I came with my significant other and had the degustation (sorry didn't take photos of the desserts).
I can start by saying the views would definitely be a 5/5. However, by my view, the oysters were pretty bland and the seafood mains were cooked to perfection, but the flavours were not as good as I expected. Aesthetic and Interesting drink combinations to add, but the service was not as good as I hoped.
Beautiful location, friendly staff and great food. Had the $120 degustation menu which was fairly priced for 7 courses. Enjoyed most dishes however some of the dishes i.e. the chicken and the wagyu beef I found to be quite average and a little bit too salty for my liking. Absolutely loved the cheese fondue and dessert. Overall would recommend.
Beautiful location! Perfect spot for a Sunday afternoon lunch. A little hard to get to by train & also not easy for parking in the area. The best way was actually to take the ferry to McMahon's Point, as it's right next to the ferry wharf. We got their degustation, which was pretty reasonably priced for 7 courses. There were 3 courses of seafood, 2 meat, 1 cheese & 1 dessert. The highlight for me were the Pink Snapper & the confit chicken. The wagyu flank was probably not the most delicious cut to start with & it was hard & dried, despite looking pink in the middle. Given I'm not a huge cheese fan, would've preferred another non chocolate dessert instead, but it was ok with the quince paste in the middle. Overall, a pretty nice afternoon had by all.
Came to sails for my partner’s birthday. The staff were very friendly. And we got a table with beautiful harbour view.
The food tasted special and delicious. The portion were sufficient too. The ambience was very relaxing and it is a perfect place for a date night or anniversaries .
The food was amazing start to finish. Beautiful views, quiet location away from the city bustle. The wait staff and overall service was perfect. Highly recommended!
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The general atmosphere and view at Sails on Lavender Bay is definitely hard to beat! With a prime view of the Sydney opera house and harbour bridge, Sails is my to-go restaurant when dining out with friends and relatives from overseas.
Since the last time I came to Sails around 8 months ago, a few things have changed. While the core ingredients of their 7-course tasting menu remained mostly the same, the sauce and accompanying sides have completely changed. And I've got to say that I'm not the biggest fan. For example, while the wagyu flank steak was cooked perfectly, the butter lemon sauce made to accompany it does not complement the steak in any way and actually tastes worst with it. Furthermore, I felt that their service was not as professional as it once was.
Nevertheless, the dining experience at the Sails was still generally pleasant this time round. While I'll still be coming back to the Sails, I really hope that by next time I visit they will have improved their standard to their previous level.
Ashanie Mekhala Perera
+4.5
Stopped in for a lunchtime degustation on a whim and had a fantastic experience. The view is phenomenal, the service is fairly good and the food was delicious.
I did the 7 course dego, with additional oyster course. Every dish was tasty. My favourites were the Merrimbula oysters, chicken and corn, and the wavy flank steak. The chicken was juicy and moreish, whilst the flank was beautifully marbled and rich.
Desserts were fab too. The chocolate terrine was so tasty, and the petit fours at the end were a perfect wrap up to an indulgent and worthwhile meal.
The view and actual experience of this restaurant is exemplary. The restaurant is rested on a wharf and overlooks the harbour bridge and views.
The food itself is above average.
The drinks list is extensive and the cocktail choices are great.
Just feel like rating places I've been to for my birthday dinner today. This restaurant has a nice view of course, as you can see from the photos. The food and service is also good, we had course menu and some wines. Recommended.
Experienced the degustation at Sails for our anniversary. They put us at a nice table near the window and we dined with amazing views at dusk. Each meal was delicious and the service was very attentive.
Four & a half stars for Sails. What a wonderful place. Thank you to our waiter who accommodated our anniversary lunch so well. The view of this place is amazing. We started with the complimentary mousse and salmon with hazelnuts which was soooo good, I was excited for the degustation. I grabbed the oysters for an additional $12pp followed by our cocktails (I don't recommend). The prawn dish was sooo tasty. My highlights would be the wagyu flank, duck and chocolate gateaux (YES!!!). Thank you Sails!!! Well worth the three hours of butt numbing dining.
This place is the perfect spot for a lavish long lunch or even a romantic date!
The views here are amazing - you get a clear view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge whilst feasting on a magical meal!
We've been here a few times now and each time we leave super satisfied with both the food and service.
The degustation is always our go to, because we always want a little bit of everything! The degustation dish sizes here are actually quite substantial :)
Great view, good service and very good food. You can see Harbour Bridge and Opera House from this restaurant and it is feels like you are dining on water. Their lamb and fish were awesome. Cheese platter had the variety. Dessert was beyond my expectations. Would definitely come back again.
