 | Sydney The Rocks and Circular Quay Restaurants Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 72 |  |  | |  |  | The Rocks and Circular Quay Restaurants: Gr8 spot for lunch after walking the Bridge | Tip Rating:     Satisfaction:      |  |  | |  |
After visiting the Bridge Pylon Lookout I needed to have lunch before heading back out of the city. When you are in the Rocks you are met with a bit of a plethora of choices & quite frankly it's hard to know in advance what will be a tourist trap with rip off prices or what will be reasonable value with reasonable food. Well I got the latter with Latte Bros' Cafe. Being a lovely spring day it was very enjoyable sitting out on their little verandah overlooking Nurses Walk (there is some historical info behind that name, but that can wait for a future must see tip I think & no I didn't see any nurses. lol!) as it was in the shade, but still warm enough. The food was quite satisfactory & met my needs of something light enough, but still substantial enough with a fruit juice then followed by my usual Mocha on Soy Milk. Latte Bros Cafe was a finalist in the 2003 Metropolitan Excellent Coffeeshop Awards & I wonder how they'll go in this year's awards. They are open for breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea & also offer devonshire teas thoughout the day. They have a take away (take out for you Americans) service as well. Also, one of the good things is that they are BYO so you can bring your favourite bottle of Vin Blanc/Vino Bianco or Vin Rouge/Vino Rossi without breaking the bank paying outrageous mark-ups in as you do in licensed restaurants.
What I selected on the day for lunch was just what I needed & I was pleased with both the quality & quantity. I had a very tasty Tuna, asparagus & cottege cheese wrap in crisp tortilla bread served with a green side salad & little cherry tomatoes. I thought the Apple Juice I had with it was a bit expensive at $3.80, but when it arrived it was a large one & then I thought it wasn't too bad value after all. My coffee was quite good too. Mind you I think I'm going to have a hard time finding coffee to match that at Cozzi Cafe in Coogee so I have to be careful not too be too hard on these other cafes. All in all a gr8 little, good value spot in the Rocks for lunch. I would be happy to go back again. Leave a Comment Theme: LocalPrice: US$11-20 » Currency ConverterComparison: less expensive than averageAddress: Shop R2 Nurses Walk, The RocksPhone: 02 9252 2055Directions: The Nurses Walk runs parallel to Harrington St & Circular Quay (between the two, but I found it off a little walkway going down to Circular Quay from the Bridge.
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 | |  |  | The Rocks and Circular Quay Restaurants: $20 Aussie Breakfast with Fabulous Views | Tip Rating:     Satisfaction:      |  |  | |  |
Click on my attached photo to enlarge it & you'll see what I mean when I say that the view IS the ambience! I had a late-ish breakfast there this morning & it was a genuine pleasure to sit outdoors ovelooking the waters of Circular Quay & Sydney Harbour while looking at the world famous Sydney Harbour Bridge slightly to my left with our other tourist icon, the Opera House about 50m away slightly on my left. To enjoy this on a lovely warm morning with a lovely mild breeze cooling me down just nicely & there's not a lot more you can ask for.
The title above alludes to what I had. The "Aussie Breakfast" is $20 and for your $20 (Australian) you get the following: 2 fried eggs, 4 rashers of bacon, 2 halves of tomato, 3 slices of wood fired bread - toasted with butter, juice of your choice (apple for me) & either espresso coffee or tea. I actually had a mocha & I was not charged any extra for it even though a mocha is more expensive than an expresso on their menu. Now I have to be perfectly honest with you. I wouldn't rave about the food. I much prefer either poached or scramble eggs, but neither was a choice either as part of the "Aussie Breakfast" or as a stand alone dish. The coffee was not too bad, but certainly not great. Having said that I am rather fussy when it comes to my tucker (aussiespeak for food) & maybe even more so when it comes to my coffee. I am sure that many people would enjoy that Brekkie much more than I did so I will look forward to any VTers who try this place telling me their honest opinions. We are all individuals after all & see things differently. You have to order & pay,first & then are given a number after which you find a table, sit down & put your number up on your table. So, if you are 2 or more then, 1 person order & pay while the other/s ges/get the prime position closest to the water. That is if you are a couple. All the table of 4 are back one row from the water's edge. I was lucky as I was looking like I'd be sitting at a 4 tabel, but a lady left while I was procrastinating & I was able to grab that table. Again I say, click on this photo to see, not the remains of my brekkies (lol), but just part of the lovely view I enjoyed. Leave a Comment Theme: LocalPrice: US$11-20 » Currency ConverterComparison: about averageAddress: 3 East Circular QuayPhone: 61 2 9247 8548Directions: Walking around Circular Quay towards the Opera House you will see a little old red brick building on your left. The first place is the Sydney Oyster bar on the left & Portobello is on the righthand side of that building
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 | |  |  | The Rocks and Circular Quay Restaurants: Une Petite Francaise dans le Rocks | Tip Rating:     Satisfaction:      |  |  | |  |
I could easily have been back in Paris sitting out the back in the courtyard enjoying the view of old bricks & sandstone, but with a twist of Sydney as some of the highrise buildings poked above the old skyline enclosing this courtyard. And then there was the greenery that gave this spot added ambience a sense of relaxing & enjoying your food. So now I must move on to that very topic.
