Sluurpy > Restaurants in Mosman > Public Dining Room

Review Public Dining Room - Mosman

Andrea Ho
Lovely relaxed meal, everything was very tasty, the service was friendly, and luckily with good weather the view was amazing. We had the soft shell crab (you only get half a crab which is a little odd) braised pork belly, Barramundi, and sides of steamed greens (just enough for 2) and roast potatoes (Huge serving size! Enough for 4 people) everything was delicious. Overall quite expensive, but I guess you're paying for the view.
Lu Bi Huang
Attended a wedding reception here, lovely setting. Right by the water and had a jetty on its door steps Staff were attentive with drinks and kept us topped up with dribks. The food was delicious, every course of the meal looked and tasted great. Would love to visit again.
Pierre Wu
Been a while since my wife and I last dined at the venue. Service, food and atmosphere was as I had fondly remembered. We ordered a seafood themed menu consisting of soft shell carb, calamari, Alaskan crab spaghettini and fish and chips. Dessert was a great way to end the meal along with the surprise treat for our wedding anniversary! Well played team. Can’t wait to be back again
Nuntika Potts
My husband loved the lamb shoulder on our first visit so we returned again. However, the service on our return trip was a little off. Upon being seated, we weren’t given a menu and getting assistance from anyone was difficult. The food was great as usual though.
Jane Brew
A gorgeous venue for a special meal! A good tip is to eat here during daylight so you can soak up the beautiful beach views. Great food and very helpful, attentive (but not intrusive) staff. Can't wait to go back!
RIP Bob
Headline: A fine dining experience by the sea. Friendly staff, good food, a large wine selection. Some of the price goes to location so this is probably an upper mid tier restaurant. Note: at time of visiting there was some checking of vaccination status, though as the night went on this seemed to become more lax. Entrees: range of about 12 items, ranging from seafoods to vege and breads. Middles: range of salads and greens. Mains: mostly meat dishes including a sirloin, pork, or a lamb shoulder for two. Desserts: range of about 7 items all of which were delicious. Cocktails: we tried 3 or 4 of the cocktails and all were great. If you're looking for a strong choice for the area, public room is quite satisfactory. However there are better options for the same price, though this is in the middle upper tiers of dining.
Alex H
It’s such a disappointment to write this review. Had a fantastic experience 3 years ago; however the place has completely gone down since. In summary: Mediocre food, below average service, and a manager that took no responsibility or wanted to understand what went wrong - suggest book your next event at another local balmoral venue. Bread, oysters, cold and hot starters were brought at the same time - when we politely asked for the hot food to be taken away (so we could enjoy the cold starters without the hot food going cold) we were told the food would ‘dry up’ under the heated lamp… staff was shocked when we asked for it to be made fresh considering it’s a fine dining venue. Waitress was rude when bringing the hot food and saying “take two” before dropping the plates on the table and quickly leaving. Food was average at best, the spaghettini had no flavour other than a bunch of undercooked celery and the Eye fillet was overcooked. At this point we were frustrated with the service and quality of the food, when we gave the feedback to the manager he insisted the food was cooked properly and didn’t see what was wrong with the service… a free dessert is the only thing he could offer. We politely declined the disingenuous attempt to sweeten the experience, pointing out we are sharing our feedback to him so other patrons don’t walk out with a similar experience. At the end he insisted nothing was wrong.
Anonymous User
Gorgeous venue, right by the water with a lovely view. The beigy interior gave off a relaxed chill vibe. I absolutely loved the desserts. Highly recommend!
Nancy White
Delicious food with impeccable food. The menu and service never fails to surprise me. I really love the presentation of the food and delicious drinks
Marianna Tuccia
Public Dining Room is right on Balmoral Beach and serves the most exquisite seafood dishes in Sydney. The wait staff are knowledgeable and the service is faultless. We dined on a Monday night and the restaurant was almost full which speaks volumes. I can’t wait to return! #seafood #publicdiningroom #mosman #balmoralbeach
Paige MacKander
We chose this to celebrate our anniversary it was nice evening but spent more than planned. The service was a bit poor and we found the cocktail prices steep. $100 PP (2 drinks) with the Dimmi 50% July special
Xoxo.msjamie
Located on beach front and beautiful inside the restaurant too. We visited with the dimmi special which made our meal very reasonably priced. The scampi, liver parfait and steak were my favourite dishes of the night. Finished off with a perfect oozy and rich chocolate soufflé. Very enjoyable.
