I came here with my uni friend and her wife for a catch up dinner when I was back in Sydney. I'd…read morenever heard of it but they live in Chippendale and recommended it. My friend's wife and I are both vegetarian so I knew they were guaranteed to have a reasonable number of options. Note: not really anything here for vegans. My first impression of the restaurant was that it was absolutely huge - high ceilings, a lot of space between tables and very open plan. The tables were low, long wood - really chic, sturdy and comfortable. Our waitress was excellent, very professional and attentive. It was a nice surprised as I'm not used to being 'served' in restaurants the same way I am in North America. Australia doesn't have a tipping culture so often service is lacklustre depending on the individual. Definitely not the case here. After perusing the menu for a while we decided to share the truffle pizza, potatos, squash, broccolini and beet/goat cheese salad. Everything was delicious and really decent portions. My favourites were the potatos and the broccolini but everything was good. I was definitely satisfied - could barely finish and no room for dessert. It came out at around $30pp. We didn't order alcohol or dessert but got sparking water, they offer it unlimited for $5. Really good value for a such a nice dining experience. I'd be happy to visit again.

Amazing! Came here…read morewith a few foodie friends to celebrate my birthday and it was sensational! Arrived just around 6pm on a Sunday and it wasn't too busy yet. The interior for this place somewhat reminds me of New York! High ceilings with an open kitchen that extends for most of the length of the restaurant. Still or sparking water is $2 per person either way so go for the sparkling and get some fizz in your life! ;) Items we ordered form the snacks section were: -Squid ink crackers, trout roe, cucumber $8 -English breakfast tea & toast, wild mushroom tea, gentlemens relish and bone marrow toast (for two) $14 -Tongue and cheek croquettes, picallilli $15 -'Social dog' pork and fennel sausage, green apple, black pudding, cheddar, mustard $15 From the vegetables: -Kale, chilli, garlic, corella pear, bottarga $15 From the raw & cured: -Tataki hiramasa, kingfish, dill, kahlrabi, togorashi $19 - Grass fed veal tartar, egg yolk jam, radish salad with sourdough $19 From the sourdough flatbreads: -QLD blue pumpkin, oyster & portabella mushrooms, blue cheese, walnut $16 -Lartisan 'mountain man' washed rind, white onion, smoked potato, bacon thyme $16 All this was to share among four people. All dishes were small to med servings so we got to sample everything! Loved everything that was brought out to the table. The english breakfast tea for two come out on a stand which you got to pour the mushroom tea into little tea cups - very nice. Service was excellent and very attentive. We all agreed that we would indeed be back as everything was spectacular!

Lunch at Glebe Point Diner is flawless…read more I've long been hearing rave reviews about this restaurant and finally made it there recently for lunch with my family. The dining room itself was a lot more casual than expected, but modern and inviting nonetheless with green leather banquettes, high ceilings and an open kitchen. Service was efficient yet friendly, our waitress describing their specials in detail and encouraging a shared starter of twice-baked gruyere soufflé with rocket side salad (great tip!). Main courses were just as delicious - I sampled a grilled snapper fillet atop finely sliced fennel, sautéed down into a slightly sweet yet aniseed sauce with fresh peas and baby steamed clams, while the scotch fillet also came to the table smothered in creamy caramelised onion, a million layered potato galette and well-seasoned witled silverbeet. Dessert was simple but offered pretty generous portion sizes - we tried the rhubarb frangipane tart and chocolate parfait with macerated strawberries - but I liked that their menu also offered petit fours at $2.50 a pop if you only felt like a little mouthful of something sweet (the spiced marshmallow, a particularly tempting offer).

The staff at this lovely little establishment are not only unobtrusively efficient, they give new…read moremeaning to the term hospitality. The food does not disappoint, with the finest and freshest ingredients being used in an eclectic fusion of flavours. The gnocchi, spun so light, it melted onto the tongue, left a smouldering film of deliciousness. The special, a corned beef sandwich, was a unique take on what is in my estimation only ever attainable in New York or some of the eastern states of America and was a delectable surprise! Desert, accompanied by perfect coffees, was the perfect end, to a seamlessly delicious meal.

