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    The Lobo Plantation

    4.1 (50 reviews)
    ModerateBars, Cuban
    Closed Closed

    The Lobo Plantation Photos

    THE LOBO PLANTATION ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Hipster
    Classy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - The Lobo Plantation

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    Amy S.

    First visit last Saturday and so far I was impressed. We arrived after 9pm and there was no queue of hipster peoples.... so straight down the stairs we dashed as the bouncy was busy talking to a cop i think the convenient store a few doors down may have just been robbed! Yikes Place was half full (everyone else was probably still at the Mardi Gras parade) and the lovely couches were empty so we made a beeline for the bar. Was not in the mood for cocktails so i ordered a glass of Shiraz from a friendly blonde waitress. Thank goodness it was palatable as i would of been disappointed for getting a glass liquid that resembled the taste of vinegar for $10! Atmosphere was good, Ambiance was good. Ever so often they would make a cocktail that had flames so that was always entertaining and i made a promise that i would indeed attempt this flaming cocktail on my next visit. We did not get to try the food but the menu looked tasty!

    Menu, Lobo Plantation
    Dan P.

    Danny P, you're getting soft, is what they'll be saying... This is a 2.5, but since Yelp won't empower me with half stars I've erred on the lighter shade of pale. As we descended the stairway to heaven, we found ourselves in a frills and fronds space resembling some fancy old English establishment... then the next song came on and it was high tea meats Led Zeppelin... Ramble on! I nearly dialled up the Cuban Pay Phone but opted instead for a Quilmes, followed by a White Rabbit x 2. If I'd stopped there this review would be a 4, but we ordered food, which turned out to be a Cuban carnivore car crash. Non-crispy wings with negatory flavour, followerd by way-too-much-pastry + not-nearly-enough-meat empanadas were harsh lessons in seasoning and quantities. But, the total wreck of the night was the taco. This thing looked as bad as it tasted. It was tepid, the filling had less-than-zero flavour, and the tortilla? Holy hell what was that thing? It had the consistency of play-doh and was about as edible - now I know how my parents felt when I "made" them things to eat as a kid. The staff totally know the food stinks, because they give you a small liquor bottle (sadly devoid of liquor) containing hot sauce. If you drown everything in that, you can probably get through it all. The best thing on the plate was the guatemalan insanity pepper. I bit off half of that to cleanse my palate and had steam whistling out my ears and fireball breath for the next half an hour! Huzzah! The music was actually of a good volume to conduct a conversation, so they must've listened to previous feedback, and have remedied this. And didn't we just gossip up a storm. Spying on cute and innocent couple whose distant behaviour had us all speculating on whether this was sandwich night, a breakup, a bad tinder date or just a really boring relationship... My initial impressions screamed Tinder tantrum, but after some additional information was added to the pot, I'm leaning towards the boring factor - sorry kids, you really were. I'd give the food a 1 (cute and innocent couple also hated it), drinks + atmosphere gets a 4. Cutting it down the middle gets us to 2.5 but since most people will come for the drinks not the food, I'm going to kick it up to a 3, instead of down to a 2. But you're perilous Lobo, don't become a plantain.

    Maria Trinette T.

    Came on a Friday night and expecting the place to be packed, we tried to arrive early and got there a little before 6:00 PM. There were no more free tables by this time, but luckily some people decided to leave early and we managed to secure two small tables beside each other on the upper section near the steps and railings. We were expecting nine people in our group, but it was just three of us who came first. There was already a queue when the rest of our group arrived but they all managed to get in after a short wait outside. The cocktails were priced at upwards of $17 and reading the descriptions on the menu, I felt like I wanted to try all of them. I settled for the Plan-ting (Plantation OP rum, Jamaican Ting soft drink, lime, grapes) which is said to be their specialty drink and had a taste of my friend's Shore something drink which was meant to appeal to rootbeer lovers. The Plan-ting was really strong and good value if you intend to get drunk but taste-wise it wasn't the best. For someone like me who likes my cocktails strong but taste juicy and sweet, it was a bit hard for me to drink this one. My friend's cocktail tasted like a weird sour ginger beer, I was expecting it to taste more like a sarsaparilla or an A&W rootbeer and was very much disappointed. The food was actually quite good and very reasonably priced. We couldn't get enough of the pork crackling and the pastellitos. The pastellitos appear to be quite popular as when we tried ordering at around 10PM, they said they had already run out. The brunette server/waitress seemed to pick on our group and had this very grumpy air about her. I did not see her smile the entire time we were there. First, she scolded me for putting my drink on top of a stool which really looked more like a side table, so excuse me for not immediately recognising that it was actually a stool meant for sitting. Second, she scolded the guys in our group for blocking the steps, when there were another group behind us who were also taking up space but did not get told off. Third, when we were sitting at the booth, one of the girls in our group took a chair and sat on the edge of the table. She was told she needed to swap to a stool because the chair is meant for the nearby table, even though that table she was referring to was not occupied and there wasn't a group needing or wanting to take the table. The blonde waitress was the complete opposite and was very friendly and always had a smile. If not for her, I would've given this place one star for the rude and unfriendly service provided by the brunette. The small bar concept is pretty cool and interesting as I'm not really a big fan of too trendy or too upmarket big name places with expensive fancy-shmancy drinks and with a clientele consisting primarily of people wanting to be seen. Having read some reviews online, I had high hopes that this bar would satisfy. While I truly enjoyed the food and the ambience and the crowd being a bit low-key, I wasn't too impressed with the drinks (they're the expensive fancy-schmancy types which I don't like) and the service could do with one less snotty brunette.