ChefsTable
The location and the interior is beautiful, but this restaurants food does not hold a similar standing.  Went here for dinner and also the menu selection looks great, the dishes were not great.  I had the Alaskan king crab pasta with chilli and all i could taste all night was garlic!!!  I had the rusty wire oysters for entree and they were nice, but i'd expect that for $5.50 each...  This used to be a destination restaurant but i was left disappointed...
Leon
Public Dining Room is a gorgeous seaside restaurant in Balmoral Beach which serves brunches on weekends and full service dining at other hours. The beautiful and elegant restaurant offers some majestic views of the beach and Sydney Harbour<br/><br/>The beachside restaurant is filled with boisterous laughters from families. I began my brunch with a flat white. The diluted flat white was served scalding hot and had a distinctive higher proportion of hot water than espresso and milk. <br/><br/>Their popular house cured smoked salmon was served potato rosti and poached eggs. While the long savoury strip of salmon was chewy and delectable, the potato rosti was charred and bitter.
Lily The Frugal Foodie
We came here as part of the Dimmi and Amex spend $50 get $20 back promotion. Prior to this, we have been to the restaurant for lunch and loved it. This time, we decided the promotion was an excellent opportunity to try out their breakfast menu. 2P non ticketed parking was relatively easy to find on a Sunday morning (we arrived around 9:30am).<br/><br/>We were seated by the window which had a nice view. The atmosphere is very pleasant and not too noisy despite a few tables near us with young children. The service was also very warm and attentive.<br/><br/>We ordered the full breakfast and the salmon with potato rosti. The food was pretty average but their coffee was nice. We would return for the experience, but perhaps for lunch rather than breakfast.
Missklicious
Summer came and went past in a blink of the eye but luckily, the warmer weather seems to be sticking around  for a while longer so there's still time to  enjoy the beach (if it  ever stops raining!). . Meanwhile, the rainy weather is the perfect time for me to get into some backlog blog posting. I've been meaning to post about this lovely lunch at Public Dining Room in Mosman for a while, after attending a lovely hen's lunch here late last year.
Kelly
We went for breakfast, beautiful, calm location. All seating had a view.<br/>I ordered the smashed avocado with semi-dried tomatoes which come out nicely presented, was a generous serving and really fresh. The next time we go back will be in a few weeks for a lunch.
ChocChip
Situated right next to the beach, the view as the sun is setting is the perfect backdrop to any occasion. The atmosphere is very relaxing and calm. The decor is modern and not too fancy. The menu is seafood orientated, with a few meat options to slightly balance it out. <br/><br/>We started with a dozen oysters. Half from the Pambula River and the other half from the Merimbula. They were both fresh, delicate and creamy, always an enjoyable start to any meal. Next we shared the crispy Coffin Bay calamari with aioli. A very lovely dish, tender calamari with a nice crispy coating. Dipped into the very flavoursome aioli, I was really enjoying my meal. For mains, we had the sous vide salmon and the fish stew with bread. They were nicely presented, but I felt were lacking a little oomph. They were nice, but not spectacular. We ended our meal with the passionfruit creme brulee, which I thought was really nice and not too sweet. It was light, full of summery flavours and refreshing with the yogurt sorbet.<br/><br/>Overall, food was good and better than I was expecting - as I thought it would be a classic case of location/ views over food quality. Definitely worth a visit. The only issue I did have during my dinner, was our waiter seemingly having a very bad day. She spilt wine onto the table, as she was pouring wine into our glasses and when she was clearing the table, she would drop the cutlery onto the floor. She also didn't seem interested in serving us and was not inviting at all. Prices are high, so I was expecting better service from their staff.
Jamie Lam
Professional and friendly service. Wonderful views and great food! Was there for breakfast and was surprised how friendly the staff were, really enjoyed the experience.
Mark Hewlett
A beautiful location. Stop.<br/>Over priced, extremely inattentive waiting team and below average food. I would have expected much more from this place and having been previously something has happened to drag down performance.<br/>King Fish carpaccio was the highlight of the night but it went downhill thereafter.
Feastwisely
Most tourists to Sydney make it to at least one of the city’s iconic stretches of sand and sea. At Bondi and Manly Beach they swim between the flags and snap selfies with postcard views. But very few make it to my local beach – Balmoral – even tough it’s only a few kilometres from the city. Balmoral Beach doesn’t boast the surf of Manly, nor the glamour of Bondi, but its natural beauty and peacefulness make it my secret Sydney spot. Here I’m covering my top pick for feasting at Balmoral Beach – Public Dining Room.
