while on vacation - which they knew) so we hadnt confirmed the reservation. They made her confirm her email address after we were already at the restaurant.. Super weird but whatever. When we sat down, there was an identical table next to ours that was empty and we asked to switch but were told that table was taken. About 10 minutes later, a kid and his date sat down there and after ordering drinks, the kid bragged about getting away with ordering alcohol underage - so I guess you can feel comfortable coming here if you're 17! We ordered bread to start and were getting concerned that it wasn't coming. After they dropped off the food, we saw the bread was coming but we no longer wanted it because the main course was there. The server said he was confused because he thought we wanted the bread WITH dinner. What kind of restaurant serves bread with dinner? It's ok to mess up but that was such a ridiculous lie that my intelligence was insulted. Don't try to gaslight me to cover up your mistake. Thankfully, they comped the bread that we didn't eat (by the way, this is the first place we've been in Australia that charged for bread). The waiter convinced me to try the wagyu special. Yes, the term wagyu is overused, but this could not have been further from wagyu. Normally, imitation wagyu is still pretty good but this was actually disgusting. I took two bites and couldn't stomach any further. A hamburger has higher quality beef than this sirloin. The other reason I couldn't stomach it was the cockroaches. We were on a 5th floor patio and they were all. Over. The walls. Look, I get it. We're outside and bugs exist. But cockroaches that are multiple inches long cannot be tolerated and when they keep coming from the same place and you have to be asked multiple times to get rid of them, maybe you should investigate where they're coming from and try to get rid of them instead of just getting rid of the one?? But that's too much to ask of this service staff. Just the worst dining experience I can ever remember having, from the food to the service (and the consistently poor service from everyone we interacted with) to the ambiance. Go to McDonald's downstairs and you'll not only have a cleaner eating experience but it'll taste better and cost 10% of the price.
It's been a while since we've dined at Cafe Sydney and we
It's been a while since we've dined at Cafe Sydney and we were pleasantly surprised. I always thought CS was a tourist spot but it's proven to be a legitimate, quality dining. destination. Looking forward to our next visit.
Came for Christmas lunch - amazing service, food and
Came for Christmas lunch - amazing service, food and ambience. Couldn't have asked for more. Thank you for a wonderful Christmas celebration!
We had a fabulous evening.
Food was beautiful and flavours were delicious. Cocktails and wine choices were helped by knowledgeable staff. Service team were attentive without being over bearing.Ambiance was convivial and fun. Absolutely recommend an evening here.
The experience at Cafe Sydney is always good, which
The experience at Cafe Sydney is always good, which explains why we keep coming back. Our favourite restaurant in Sydney, by a long margin.
Stunning Views -- Fabulous Food
For the views alone, this is worth a visit. The food is also absolutely first class with amazing service. I will be back on my next visit to Sydney
Your staff were on point the entire time we were there from
Your staff were on point the entire time we were there from the moment we walked in and through to our departure.Elaine was our waiter and she explained everything in detail, when I asked something about a few of the dishes she explained she would clarify with Alex or Nik (I think) as it was here first week and only second shift out front.I commended her for this being honest and up front without just faking it till you make it means you will go along way.I was very impressed.Later we meet Tae and he is a great mentor for Elaine as I questioned him and he has been around for 4 years.Now onto your wine connoisseur Nathan I believe from Sam Fran, what a lovely gentleman and Simone how knows his wine.Our food was amazing the view excellent and service wonderful. The be there to celebrate our wedding anniversary is something we will remember.Thank you
Superb experience and in my opinion, still one of the top
Superb experience and in my opinion, still one of the top places in Sydney for a complete 'Sydney experience dinner' - particularly if you can get a table on the terrace. The quality of food is impeccable, the service completely on point (you barely know they are there) and yes, the location, and watching Sydney say goodbye to the day and good evening to the night - can't beat it!! Leave the car at home, ferry in if at all possible, and simply enjoy the best that Sydney has to offer.
Babette Cafe QVB Sydney ground floor.
Excellent food and coffee. Very attentive friendly staff. Quick service. We have been four times and always perfect. Order and pay at your table which it very convenient.
A wonderful place for a reunion dinner with friends
Spectacular view of Sydney harbour bridge. The food was delicious and our server was very friendly. It was a special start to our vacation
Exceptional service and fantastic view!
Service was attentive and helpful throughout, even moving us to a first row table on the terrace when one became available. Would be 5 stars but food was not quite up to that level. Turbot was deemed too salty, salmon too done, pork belly was tough. However, would definitely recommend the sashimi tuna appetizer and beef carpaccio. Both of these dishes were fabulous!!
Super service and amazing food!
Beautiful Setting in this restaurant. Without doubt best tables in the house are out of the terrace of this 5th floor restaurant directly overlooking Sydney Harbour. So worth booking ahead and asking for a table outside. Great service from start to finish. All the staff were dressed immaculately and had impeccable skills. As for the food… OMG. This place is not cheap but it’s worth it. The Albany Rock Oysters were out of this world. Then the crab was super tasty. I then had steak which was cooked perfectly - very tender indeed! My wife had the Queensland Trout and friends had pork belly. All amazing!! For 4 or us having pre-drink plus a large glass of wine each, water, starters and mains it was $530 before tip. Worth it. So if you want to treat yourselves then visit this place.