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A dinner out I had promised the family before heading to Sydney. I had not been to Sails for years but remembered the amazing view across the harbour to the Bridge and CBD and figured it was a must for any Sydney visit.
We managed to get in with a last minute booking and arrived via water taxi from Darling Harbour (ok so more pricey than a cab but a worthwhile experience for sure).
The service was excellent, a bit too formal at first but as the crowd thinned out the staff became a little more relaxed which suited us fine.
The food matched the service - excellent! You might think the serves are a bit small however believe me none of us left hungry. A couple of cocktail for the adult party members to start. Entrees were the Prawns, Ricotta Mousse, Scallops and pork belly. Mains were the salmon (they indicated they prefer to serve it lightly cooked but gave us the option of more 'well done'), duck and beef. Sides of green beans and crisp potatoes rounded the meal out nicely. No complaints at all. Good Wine List too.
Coffee, deserts and cheese to finish and we left impressed, rather full and very happy.
Great harbour views for anyone who is visiting Sydney or after a romantic dinner .... I'll be returning and I am quite sure my family will too!
Set on water's edge with unobstructed view of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Luna Park, Sails presents a classy interior perfect for special occasions. The restaurant offers an a la carte menu and a 7 course degustation. We really enjoyed the degustation - all the dishes were good but none were outstanding. It took over 4 hours even though the suggested time on the menu was 2.5-3 hours. The service we received during our visit was friendly and attentive. The postcard view from our table was a real treat!
Service is very slow in comparison to other fine dining restaurants. Staffs should be a bit more smiley, friendly and cheerful to customers. The million dollar view is basically gone permanently now that a new structure on the wharf covers everything. Children should not be allowed in the restaurant at all.
The restaurant is modern and suggested an elegant setting. If aesthetics are important to you as tastiness, this definitely is the place for you. We certainly felt relaxed with the tranquil picturesque views and excited about the upcoming gourmet dishes. It was a nice space to unwind.
One thing that really impressed me was the presentation of the dishes. I was definitely enticed by the entree. It was a artfully arranged dish.
Dining at Sails on Lavender Bay is such a wonderful experience, you can travel the world but there is nothing more beautiful and tranquil than a fine gourmet meal by the Harbour.
Food is pricy compare to the portion. View was magnificent and service is premium. Love the desert. Brocolini as side is fantastic. Love the duck breast and oysters!
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Had the pleasure of dining here on Saturday and it was a really solid experience. Had the 7 course degustation with wine matching ($175pp) and added the oyster course ($12pp supplement) - the chef was also happy to substitute one of the courses for another item we preferred on the menu. Firstly, I'll start with service. Really solid. The wait staff were great. Very professional but friendly and would have a good laugh with us... necessary I think when you're dining for 3 hours. Next, the VIEW. Enough said. Now... the main event - the food and wine matching. Every course was cooked to perfection and wine matching was equally good (except for the substitution we requested... this wasn't matched specifically). Flavours were mostly well balanced (dessert and beef course needed less punch) and it never felt like anything was missing from the individual course. I only give them a 4/5 because even though it was a really solid experience, for the price point I expect to be "wowed" which just didn't happen. Highly recommend the goats curd (entree on a la carte) and barramundi (main).
We ordered from the tasting menu which consisted of 8 courses.
Each course felt complete and not like it was ever missing anything. Cooked to perfection.
Service was quick and professional. We will definitely go back.
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It's that time for our annual mum and daughter day out. This time we head to McMahons Point, with one of the best views in Sydney. A spectacular view of the harbour bridge arching over the Opera House in the background. This years meal with a view? Sails on Lavender Bay.
The good news? My booking request came through and were were given the best view in the house, the corner table directly overlooking the ferry port, and Sydney's iconic view. The bad news? Said ferry was under construction.
There are two choices. You can get the seven course tasting menu for $110 pp or go a la carte. We decided to go for the latter.
The entrees all look fantastic so we decided to go for three between the two of us. They asked if we were sharing and being Asian obviously we were. Thought they'll give us share plates but they went one better and gave us two plates with the entrees beautifully arranged. Was quite impressed with all the entrees, simple but elegant dishes.
Tried the terrine of rabbit, quail and pork, grain mustard, espelette pepper, sourdough ($27) - simple and delicious. Great variety of textures, especially when eaten together.
Confit of cold smoked mount cook salmon, served with vichyssoise mousse, and roe ($28). Love the subtle smokiness of the melt in your mouth salmon, made even better by the fabulous puréed leek, potatoes, onion, cream. Probably my favourite dish of the day.
Seafood stack of prawns, moreton bay bugs, snow crab, sweetcorn, beetroot ($31). Each element is perfectly cooked and treated with care.