MSGCafeteria
In an effort to make the most of the 2015/16 Entertainment Book, I was invited to join a last-minute small group dinner at the Public Dining Room by Balmoral Beach (note: not to be confused with the similar-sounding suburb of Balmain, as Ivanhoe originally advised... lols...). Luckily, we were able to make a booking several hours prior to dinner...<br/><br/>Overall, the food was satisfying but it wasn't mind-blowing. I'm guessing the (high) price tag is more likely linked to the view/location available during the daytime. One issue I found in sitting in the outdoor balcony section of the restaurant was that noise had a tendency to echo - this was especially pronounced when a large dinner party slowly arrived part way into our meal and were chatting rather loudly nearby. Fortunately we were nearing the end of our meal, so it wasn't too bad and they could have the entire section to themselves after we left.
FoodlyDoodly
The Public Dining Room is very much a microcosm of Sydney. Facing directly onto the sand of Balmoral Beach and the blue of middle harbour. As locations go, particularly for anything celebratory, it’s pretty fantastic. It’s very much a put on your nice clothes, grab a glass of fizzy and sit back and congratulate yourself on your life choices sort of place. However, what is served on a plate doesn’t quite reach the same heights.
Jenleknguyen
I was so looking forward to dining at this restaurant after seeing pictures and good reviews. But what can i say, it was waste of time and money travelling all the way.<br/><br/>The food presentation was nothing like what they advertise on their website, nothing near as pretty. The kingfish i had tasted dried and tasteless as if it was prepared and refrigerated. All the other dishes were also a let down.<br/><br/>The service was not to standard and trust me i don't have that high expectations.<br/><br/>Besides the location and beautiful beach view there just was nothing else good to say.
Brutal_AF
one word. DISAPPOINTED<br/><br/>I had seen many reviews previously about this restaurant and was excited to dine here for valentines but after being seated I was sadly disappointed about everything.<br/><br/>Lucky I had a nice view, otherwise might have decided to change restaurant all up. The waitress who served us was so unenthusiastic and arrogant. There was no point saying my "thank you"'s to her or being polite, she was so just uninterested. She gave us the wine menu but because we couldn't make a quick enough decision, she commented "have u decided yet? I'll need that wine menu soon". If you don't have enough menus, that is not my problem. From being seated, we had less than 2minutes to make up our minds on what we wanted to drink.<br/><br/>We ordered pork belly starter and omg I have never been so disappointed in my life. It was worse than a cold McDonalds burger. $25 for a cube of fat, soft crackling, half a carrot or so and some purée. Was literally 80+% fat.<br/>I regret not taking a after picture of all the fat left over.<br/><br/>Mains were mediocre. The pasta tasted like the boiled water used to cook the seafood with butter added to it. Smelt nice but was so bland. Honestly, nothing special. My salmon was melt in the mouth like the menu says but again, I wouldn't say it was great.<br/><br/>Overall, I'm frustrated at the Public Dining Room. Feel like my night was ruined by this waitress and poor tasting food. Had such anticipation to dine here but now, I know not to come back here ever again.
Scott Lindsay
This place is Sydney. Sharp, casual, great fresh produce and easy service. Great for a gathering of friends on a sunny day winter or summer it's a winner.
Adam Smogurzewski
Formally watermark, this restaurant has a lovely open plan feel with a great out door terrace for weekend brunching which I prefer both for value for money and to enjoy the view and more relaxed environment <br/><br/>Follow up with a swim at beautiful balmoral beach <br/><br/>
Tom
Please don't waste your money; probably our worst restaurant experience yet.<br/><br/>Hosting 16 of our close family and friends for a Birthday lunch, we could not have been more disappointed.<br/><br/>We were lied to about availability of a private room and not seated in the area we had paid for; we were misled about the availability of canapés; we were invited to pre-select beers and wines, which in the end weren't available on the day; we were misled to believe we would have dedicated staff for our function, which we most certainly did not, but still made to pay a service charge; and despite stating dietary restrictions, had guests served meals garnished with nuts.<br/><br/>Public Dining Room has a beautiful outlook, but Nicole and the team let us down entirely when we placed our trust in them.<br/><br/>Poorly operated venue, who I feel ripped us off at every turn; negative and unhelpful staff; definitely better options available.