This is Otto's sister restaurant (right next door) and essentially the food is all "whatever's left…read morefrom the larder" from next door. The menu changes pretty regularly as a result, which means even more excuses to come back and sample everything the restaurant has to offer. I went with three friends and EVERYTHING sounded amazing on the menu. In hindsight we probably ended up with a few too many dishes (even after running our choices by our waitress, who assured us we would be fine)- however, the price point is a lot lower than Otto so I wasn't as upset as I would have been had it been been Otto pricing. The menu is designed for sharing so share we did- a goat cheese salad, truffle butter and bread, friend cauliflower, perfectly roasted baby potatoes, a burrata with honey and currants, the most amazing tuna ceviche with avocado and zoodles and finally a great sirloin with blue cheese butter. We were STUFFED by the end, but the bill only came to $50/head. Larder is also BYO which is a huge plus but they do charge $8 corkage per person, so if you're only having a glass then best to just order wine there. All in all a great gem !

Pop-up restaurants are the latest craze to be sweeping Sydney. Even Masterchef has been getting in…read moreon the action. Now, it seems, so are fine dining restaurants. Otto Ristorante, an original Sydney staple in fine dining, has now opened pop-up restaurant The Larder. For the next three months during winter, one third of Otto's Woolloomooloo restaurant will be transformed into European style eatery, The Larder. Whilst still enjoying the glorious view at The Finger Wharf, you can dine at the Larder for a fraction of the price of Otto, and best of all, it's BYO with $5 corkage. Though there may be no white tablecloths and the menus may be printed on paper, it still feels rather luxurious to dine at The Larder. The menu is designed to be shared and plates are priced from $10 - $25. That's a bargain price for food coming from the Otto kitchen! Dishes change regularly, depending what is in 'the larder'. Ms C and I dined on a still Friday evening and we enjoyed: *Salmon Tartare *Potato rosti with roasted capsicum, smoked eggplant, feta and rocket *Braised Beef cheeks on polenta - a special that night *Quinou salad with haloumi & green salad The food, as you would expect, is fine dining quality, with the offerings a little less fancy, and a little more rustic. Perfect for the winter weather. Oh, and don't worry if the weather's a little chilly - those heaters work a treat. So, why not get down to The Larder while it's still open and make the most of fine dining quality at pub prices.

Ok there's a very good reason to come to this hole-in-the-wall joint. The set menus here are…read morephenomenal value and offer an authenticity rarely seen in this part of Sydney. Pictures of food with Engrish descriptions adorn the walls here. The menu too is extensive and offers the usual complements of a Chinese eaterie with some extras. It's not the most sublime environment but it is what it is - a value-for-money Chinese eaterie in a working class suburb and all the trappings of noise and curt service that comes with it. We had a set meal for 2 people costing approximately $33. Tea and rice is complimentary. Basically we got 2 dishes consisting of Fried Pork Ribs and a Steamed Fish with a side dish of vegetables. The pork ribs were alright albeit pedestrian. The real kicker here is the Steamed Fish. It is gloriously cooked and seasoned without a hint of fishiness. I look around and notice that my fellow dining compatriots have discovered the secret of this too and most have this steamed fish on their tables. I haven't gone through the entire menu but I've also tried some of their seafood dishes which are still pretty good value for things like crab or abalone. Their eggplant in hotpot is also done very well. This has become my go to when I want a no-fuss and relatively cheapish dinner with quality food and cooking.

I really enjoyed eating at this restaurant, the food was and I will definitely recommend it to my…read morefriends and I will return. The food was the excellent and it wasn't expensive, the prices are great and affordable. I ordered a beef noodle soup and it's completely different from other restaurant, other restaurants had so much oil in it that you couldn't even see the noodles and the soup wasn't salty like the other restaurants.

This is a great concept in the wrong city, just when we've all gone mad munching on a burger…read morebonanza and craft beer. Here comes a restaurant with quality food and great concept. Sorry the piglets have their faces stuffed into the wagu beef burger with truffle butter and roast beetroot. This is quality food cooked to perfection at a very reasonable price. The only reason it was given 3 stars is because it's unlicensed and a tad uncomfortable but other than that it's an indecisive food lovers paradise. It only serves one main course per night. Check out on Instagram the menu early in the week and make your day. Definitely give this one a try. Don't expect to be stuffed silly, but you will get quality.