Mains were a solid choice as well though slightly less spectacular than the entrees. Served on big plates with equally generous portions. At least twice as much as our servings at Catalina the previous year.
john dory, celeriac puree, mushrooms, cep and truffle dressing ($44) - yummy but couldn't really taste the truffle.
grimaud duck breast, du puy lentils, speck, grilled cos lettuce ($43)
Dessert went for their signature lemon and rhubarb crème brûlée, pistachio tuille (19) which was served in a spectacular manner flaming up to our heads! The sour rhubarb is a fantastic twist on this otherwise quite heavy classic dish.
Jersey milk ice cream sandwich, cappuccino, armagnac syrup ($17) was tasty though didn't like the alcohol they added. Think I gave them a foul look when I smelt what it was. Otherwise it was tasty enough... Abet a big of an expensive Icecream.
Overall, quite a good long lunch. Mum as usual complained about the price even after entertainment book discount but hey, gotta enjoy life once in a while especially on spoil your mum day.
Such a beautiful location! We had lunch there today. It was elegant and pleasant. The beef cheek.was melting in my mouth. Excellent service. Really enjoyed!
The food was a little hit and miss and the service was patchy. The beef fillet for main course (a special for the day - not sure if it's still being served) and the dessert were the best dishes of the night. We had to ask repeatedly for more water and the restaurant was relatively empty.
Currently the view is slightly obstructed by construction work on the ferry wharf. The bathrooms were freezing cold.
Definitely one of my favourite fine dining choices.
The worry with fine dining often that sometimes dishes are too experimental, looks better than it tastes, overpriced etc. but this place really delivers.
We ordered the special tasting plate, oysters, prawn and spanner crab entree. Mains: pork belly and ocean trout. Dessert: pineapple Eton mess and crime brûlée.
I highly recommend this place for any special occasion.
We took a cab to Sails (mainly because parking is difficult) and dined for lunch on a beautiful spring day. It is right near the ferry terminal and is overlooking the water with a stunning view of the Harbour. The food is fine dining and impeccably presented. The wait staff were lovely and friendly and make our lunch even more enjoyable. Thank you!
Life Of A Travel Czar
+4.5
Today I am heading to Sails Restaurant for lunch. It is such a well positioned restaurant with stunning views of Sydney Harbour, The Bridge and the Opera House. I walk into the restaurant and am greeted by this stunning view…. My table is situated with a stunning view, which simply leaves me in awe.
Been here afew times in the past but never really enjoyed it that much until this time.
We had the set menu which me and my girlfriends really enjoyed. The set menu is value for money for upper class dining experience. Very filling and good size portion.
I didn't give it a 5 star only because I really did not like the Sunday surcharge that we had to pay which was almost $100. I know that restaurants have to cover staff cost etc but i would rather it just be incorporated into the menu price instead of having it added to my bill.
Would recommend, but don't go on a Sunday.
Without a doubt an iconic restaurant in terms of amazing views of Sydney
Food - Menu is excellent and nice tight selections across entrees. mains and desserts. For those who need to try everything the Degustation Menu is pretty good.
Wine List - good range and probably $5 to $10 over priced per bottle but that's life! My only disappointment was asking for a 2014 Sav Blanc and they brought out a 2015 instead and of course it was dispatched back to the kitchen.
Service - pretty good service - meals delivered effectively and in good time in a busy restaurant. Our waiters - well they just didn't hit it off with us in terms of engaging conversation, probably miffed about the bottle of wine being returned but all in pretty good.
Would I go there again? Yes would I recommend? Yes
For people from outside of Sydney - this just be on the bucket list !
What an underrated/unspoken about restaurant in Sydney! A small and intimate fine dining experience with some of the best views in Sydney. Friendly and very professional staff who we’re still down to earth and willing to have a laugh. The only meal I could fault - the Oysters. I’ve had much better from restaurants of this level. Apart from the Oyster, every other meal was flawless. We had the pan fried prawns & morton bay bugs and a lobster special salad for entree, the Trout and Barramundi for main, a serving of chips (nothing special about the fries) and a cheese platter for dessert! Highly recommended. Looking forward to going back one day!
We had a degustation lunch here with a travelzoo voucher. I was always bit skeptical about voucher deals thinking the quality might be compromised. Not this time - the food looked amazing and tasted amazing; the view over the harbour was icing on the cake; and the services was good. It was such a good value for money and a really successful Sunday lunch.
A locals favourite... How ever their menu hasn't changed much over the years. If it did, I would probably visit more often given the amazing view
Their degustation is reasonably priced
Our company organized a function here. Fabulous view. Easy to park. Literally outside the gate on the street.
Beautiful restaurant, attentive service, very well prepared and presented food.
Recommend for your group event.