Life Of A Travel Czar
This dish is rich and full of flavours. The juicy tender beef is full of its natural flavours with a wonderful textural experience on the tongue. The bone marrow and garlic is transcendent and oozes rich oils and natural buttery texture. The mushrooms add some lovely earthiness to the dish to add depth, while there is a subtle bite from the horseradish to balance. The jus, the bone marrow and ancillary items on the plate are merely a supporting act to the beautiful work of art that is the Tasmanian beef. A thoroughly enjoyable affair indeed.
It's CAKe Time
The Top Line: Set in a perfect cosy beach cove with yachts and a jetty – location, tick. The food comes looking spectacular in presentation with the right flavours – food, tick. The bill comes.. and with a dimmi discount you’ll be cheering, but without it, the wallet might hurt a bit – price, expensive. With that in mind, the service, food and location is what you pay for and if you decide it’s worth it, the splurge will turn out to be a great experience.
Ausbeagle
Beautiful spot and decor with an appetising modern Australian menu. Sadly the service isn't attentive (except when it comes to pushing drinks onto you) and the meals don't quite hit the mark. Most meals were quite small and just not balanced. They also didn't bring a side we ordered, charged us for it, and then, when queried, had the audacity to ask if we were sure? Like on a $700 bill we were trying to cheek out of a $10 side. Very poorly handled. Wouldn't hurry back
TheBearReview
This place ticks all of the boxes for me. Where do I begin? You walk in, and it is so relaxed but beautiful. The building takes advantage of the stunning location it is on. Floor to ceiling glass allows to take in the beautiful beach and water. The decor is simple but elegant. I just love it. The menu is delightful, start with some oysters, and if you are hungry, a selection of 'snacks' aka small size entrees are a good option. There is also 7 or 8 entrees to chose from, most of which are seafood based. I had the kingfish carpaccio and it was fresh, well balanced and beautifully presented. The scallops were divine as well. The mains again are seafood predominate but there is chicken and steak to chose from as well. I opted for the seafood stew with mussels, clams, market fish (barramundi) and scampie. What a wonderful dish. It was flavoursome, the seafood was just cooked and served at the perfect temperature. Throughout the evening we were served by a lovely waiter. He was friendly, attentive (never did we have to ask for more water or when we just finished our glasses of wine, we were asked if we wanted another or something else), accommodating (my friend is gluten free). At one point we switched our entrees to try, and the waiter noticed and came over immediately to point out that the kingfish has a soy dressing on the side so that my friend can avoid it. We were so impressed!<br/>Overall a wonderful experience. 10/10 for the service, 8/10 for the food, 9/10 for the ambience. <br/>Come here for a date night, out with friends, expect great food but nothing overly imaginative. I hear the breakfast is fantastic too.
Comment Mike
Just having the luncheon special on a wet day. They sat us next to the windows which was kind. Service was attentive and professional. The $30 luncheon special was mostest in size but for a light lunch perfect and included a glass of fair quality wine. <br/>I had the salmon with was fresh and tasty and we ordered the side of Brussels sprouts which where grilled under a salamander and arrived delightfully crispy. Coffee was good for after so all in all a good lunch. Setting speaks for itself despite the weather. <br/><br/>A must for special occasions there were two 90 yo birthday and two 47 year anniversaries both couples same day same year !
Health Synergy
Delicious food, gorgeous view and friendly staff! For breakfast we recommend the smashed avo or the shakshuka and for dinner absolutely love the salmon sous vide and beetroot salad. Such a great choice for a special occasion!
Ootnat
Ordinary food, overpriced, no view at night. Not much else to say... Really. The waiter was nice but had to wait for table to be ready and the maitre de was rude and pompous.
Johncwt
Impromptu dinner on an unseasonably warm evening in April with my partner and our 8year old.<br/><br/>The service was professional, staff friendly and engaging. <br/><br/>I was surprised to see they had a children's menu - our son felt quite grown up as it was called a 'young adults menu'.<br/><br/>Food was well above average, the quality of the kitchen is reflected in the subtle blend of textures, flavour combinations and quality of produce.<br/><br/>The menu offers three different types of oysters - we chose a selection of all three, and the Tathra Sydney Rock Oysters were our favourites - small, round, intensely flavoursome.<br/><br/>The slow baked lamb shoulder served with jus, roasted vegetables and a mint pesto was well done, and an enormous portion with very soft fall of the bone rich texture.<br/><br/>Good as the first two courses were, I think they shine with desserts, cheese selection is a perfect blend of cheeses, my bombe Alaska ( contemporary take) with coconut flakes, mango sorbet, tiny stewed fruits and a marshmallow soft meringue with a slightly caramelised toasted presentation was sublime.<br/><br/>Our son had sausages (pork/veal chipolata with mash, and a vanilla ice cream with honeycomb and caramel sauce.<br/><br/>Pricing was reasonable, and appropriate. The views are some of the best in Sydney, particularly with an electric storm providing a wonderful natural theatre over the ocean.
