Review: The Bar at the End of the Wharf

Pier 4

Hickson Rd

Walsh Bay

Monday to Friday
Coffee and cake 10am - 3pm                        
Lunch 12pm - 3pm
Bar menu 5pm - late 

Saturdays
Lunch 12pm - 3pm
Bar menu 5pm - late 

So tonight as part of our STC subscription we are off to see 'The Splinter', so rather than dine at our usual spot Cafe Sopra, we decide to give the relatively newly opened 'Bar at the End of the Wharf' a go.

'The Bar' fills the space formerly occupied by The Wharf restaurant and after the very lengthy walk down the pier, we are happy to settle into our seats and admire the best view of the harbour, Sydney has to offer.

Review: Catalina

Lyne Park
Rose Bay


t. 93710555
e. reservations@catalinarosebay.com.au


Mon-Sat Lunch/Dinner 
Noon - Midnight
Sun Lunch only
Noon-10pm


We awake to a glorious winter's day; the sun is shining, the birds are singing and we are on holiday - it really doesn't get much better than this....well, yes it does, if you throw in lunch by the water!


With this in mind, we bundle ourselves into the trusty Mazda & make our way to Catalina.


Parking sorted (in a 12 hour zone, no less), we make our way inside. The restaurant is spacious, bright & inviting & complements it's glorious harbourside location.

Review: Alley Break Cafe

Shop 2

4-6 The Kingsway
Cronulla

(02) 9527 6119



Daily 6am - 4pm

It is a gorgeous Tuesday morning after a lovely sleep and leisurely read in bed. The sun is shining the breeze is brisk and Squeak and I decide a trip to Cronulla's Alley Break Cafe for lunch is on the agenda.
We have read that chef Darren de Boer spent time working at Danks Street Depot and upon reading the menu we can certainly see the influence in some of the dishes. What a shame the caramelised garlic bread with butter and parsley was not on the menu today!!!

Alley Break Cafe has a great position and, if you sit at one of the outside tables especially, you get a great view of the beach. Due to the nip in the air we opt for an inside table on this occasion though.

Review: Wildfire

Ground Level

Overseas Passenger Terminal
Circular Quay West

info@wildfiresydney.com
ph: 02 8273 1222

Sun - Thurs: 12pm - 11pm
Fri: 12pm - 12am
Sat: 6pm - 12am

Wildfire is a restaurant we have been umming and ahhing about trying out for some time. Given some bad experiences of eating out in the Circular Quay precinct we just weren't sure if it would all lead to disappointment and a case of a restaurant that over promised and under delivered. Given our recent fabulous dinner at Mad Cow (another place that claims to really know their meat) we figure we should give it a go.

It is Sunday lunch on the harbour and unfortunately the sky is grey but on arrival we are seated with quite a fantastic view of the Opera House. Wildfire has quite an impressive room and seems very popular with larger groups with a number of families gathering.

Review : Chiswick Pizzeria Ristorante

3b-45 Blackwall Point Road
Chiswick

02 9712 1274
chiswickpizzeria@iinet.net.au

Tuesday-Sunday
5pm-9.30pm

So it is Saturday night, but not any Saturday night, this one finds us in a suburb we have not previously visited.....Chiswick.

There is no question that Buggles and Squeak love our fine dining, but we also love our comfort food...a lot.
Take our regular visits to Riccardo's and the
Pastizzi Cafe for example.

Chiswick Pizzeria Ristorante, sits on Blackwall Point Road, nestled between Abbotsford and Five Dock Bays, the view is quite impressive.

The restaurant this evening is positively buzzing, it is clear to see that it is very popular with local families.

Once seated we crack open a bottle of Pinot Gris and set about deciding what to order.

Review: Oliveto Ristorante & Bar (Birthday Dinner No.2)

Brays Bay Reserve
443 Concord Rd
Rhodes

Lunch
Mon - Fri, Sun: 
12pm - 3pm

Dinner
Tues - Sat:
6pm - 10pm

For work and family related functions where you require a spot that suits everyone in terms of cuisine and location, Oliveto Ristorante & Bar has long been the venue of choice for Buggles & Squeak.

Review: Opera Kitchen

Lower Concourse Level

Sydney Opera House


Daily 6am - 2am


Buggles and Squeak usually like to pair a theatre visit with a spot of dinner prior. This has always been thwarted when one of these shows is on at the Opera House. Some of the dining spots under the Toaster are, quite simply, dreadful - and a dinner at Guillaume or Aria really does require a more leisurely pace. That is why we were quite keen to try out the Opera Kitchen on our latest theatre visit to see 'In the Next Room' at the Drama Theatre (top play, btw!)

Review : Lake House Restaurant & Cellar

King Street
Daylesford, Victoria

Breakfast
Mon to Sun 8am-10:30am

Lunch
Mon to Sun Noon-2:30pm

Dinner
Mon to Sun 6:30pm-9:30pm



One of the reasons Buggles & Squeak were really looking forward to our visit to Daylesford, was lunch at the Lake House.
The day of our lunch was a beautifully cold, drizzly day... which made the long, leisurely lunch we had in mind all the more appealing.

We leave our beautiful Daylesford weatherboard & take a short drive to the restaurant.

On entering the restaurant we were greeted warmly & led to our table in the back corner of the restaurant, overlooking the lake. We were off to a good start....