What a cosy and smart place with amazing views for an impromptu Lunch with my Wife. The Saturday lunch menu was a simplified one with three options for each course. We both chose differently and both were impressed with all our courses. Ocean Trout with curried cauliflower puree was my highlight.
I had my birthday dinner at over there. Very good location equips it with beautiful view of the opera and bridge. The ferry stop somehow spoils the view from the table against the window corner. Very good entree and basic main course. Very friendly and helpful waiter. I will give it a second try.
You couldn't ask for a better location for a long lunch on a sunny day. Set right on the harbour with stunning views of the bridge and opera house Sails is the perfect venue for any occasion. Brilliant wine list, delicious menu and friendly staff. The food service was a bit slow but totally worth the wait.
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Loved it! First time here. Wonderful location, great ambience and beautiful food. Service was faultless. Small and intimate, generally an older crowd which was nice for a change.
We have returned since it has had a refresh (closed) mid 2016 & it looks good! Lots of natural light with big harbour facing windows. The new McMahons Point Ferry has definitely knocked out the view dependent on what table you're at but it's still a beautiful view regardless.
Food was great as was the wine but service is a little bit too serious. Yes, it's a fine dining restaurant with a bill of $300+ for two of us but gone are the days where stuffy, reserved service was expected at such a place. Australians are very relaxed, easy going people with very open, welcome personalities. While the service wasn't bad, it didn't reflect what they 'should' be offering. It should've been refreshing. Customers like interaction, banter, a chat. This wasn't provided.
Overall a great place, just need to work on the social atmosphere.
Dissolve your taste buds into the delicate flavours of fresh seafood and tender duck meat. Caramelize into their desserts, especially their flaming creme brulee! Drizzle with a glass of wine to enjoy the perfect harbour view.
You cannot go wrong with cone bay barramundi, also full of flavour combined with the nuts is classical dish. The duck breast – YUM looked so good I didn’t want to eat it as it would ruin it's beauty.
The scallops are so tender and delicious with the slightly sour yoghurt and the sweet, creamy carrot and ginger puree. The prawns are fresh and plump it almost seemed like they are caught at the waterfront on the day.
The excellence in the food continued on to the pan-fried mulloway where two pieces sat upon creamed leek, some julienned preserved lemon zest and kipflers. My braised wagyu brisket sat as an 8cm tower of melt-in-the-mouth protein surrounded by beluga lentils, savoy cabbage and horseradish. Wowsers.
We were there with a group from work. We had the degustation menu. The only thing better than the food was the view. The service was attentive, yet unobtrusive. If you have a special occasion, this place is worth a look
Beautiful view with food to match!. The quality of food and service here is outstanding. The food cannot be faulted , nor the location, but the real stand out was our waitress. She was absolutely lovely and incredibly helpful with suggestions off the menu. Is quite expensive, but well worth it. Fine dining at its best!
Bfast - very reasonably priced. It feels a little bit special but is very reasonably priced. High quality location, service and food. I've been there for breakfast a few times, the last time we had a 3yro with old with us, that was not issue at all for the staff.
Finn & Filo Downunder
+4.5
Excellent food and good service. Doesn't look so fancy but the view is more than perfect!
Hefty prices supported by an amazing location, great food and good service. Prawn and crab entree carried a variety of texture and flavours and the slab of rib eye for mains justified the price. Portion sizes were excellent so no room for dessert. Shame to pass up the brûlée but perhaps next time. I expect the outlook would be grand at night but it would be hard to imagine it would surpass a clear sunny day such as we had - glorious. FYI free parking on the street of the restaurant.
Rodney - Villa D'Este
+4.5
Finally. Moved to Melbourne in the mid 80's but always in Sydney (family/work) and never got around to dining at Sails. Remember prior Sails the place was a "milk bar" with 2 german ladies who cooked up great schnitzels, late 70's. At the time I always thought what a great location to turn this into a proper eater but never did anything about it. Man in your 20's back then it was about sex, drugs & rock & roll. (wasted youth).
Well today I said to my 88yo mum lets go out for lunch and somehow Sails came to mind. Short notice but they have plenty of tables so off we went. The view, the veiw, only if Melbourne had this view it would be complete, Sydney would have to close down.
Dry aged Rib Eye did not come out on a bed of potato puree,caramalised onion as per the menu description, only the balsamic butter made it out. (Did get a nice bowl of hand cut chips). The Blue eye special with charred asparagus and other things was enjoyed by mum. She even joined me in for a glass of 2007 Soljans Estate Merlot Cabernet Malbec which was wonderful . Her Coconut Macaroon ice cream look good and by account delicious.
The view, the ferries, even the 269 bus made me remember what great place Sydney is (that is if you can see the harbour) and really made the lunch. Worth the visit.
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