Charmaine Ng
Public Dining Room is one of my favourite restaurant in Sydney; many of my friends have tied the knot in this elegant, airy space overlooking Balmoral Beach! A delicious, contemporary menu, the food is consistent and beautifully executed. Public Dining Room is the perfect dining destination for casual, unpretentious fine dining! Paying homage to the history of the space, the name of the restaurant harks back to the public baths since the late 1800s! I love their Scandinavian-inspired decor, a bright interior of warm woods and Eames dining chairs. The friendly team at Public Dining Room is highly professional & knowledgeable about food – if unsure, get them to recommend wine pairings or the difference between the many oysters! Seared scallops, crisp jamon, serrano, pea puree, goats curd, black pepper caramel Sweet “Rusty wire” oyster
Simon Walker
Wonderful food, great location, amazing staff. We came here for an evening meal to celebrate my wife's birthday. We booked at 6.15pm as we have two young children. <br/><br/>Walking in, we were concerned that the beautiful dining room may be a little formal for our 3 and 6 year olds. We were wrong, the waiter made us all instantly feel at ease, building rapport with my boisterous younger daughter. <br/><br/>We ordered oysters, starters and mains. The wines by the glass were diverse and well priced. I tasted four different wines and all were superb<br/><br/>The food was perfectly cooked, the dishes were perfectly balanced and the service continued to be excellent.<br/><br/>We had a lovely evening. My wife and I will definitely be back for a more lengthy evening and we are very keen to take the kids again for early supper/lunch at the beach.<br/><br/>The kids menu is called 'young adults' which I thought was pitched perfectly. Kids are welcome and afforded respect but I wouldn't take my children here if they want to career around the dining room! Ours relished being treated as diners and responded accordingly.<br/><br/>Thanks Public Dining Room!
Le Chef Phillipe
As you enter Public Dining Room, it’s hard not to let your mind go for a wander as the prime view over Balmoral Beach leads you into day dream. The food celebrates the setting with a seafood leaning menu with some Mediterranean flair on the edges. Citrus cured ocean trout and the wild kingfish carpaccio were light, fresh but a little fussy.
Janlifestyle
Beautiful restaurant by the waters. Great for gatherings/ catch - up/ family time... -- The Food -- Chargrilled chicken breast, honey balsamic glazed radicchio Fairly tasty and not too dry. Fairly moist chicken breast. It is quite hard to make chicken breast tender and moist. The sauce adds flavour to the chicken 6 hour roasted lamb shoulder Average tasting. I've had better roasted lamb shoulder, which literally melts in your mouth. The lamb shoulder here is slightly too dry.  Brodetto - Italian Seafood Soup Mmmmm this was quite yummy. All the flavours of the sea in a bowl of soup. The bruschetta absorbs all the flavours of the soup... mmmm-MMMMm Fried Whitebait with aioli and lemon wedge Crispy and tasted when dipped in aioli sauce. I wish they were more generous with the aioli sauce! Also, would have been nice if they didn't reuse the oil. Look at the brown colour of the whitebait. Overall, the environment was beautiful, service was average, food was slow to come, food was average-go
Feastwisely
Public Dining Room is a top pick for water view dining on the Lower North Shore. The restaurant is in a beautiful location – on The Esplanade overlooking Balmoral beach. Here you can enjoy casual fine food just a few steps away from dedicated Balmoral swimmers. Balmoral Beach. Water views along The Esplanade. The restaurant’s name is linked to the historic nature of the site – which housed Public Baths as early as the 1890s. Today the space is minimalist, with a Scandinavian feel that showcases raw and natural materials. Visit for a casual lazy long lunch or a special dinner. At either time you’ll see smartly dressed couples sharing a celebratory meal, local parents dining with their young children and overseas visitors admiring the view. Now onto the menu. Since its opening in 2009 Public Dining Room continues to embrace local fresh produce – they are proud to source from small local farmers across Australia. And they’re not afraid to adjust the menu with the seasons. Regulars don’t n
GiGi MV
This post contains only photos.
