Neild Avenue

I consider myself to be farly savvy when it comes to eating out in restaurants and have eaten in many top restaurants in different contries. The whole Nield Avenue experience last night was a complete let down. Fantastic space and a great design concept but that is where it ends. Food was overpriced, service average and I really do not understand what the fuss is all about. There were nine of us having dinner and it seems as though my partner and I were the only people to have empty plates at the end of the meal. The bread that come to the table should have something to dip into, very salty taste. She ordered the entree sized tortelleni and I had the lamb kebab and both dishes appeared to be the pick of the menu. Yes my kebab was ok though at $38 it is probably the most expensive kebab I have ever eaten. The Souvlaki was tough and the chicken undercooked. On the positive side the deserts were with out doubt the best dishes on the menu. You could hardly justfy going to a restaurant for the deserts! One very dissappoined diner. I won't be gong back. 08/03/2012

I am not waiting more than 30 minutes for seating at a restaurant that wants my hard earned money. The team just simple does get it no food is that good that I will stand around for 2 hours to have a kebab for $38 and the they want a tip on top. Someone needs to go to the local newsagent a buy $20 diary for reservations and you if can't bring yourselves to do that just close the doors now as you will out of business in 6 months 31/01/2012

Hopeless and over priced. Lamb was grissly and cold. ordinary type of menu and stupid paying for theirdecor with silly prices for Lebanese med food. Buy it at your local. 20/01/2012

Just had a carafe of lovely Pinot Noir.Place has a lovely feel and staff very attentive,as there is a lot of them. I asked many questions and was able to taste all wines on Tap. Was busy without a wait and I feel this will work. Looked through food menu and made interesting reading. I will be back for a more serious time very soon. 18/12/2011

I am a restaurant goer from Sydney, New York and Paris. The whole night club feel of being exclusive was embarrassing. The fact that you can not book is disrespectful to the clientele who bother going there. The fit out was interesting but that is about it - seriously not worth waiting more than half an hour for a table. 07/12/2011

Had dinner mid week with several friends. The ambience, service and variety of food was excellent. The bar idea is brilliant as it is a great destination to meet friends just for a drink. Loved it. 30/11/2011

Absolutely gorgeous space and attentive staff, but the menu and food delivery does not measure up. The menu is too long and not easy. We waited over 45 minutes between finishing the starter and receiving the next dish, which we had to chase up, and it was not in the order we had requested. The starter was okay but nothing special, and the duck main was nice, but neither justified the prices. We cancelled the next dish. The staff did not seem to be able to handle things going wrong. At least the wine was lovely. Not sure if we will try again. 21/11/2011

We dined at Neild Avenue on Friday night. The surrounds are impressive, and the atmosphere was great. We are lucky people who can dine out a lot, so we are always curious to try something new. The staff were extremely friendly, although we did have the odd glitch. We certainly put those down to the fact that it was extremely busy, and they had only been open for a day. We were aware that some continuity was necessary - but that will come with time. We were, however, VERY disappointed with the food. Our lamb was unbelievably tough. A member of our group is Greek, and I had to make comment that her lamb is far superior. For the prices you pay in these places, it is not good enough to receive a plate that is as disappointing as that. There was nothing else on the plate to save it. My duck was fine, but as far as I can recall, it was $42. Again, nothing else on the plate - no presentation necessary, apparently. We will go back to have a drink, as we thought the place itself is worth a second look. But we don't think we will dine in. It would however, be interesting to see if these things are fixed a little further down the track. 20/11/2011

We live right next door to the Neild Avenue Restaurant and have been watching its $3 million fit out coming together over the past few months. So of course we had to go and check it out on its second night. What did we find? The first thing that hits you is the stunning ambience - the theatrical feel, the bold artworks, contemporary furnishings, period uniforms for the waiters, the tastefully chosen pieces ... they all come together brilliantly. This is a truly cool place to hang out and chill. No doubt about it. We started with a drink by the large open window at the front and were served by a waitress with personality plus who took the time to explain the inner workings of the place to us. When our friends arrived we moved into the dining area for our meal. Quite a Mediterranean selection with a comprehensive wine list to boot. But this is where the experience started to go off the rails. The food - which comes with top shelf pricing - was disappointing. My duck was tough, and my wife's chicken was undercooked – pink, bordering on red inside. We weren't the only ones unhappy with the food. We heard of another of our neighbours whose lamb kebab the night before was tough and dry. By contrast though, the desserts and coffees were stunning!! So here's my hunch. Things are obviously still bedding in and given the huge investment the owners have made in the place, they'll no doubt have to iron out the food issues or the critics will give them a caning. When they do, Neild Avenue will become a jewel in the crown of Eastern Suburbs dining establishments and it will rocket from 3 stars to 5. 19/11/2011