Review : No35

Sofitel Melbourne 
Level 35
   25 Collins Street 
   Melbourne

    Lunch: Mon-Sun

   Noon to 2.30pm

   Dinner: Mon-Sun
   5.30pm to 10pm

 

Buggles and Squeak decided to head south and sample the fares of beautiful Melbourne. We had been looking forward to this return visit and were very keen to start eating!
After a trip to Melbourne some years back (and dining at a 2 Chef's Hat restaurant) we were convinced that when it came to food, Sydney had it all over Melbourne.

Our first dinner was at No35, set on the 35th floor of the Sofitel on Collins.
Our trip into the CBD from North Fitzroy was a breeze, thanks to the 112 tram that dropped us off almost right outside the Sofitel. Now that is one thing Melbourne does have all over Sydney....Public Transport.

We enter the lobby of the Sofitel & take the lift up to the 35th floor...

Review: Pilu at Freshwater

'On the Beach'

Moore Road

Freshwater  NSW

Lunch: Tues - Sun from 12pm
Dinner: Tues - Sat  from 6pm

10 years can roll around very quickly and Buggles and Squeak thought that a leisurely lunch at Pilu overlooking the beautiful Freshwater beach would be a fine way to celebrate our ten years together.

Pilu at Freshwater has received many accolades over the past few years and this one was no exception. While many an establishment felt the ire of the SMH scythe (do not even get us started on the clearly defective tastebuds on the reviewer of Vulcans!) Pilu at Freshwater has managed to maintain their standing on 2 hats.

Review : Rick Stein at Bannisters

191 Mitchell Parade

Mollymook NSW 2539

Breakfast
Mon to Sun 7:30am - 10am
Lunch
Mon to Sun 12:30pm - 3pm
Dinner
Mon to Sun 6pm - 10pm

Buggles and Squeak headed down to Mollymook for the weekend, we were continuing the celebrations for my mum’s birthday & along with my sister we headed to Rick Stein at Bannisters for a very leisurely lunch.

To begin with the view was amazing, we were seated right near the open sliding doors overlooking the gardens & the water…it was pretty special.

Review: Ripples - Sydney Wharf

Wharf 9
56 Pirrama Road
Pyrmont
(opposite Star City)


Brunch
Saturday - Sunday 10.30am - 4pm
Lunch
Monday - Sunday Noon - 3pm
Dinner
Monday - Sunday 6pm - 9pm




There are some days that Buggles and Squeak just sit back and think...we love living in Sydney!  Today was one of them, as we sat at Ripples on Sydney Wharf.
Look at that view. The air was chilly, but the sun was warm and the water was glistening. It was a great day to be alive!  As you all know though, there is one thing that can make living better - and that is great food!


So we decide to see what Ripples on Sydney Wharf has to offer in the brunch stakes.  We booked a table, anticipating a large crowd on such a beautiful day, however when we got there we saw the reservation was unnecessary at 11am on a Saturday morning. The table we were shown to by the lovely waiter was perfect and our view was exactly as the picture shows - no zoom cameras here.

Review : Cafe Morso

Lower Deck (west side), Jones Bay Wharf
Pirrama Road,
Pyrmont NSW 2009

Monday - Friday 7 to 4

Saturday - Sunday 8 to 3

** UPDATE**
Squeak and I decided to join some friends for an early Saturday breakfast at Cafe Morso based on our last visit, which was quite pleasant.  On this occasion we could not have been more disappointed. Despite the fact we had booked a table in advance we were given the table that probably sat the furthest from the views as possible. Service was aloof and disinterested.  This was most telling when it came to the food. At no point did anybody ask the question if we were happy with the food. It is probably lucky for them they didn't, as on the whole we were most certainly not happy. Squeak did the best with the Bacon and Egg Gnocchi which she found to be okay, M1 & M2 felt their breakfasts were average, but the creme de la creme came with my dish.  I opted for the Baked Bean and Ham hock cassoulet. This sounded delicious and flavoursome. On arrival it was a very 'grey' looking dish. The beans were undercooked and had literally no flavour whatsoever and the ham frankly tasted like it was possibly on the road to being bad. The best part about the dish was the chargrilled bread. I did not finish this dish - which, as most would know, is quite unheard of.
When the dishes were retrieved (largely unfinished) noone thought to enquire about our meals. I think this sums it all up.  We will not return, or recommend this place to anybody.
Buggles

Read more for our earlier, more pleasant experience if you would still like to visit Cafe Morso.

Review: Ventuno

21 Hickson Rd
Walsh Bay

Mon - Sun  12pm - 11.30pm

Squeak and I have been haunting the Walsh Bay area now for some years, and in that time have seen a number of restaurants open (and close). It is, no doubt, a prime spot due to the fact that it really is the hub of the Sydney Theatre Company's productions. One place that we regularly return to is Ventuno. This place is in some ways an oddity for this part of town - top location and view, stylish decor, consistently good service and some of the best pizza we've had in a long time.  Oh, and I forgot to mention.... really reasonably priced!

Review : Quay

Overseas Passenger Terminal,
The Rocks, Sydney 2000

Lunch:
Tuesday to Friday
12 noon - 2:30 pm
 
Dinner:
Monday to Sunday
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Licensed

Quay is the perfect spot for that special occasion or for impressing interstate & overseas visitors.

Buggles and I are celebrating our 9 years together, so surely an indulgent dinner at Quay was in order.
We have decided that Quay is our 'anniversary' restaurant, we were there last year & again last night.

The night started well with a parking spot virtually outside the door.

On entering the restaurant we are greeted warmly & then swiftly guided to our uptairs table. To say the 280 degree view is spectacular would be an understatement, you feel as though (were it not for the glass) you can reach out & touch the water.