    They took my card
    Sheenal S.

    Go down a set of stairs down to a really dark bar lit by candlelight. It has a nice atmosphere but what seemed like a promising evening became quite a disappointment. They have a lengthy cocktails menu all starting from 22-24 bucks. I had a lengthy conversation with my bartender about getting fresh watermelon juice with a shot of vodka and he recommended that i get their Clementine which was essentially fresh watermelon juice with liquor. I told him that the description said it was watermelon syrup and i didn't want sugar in my drink. He promised that he would make it with fresh watermelon. When i got my drink, it had syrup in it and the waitress told me she added more lime to reduce the sugar syrup taste. So it wasn't fresh. And that's the only reason i ordered the drink. Fail. The empanadas we ordered weren't classic empanadas with the thick flour crust pastry but were squishy fritters. Disappointment. Not nice. The pulled pork dish which was more expensive was more mushroom than pork. Disappointment again They also take your credit card and id from you at the start and hold onto it. Seriously you can't run away without paying as the place is super congested and you can't really run up the rickety stairs. Dont like it.

    Old Grogran.
    Joanne P.

    I was pretty excited about Lobo Plantation. It's only up the road and I have had it bookmarked for ages. There I was with my "fiddle-dee-dees" and "Oh Rhetts" and various other references to Gone with the Wind. I was there two hours before I realised this place is not in fact Carolina Plantation themed, it's Cuban themed. Awkward. I should have clicked earlier with all the revolution and communism themed cocktails. Lobo Plantation is a great little below street level bar. There are a few small bars down this end of town where you'll get a good spot if you arrive by 5.30pm or so while all those silly saps are busy lining up at Baxters Inn. The best spot for people watching is right at the bottom of the stairs. The bartenders here are pretty friendly. My cocktail of choice was an Old Grogran. A lovely mix of rum, lemon and burnt (as in roasted in front of you) cinnamon. Judging by the number of times the bartender lit up the blow-torch it was everyone else's cocktail of choice too. The drinks selection here is pretty good. Cocktail heavy though. I didn't order food (had been warned off by Dan P) but the all you can eat plantain chips are a winner (and a killer when you try to get a Harry's Cafe Hot Dog into you at the end of the night. We ended up staying pretty late and watched the crowd turn from after work casual friendly people to Friday night, high maintenance types. Remembering I was due to hand out political stuff at a street fair the next morning, I threw back that last shot of Irish Whiskey and though "I'll think about that tomorrow." After all, tomorrow is another day.

    The grand entrance
    Joanna M.

    Come for the incredible atmosphere, stay for the incredible drinks! It's been ages since I was this impressed by a restaurant, though I confess I was mostly blown away by the bar! Popped in for some "sorry you got dumped" drinks with a friend and ended up staying almost three hours due to the amazing cocktails, delicious empanadas and clever decor. You know it's gonna be good when even the bathrooms are done up! If you can't pick a drink off the lengthy menu, give the bartender your requirements and then ask him to make you something that to suit; I guarantee you won't be disappointed! Two words of warning though, aside from the possibility of getting addicted to this place--it ain't budget friendly, and it's gonna get loud. But make your peace with that, and then start drinking!

    Natalie H.

    I was taken here on a Tuesday night for a tipple and it was hard to find this place because of the strange numbering on Clarence Street. I walked down the stairs to this charming place and there I was. The place is dark and dimly lit, and the vibe invokes a Latin American feel. I realize this place specializes in rum, but my poison of choice of gin so a random gin cocktail it was then. The cocktail wasn't much to shout about, but I love the ambience. Dark and dim, underground, reminds me of an illicit speakeasy...