I had walked past this restaurant for two weeks and it looked interesting. The menu consists of…read moreonly one main meal - a different one every day. But what a meal. I went on Friday 18th March and had Friday's set main; a slow cooked oyster cut of beef with compressed eggplant and grilled leeks. I haven't tasted red meat like that for years. Yes, you can have a choice of a few entrees and a couple of deserts but if you try and change the main - look out! The staff were friendly but not gushy. The chef was right there where we could all see her cooking - solo of course. She chatted and clearly took pride in her food and her concept. Yet the true value of Hoost is that no one needs to make a decision. We make millions of decisions every day and on a Friday night it's the last thing I want to do. Well done Hoost!

Family inspired Italian food in a relaxed and authentic setting. This place feels and smells you…read moreare taking a journey through Italy. For starters we were treated to the antipasto options. These plates had a taste that meant they could be a meal in themselves. We loved the green & black olives, salami, tomato & buffalo mozzarella and olive & garlic focaccia - absolutely delicious and a great start to the meal. Pair these with the beautifully light Italian red and white wines on offer. Mains were just as much a feast for the senses as the starters. We munched into the zucchini and gorgonzola, the classic magherita and tartufo & salsiccia pizzas. With that authentic pizza dough and toppings that complement each other without being overpowering means grab yourself a large - you will not be disappointed. The cheesey salad which has pizza dough croutons through it is a great side! After all the above I was worried that I might not have room for dessert, however, when I saw the Nutella calzone I was salivating! Located on Oxford street, Paddington this is an easy location to get to and you will find free parking after 6pm. Keep this restaurant in mind for functions as they have a great outdoor space out the back under the vines or a separate dining area upstairs. The staff make this place an experience and we will most certainly be dining again at Franchi Brothers!

Be prepared to take your tastebuds for a journey through Italy at this restaurant…read more The brothers hail from Sardinia and have brought the influences from there to this restaurant. There is indoor seating on the ground level, seating in the courtyard complete with fairy lights as well as seating upstairs for functions. Service was warm and you felt like part of their Italian family. A feast was brought out to us. The highlights of the meal included the snack plates of focaccia, mixed olives, and salami, the crisp garlic pizza, and the salad was surprisingly nice with rocket, parmesan, tomatoes, and pizza dough 'croutons'. Moving onto the main event of the pizzas, my favourite being Tartufo E Salicci with its delicious rocket and mushroom topping with hints of truffle oil and chunks of Sardinian sausage. The cheese plate was a nice touch with 'Chianti Cheese' which they called the drunken cheese having an interesting taste. Moving onto dessert, you can't go past the classic Tiramisu.

It's always nice when you get recognised by people who you don't expect to recognise you. Like the…read morestaff at a restaurant you haven't been to in a while. "Have you been away?" the owner of Asakusa asked my friend and I last time we went in. "I haven't seen you in a while." Yes, we had been away. And yes, we do go there a lot. Asakusa is fantastic for inexpensive and fresh Japanese food. From the $6 Taco Yaki (fried octopus balls) and Togarashi Tofu (deep fried tofu with chilli, garlic and dried shredded tuna) to my favourite, the Asagao Dinner Box (sushi, futomaki, green salad & tuna maki) for $14.50, you leave Asakusa feeling full, healthy and happy in the knowledge that you haven't spent most of this week's budget. If you've got time, grab an Asahi and some edamame beans while you peruse the menu. Also, avoid making changes to the meals if you don't want to cause confusion.

We had dinner here last night…read more Shabu Shabu is so much fun shared. I introduced my other half to it, even after explaining to him repeatedly that it's not soup! I'm yet to have a bad meal here. The food is always very yummy. The staff are lovely. The decor leaves much to be desired, but I'm not there to stare at their walls, I'm there to play with my food!!!

Crows Nest Plaza must be the saddest and dingiest looking spot in the suburb, but don't go holding…read morethat against the Bayleaf Brasserie. Actually, the sorry location would probably stop me going and eating in, but I am a big fan of their takeaway! I've sampled the Dahl, 'Rogan-josh' and Shahi Murg (Breast fillets of chicken stuffed with sultanas and paneer served in cashew, almond and saffron flavored sauce), all of which went down very well with their addictively good rice. The flavours are delicious, not oily and they were happy to make it more mild for my horridly lame pallet. The Bayleaf Brasserie also offers lunch specials and a banquet menu - now if only they'd renovate the plaza and make it a more appealing place to visit!

Great service. Great food. Pity about the location. Could do so much better out on the street…read more Would come back again!!! For 29 this was a absolute Bargain!! Bought this as a voucher deal! Would do many times over.