Had a "just right" lunch after having visited the Museum of Contemporary Art this morning. So what did I have: Chicken Chasseur Pie with mixed leaf salad. The pie was very tasty & I say this as definitely not being a "pie type of guy". lol! The mixed leaf salad that accompanied it was very good, substantial in both quantity & quality with a light French mustard cream salad dressing. Often when you get a salad on the plate with your meal they aren't that good, but this one was very good (am I repeating myself? lol! sorry!) But then I saw a young lady coming out with a rather yummy looking piece of cake so I thought I might as well have a little dessert too with my mocha coffee. So, I went back in & after extensive perusal of the selection settled upon the Larme de Gaugin, a tear-drop shaped cake; crowned by a light creamy mixed berry mousse which is also through the sponge mould & is decorated with mixed berries, today, a half strawberry, a raspberry (Aah the framboise I fell in Love with in Paris, Oct 03) & a blueberry. It was absolutely delicious, light & with such delicate flavour & texture. Check the accompanying photo! Now you know how good this must have been when I haven't even mentioned the coffee yet! lol! Running out of characters space so suffice to say it was good too. Not matching Cozzi Cafe in Coogee or the Cafe Calima de Clombia of Obelisk Cafe & Beanbah Espresso, but quite good. Leave a Comment Theme: FrenchPrice: US$11-20 » Currency ConverterComparison: about averageAddress: 47 Argyle Street, The RocksPhone: 9241 4878Directions: If you are heading along George St, towards the Harbour Bridge (north) with Sydney Cove -Circular Quay on your right then turn left into Argyle St & it's only 20m up on the left.Website: www.larenaissance.com.au Other Contact: 9241 4811 (office phone & fax)
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 | |  |  | The Rocks and Circular Quay Restaurants: Opera Bar: any closer by the harbour and ur in it! | Tip Rating:     Satisfaction:      |  |  | |  |
The eastern side of Circular Quay has been developed quite a bit in the past years. Opera Bar is one of the elegant drink & dine spots in this row of restaurants and bars. Opera Bar is the most northern of all bars & restaurants and therefore, you have no other such establishments blocking any harbour or Opera House views. You have the option to sit inside or outside. I would recommend sitting outside either on a balmy Summers evening under the stars or even during a sunny Winters day by the sparkling water. The harbour views and atmosphere are a real treat. A perfect pre-theatre dining option, a lazy Sunday lunch or if you prefer, a romantic, cosy option inside with comfy cushions. Check out their website for music performances. But the jazz on Sunday afternoons/evenings is a regular, and its great!
Modern Australian cuisine. Whats that you ask? Grilled serloin steak in a red wine jus on a mustard mash... or perhaps you prefer the Tasmanian Salmon on a bed of rocket salad, with a side of (popular Sydney snack) wedges with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream? Service is swift & friendly. Bag clips located under table to protect against bag-snatchers (very touristy area), good people-watching spot & a great place to really enjoy the Sydney-ness of it all! Between AU$10-25 for a main Leave a Comment Theme: OtherPrice: US$11-20 » Currency ConverterComparison: about averageAddress: Lower Concourse Level, Sydney Opera House, SydneyDirections: On the east side of Circular Quay, right by the Opera HouseWebsite: www.operabar.com.au
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 | |  |  | The Rocks and Circular Quay Restaurants: Firefly: Don't miss the Salt & Pepper Kingfish! | Tip Rating:     Satisfaction:      |  |  | |  |
MMmmmm.... I love it here. It's small but perfectly formed, good food and a good attitude to service. The drinks list has been carefully compiled; there are cocktail staples as well as specials. It was one of the first places opened at Walsh Bay, but its now established & popular. It attacts many theatre-goers as the theatre is just across the road. Open: Mon-Fri noon-11pm, Sat and Sun 8am-11pm Crowd: Pre- and post-theatre Vibe: Relaxed and social Highs: The service, food and drinks Lows: Can't think of any Drinks: Hamelin chardonnay $11, Wild Turkey julep $18 ,42 Below martini $10 .
I love the salt and pepper kingfish rolled in prosciutto, olives and parsley and the divine crispy potatoes with herbs and sea salt. Leave a Comment Theme: SeafoodPrice: US$11-20 » Currency ConverterComparison: about averageAddress: PIER 7, 17 HICKSON ROAD, WALSH BAY, THE ROCKSPhone: TEL: 9241 2031Directions: Walsh Bay - just around the corner from the Park Hyatt thats under the Harbour Bridge at the Rocks.
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 | |  |  | The Rocks and Circular Quay Restaurants: Great pizza and pasta at Zia Pina | Tip Rating:     Satisfaction:      |  |  | |  |
If you get hungry while your roaming the Rocks, I'd suggest checking out Zia Pina. Quite a few famous people have, judging from the photos on the wall. I remember seeing Joe Montana and Jerry Seinfeld, to name two. Zia Pina is a cramped little pizza and spaghetti joint right smack dab on George Street. They also serve gelato and nice, cold beer. Like most pizza we found in Australia, Zia Pina's didn't lean towards tomato sauce. Instead, it featured a healthy layer of mozarella cheese and fresh toppings. The crust was thin, and gently seasoned in that pleasing way of Italy.
Well, two things... The pizza was very very good. It really "hit the spot", as we were getting kind of hungry at the time. And, the nice schooner of beer was refreshing, too. At this place, I tried another Aussie brew, Victoria Bitters, aka VB. It was good, although I later decided that James Boag Tasmanian Brew was my favorite suds in Australia. Leave a Comment Theme: PizzaPrice: US$11-20 » Currency ConverterComparison: less expensive than averageAddress: 93 George Street, The Rocks, SydneyPhone: 02 9247 2255Directions: From the Circular Quay, proceed along the Cahill Expressway area until you can turn right onto George Street....ie heading into "The Rocks".
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