    Scott L.

    Thanks to intel from a traveling companion - we sought this place out and found it - and it was FANTASTIC - Great, old world feel, classy interior, great lighting, nicely selected music that crossed a few different genres - but maintained the same feel throughout. What a find. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable and were enthusiastic about their work and what they knew this place had to offer. I ordered the "Shipwreck" and "The Grogram" - two of their classic cocktails. The presentation was superb. We only sampled the Chicken Empanadas and they were very tasty - easily could have eaten 10 more!. All up - a wonderful spot for Rum Aficionados. And for people just like me who aren't all THAT - but know what they like.

    Brittany F.

    Loved this place! Such a cool atmosphere and vibe! The lighting was very cool and had a real buzz about the place. Cocktails were pretty fancy and drinks fairly expensive but it's worth going just to be there. I'll be back when I come to Sydney next.

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    Amazing vibes and very extensive drinks menu. Really cool decor and was not too expensive!!! Great bartenders

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    The Lobo Plantation Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - The Lobo Plantation

    THe bartenders make some very showy and dramatic drinks involving fire and rum and all sorts of good stuff.

    Mentioned in 14 reviews

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    Chimichuri

    Chimichuri

    4.0(5 reviews)
    8.6 km

    Chimi churi cafè in Chatswood is the most instagrammable cafès we have come across. The owners,…read morepreviously of Local Embassy in Pyrmont have brought their game to the north. The cafè is hidden in the back streets but despite this, the cafe is very popular, which shows their food is bringing in a crowd. The cafe has a cool set up, with a number of indoor and outdoor tables, there are also a couple of communal tables. As you walk in there is a large mural painted on the wall of an interesting character, with a tweaked moustache which is a reflection of the interesting and quirky menu on offer. Then, a range of visually appealing plates started to arrive at the table for us to photograph and share. The signature being the black benedict which is a soft shell crab burger with squid ink hollandaise. The bun, a black brioche which gets its colour from charcoal. This dish is not only visually appealing, but also very tasty and unlike any burger we have tried before. For bacon lovers the 'lick my bacon' is right up your alley. A thick cut bacon steak, cue Homer Simpson drooling mmmmm bacon. This served on a freshly baked red striped croissant with a has brown and haloumi and a side 100% Canadian Maple Syrup. Need I say more? Other notable breakfast options were the Chimi Churi eggs. Poached eggs, labneh, chilli oil, Chimichuri dukkah sauce and freshly baked artisan bread. Keep an eye out for the Cola Bowl which will be a new addition to the menu. A tasty yogurt bowl served with toasted granola, fruit and for a bit of a twist a cola syrup drizzled on top. The lunch menu may not be as grammable, but tasty and had some healthy options available. The stuffed calamari with a bit of South American flair. This dish with a nice flavour combination of chicken mince, chorizo, chimichuri salsa with a tasty parsnip and beetroot cream. The seared tuna, another healthy option served with a pineapple salsa and nicely plated too. The lunch menu is not at all healthy, with Chimi Churi doing a decent mac and cheese with triple cheese pork and bacon. The fried chicken bites were also very more-ish and the seasoned chips that came with the chicken, unbelievably tasty. They also have some great options for those with a sweet tooth. The nutella french toast, nice and fluffy with fairy floss a mini jar of nutella and served with some fresh fruit. The pannacotta another beautifully plated dish, very photogenic. A nice sweet finish a textural dish with the smoothness of the pannacotta, the macadamia crumb, a airy sponge, sauced with the berry coulis. As mentioned one of the most grammable cafes we have been to. The owners are perfectionists and the menu is well balanced with something for everyone. The food is not only very photogenic, the food is also tasty. Worth travelling to Chatswood to try some cool dishes and to get some great shots for your instagram feed.

    I really like this place. Out of the way from the main part of Chatswood, it is a nice cafe…read more Problem is it is in the middle of a business area - so some people don't like the surrounding area. However, ignoring that, this cafe is awesome. Firstly, the coffee here is good. Not the best cafe you'll get but good enough to get a second cup. Which I did. It is a little bit lighter, so if you like a darker brew, might want to order a double shot - just a warning. The finest thing about this cafe is the food. Now, it is slightly on the 'smaller' portion side. But it is quite good. Everything we order was extremely tasty. And the staff here are extremely helpful and friendly.

    Photos
    Chimichuri - Taro and coconut latte

    Taro and coconut latte

    Chimichuri
    Chimichuri

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    The Lobo Plantation - bars - Updated June 2026

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