Good Atmosphere, Spoiled By The Weather
We booked this restaurant for our last night in Sydney, primarily because of the views, which are very good, but also because the menu sounded to our taste. It's a very busy and popular spot, and was also a minutes walk from our hotel. I'd booked an outside table, risky at any time but thought we'd be ok. After a drink at the bar we were led to our table right at the front, under the join between the two awnings. An otherwise great spot, but the weather was inclement and the rain found the gap! We managed to get through most of meal and ended up moving to the adjoining table half way through as the rain lashed down, mainly on me. Just before I had finished my main, even the new table was getting soaked so we gave up and left our food. I was a shame because the Oysters we had to start, Tandoori roasted salmon and Beef tenderloin, were all very good. The side of Creamed potato (90% butter) were to die for, but it was all over shadowed by the drama of trying to stay dry. I can't really moan at the restaurant for the weather, but those two tables given to us were never going to stay dry. That might have been a bit unfair to have seated anyone there on a rainy night. Service was good and they did their best. For our two course meal with drinks, we paid around Aus$200. Not a bad price and on a lovely sunny evening it would have been a much better review.
What a view!
Delicious food and wine with a fantastic view over Circular Quay. The service was very good and the food was nicely presented.
Amazing food and service, gum under chair not ideal…
Cafe Sydney never disappoints with the view and the food The carpaccio starter was rich, tender and so beautifully presented. My friend had the quail which was delicious too. I had the special Tuna and it was good - I expected more citrus notes as it felt more bland than I expected. Friends had the steak and it was cooked to perfection (blue) The downside was my friend had gum under his chair which ended up all over his pants. It was upsetting for him however Ben was very helpful and did all he could to get it off and provided free sticky and dry clean (although couldn’t be rectified). Dessert was nice as we had the churros The view as always is spectacular as was the service. Can’t wait to return on my next trip to Sydney
food so good you forget about looking at the (exceptional) view!
fresh seafood, prepared with a twist, some spices, an indian touch ( naan bread) , a to-die-for wine list, a french sommelier who will unveil for your some of its jewels ( think local vermouth made with bush herbs , local wines competing with pride with french Pinot noirs, etc) the view is extraordinary on the bridge and on the opera house. worth the trip.
Great views
If you want to impress someone that doesn’t know Sydney surroundings well, this is the place to go. Views are to die for. Food is ok, good vibe
Fantastic Terrace
This is a fairly high end establishment that offers both intimate dining and plenty of big groups celebrating special occasions. If you can get a table close to the front of the terrace you can enjoy spectacular views of Circular Quay and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Great range of seafoods and I believe they also offer some steak and lamb dishes. The raw tuna looks really fresh and colourful when served and delivers really delicate flavours, the main of cold prawns I would have preferred fewer, but larger prawns and the rocket salad needed a stronger dressing - these are minor niggles. Big wine list, I think all from Australia which is fantastic, prices seemed a little high. Food prices are reasonable based on both quality of food and the location. Service during a very busy time was first rate.
The quality of the food and service was exceptional.
We have had a wonderful evening with our friends. I would like to thank the host who was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The food was just right and delicious.
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AppointmentTrader is a community-driven platform where users can exchange their reservations or leverage their personal relationships with Cafe Sydney. Buyers can make informed decisions using automated seller ratings, which reflect past transactions and reliability.
Each posting on AppointmentTrader shows you which user submitted it and along with that provides a trackrecord of that user which indicates how much experience
the user has and how many percent of their transactions resulted in them issuing a refund.
If there is no user posting that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to Cafe Sydney at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the Cafe Sydney page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
That's where the community-driven bid process comes in.
Peter can place a bid on AppointmentTrader, which serves as a reward for any community member who chooses to work on securing the reservation. AT then notifies experienced users who may be able to help.
Step-by-Step Process
1.) Setting a Reward (Bid)
* AppointmentTrader uses historical data to recommend a reasonable reward amount for securing a reservation - let's say $100.
* Peter really wants to go, so he increases the bid (or reward) to $200.
* At this stage, the reservation does not exist yet.
2.) A Community User Picks Up the Bid
* EternalAnt36, an experienced AT user, has a strong track record of successfully securing reservations and low refund requests, they receive a notification about Peter's bid.
* EternalAnt36 picks up the bid, meaning they will now work on securing the reservation.
* Peter can now talk to EternalAnt36 for any questions Peter may have as EternalAnt36 user fills the bid.
3.) Finding the Reservation
* EternalAnt36 now uses their connections at Cafe Sydney to secure the table.
* If they successfully get the 6 PM table for four, Peter receives a confirmation that the reservation has been secured.
* If EternalAnt36 fails to secure the reservation, the bid is returned to the pool so another user can try.
4.) Payment & Protection
* Once the reservation is secured, EternalAnt36 receives the $200 reward which is credited to EternalAnt36's AT balance, where users manage their own funds and can withdraw via available payout options such as bank transfer, PayPal, or Zelle.
* Peter can now enjoy the dinner with his friends at Cafe Sydney!
* As with all transactions on AT, disputes and no-show fees are handled through the platform's community-driven resolution system. Users with a strong track record are incentivized to fulfill bids successfully, and community members can report issues to maintain trust in the marketplace.