Heatherhong85
I had a horrific mother’s day. Not thataTo make up for it, I thought I’d treat mum (… and myself) to a belated mother’s day lunch at the Public Dining Room. I have a big soft spot for Balmoral – being the closest beach to anywhere I’ve ever lived, I grew up having family picnics there. It’s a favourite date spot – lots of memories sharing mussels and pizza at Bather’s Pavilion (cafe) and almost making the walk of shame out of Bather’s Pavilion (restaurant) after we sat down and realised the menu was a lot more expensive than we expected. Matt and I even took our wedding photos on the esplanade. I for any reason deserve a nice mother’s day – I’m not a mother, not even a pet owner. But I had a horrible Sunday May 12, which also happened to be mother’s day. Work blew up out of nowhere so it wiped out my entire weekend, including mother’s day dinner. In the words of Mrs Choi, I “ruined mother’s day”. Thanks mum. We had originally planned a hot pot dinner, but had to can it. Mum ended up ea
Love Fooding Around
It becomes a special occasion when Public Dining Room offers 50% off on food at the end of your meal. We did it last year and no doubt when Dimmi sent me an email with their weekly specials and Public Dining Room was listed, we knew there was no other option but to make reservations and eat our hearts out. But of course with such an epic deal, it never comes easy.  In order to claim the offer, you need to book via Dimmi or Urbanspoon but for days it told me my chosen date (the offer was limited to Monday, Tuesday or Thursday, before a certain date) was fully booked, which I of course did not believe. So I refreshed it constantly, tried during different times of the day and finally, one day opened up and I booked immediately. I tried to see if any other days were free but nothing. And soon after there were no bookings for any day yet again. It's quite a mystery but was it all worth it? Candied walnuts, murray river pink salt, $8.00 We decided to go all out and order some snacks to start so we could nibble while we deliberated on the food for the rest of the evening. The  candied walnuts  are crisp and crunchy, possibly because the nuts were first roasted the sugar syrup may have hardened further. It has the right balance of sweetness from the candy coating and the sprinkling of the  Murray River pink salt , making them moreish. Marinated sa olives $9.00 I did my best to try a couple of these  marinated SA olives , as I always give olives a go hoping one day I'll like them. Unfortunately, this was not that day. However my partner did compliment them as they aren't too salty with just enough  rosemary  flavour coming through, as well as the sweet olive oil coating the skin. The waitress kindly came over to our table with a plate of warm slices of bread, which looks like rye sourdough though she didn't announce it. It's soft, not too sour and the butter on the table glides on smoothly. Wild king fish carpaccio, chilli, capers, soy reduction, pomelo, sorrel, wasabi oil,
Confessions Of A Glutton
The scallops were wonderfully tender, the cauliflower puree creamy as a dream and well-seasoned (not bland in the slightest), and the pancetta so crisp it broke into shards upon slight contact!
Thefoodantiblog
This winter menu thing is recommended, an entrée for each person off a reduced list of entrées plus a share plate as the main for 2. Basically it works out to be a free entrée.
Permanently Out To Lunch
The furniture follows suit with the chairs heavily influenced by the modernity of the late 1950’s. The result is a classy yet casual atmosphere that bodes well for the surrounds of beautiful Balmoral
Petit Fours
Still, with the limited transport to the area it would be hard to draw me from my hibernation in winter - save for that flipping amazing salmon, oysters and great dessert selection, I just might make that trek again.
Excuse Me Waiter
Balmoral Beach is pretty as a picture when the sun is shining in Sydney and what better way to enjoy the view than at the sleek Public Dining Room, a more upmarket option for brunch... It’s easy to see why the Public Dining Room is so popular, with the stunning views of Balmoral Beach providing the perfect backdrop for a lazy (but still classy) weekend brunch. The breakfast menu has quite a few classics on it, with a few trendier items (like the Shakshuka) thrown into the mix too.
No Expert
It was with great anticipation that we headed down to The Public Dining Room at Balmoral beach . The dining room is beautifully located, with views of the Ocean and Balmoral Pier. It's modern glass fronted look, maximises the ocean views. To add to our anticipation, the occasion that took us there was a food and wine tasting diner organised by Henshke Wines to promote their Lenswood range of wines. It's no secret that Henschke are one of my favourite Vineyards, and to this day, I find it extremely difficult to find fault with any wine that they produce.
Food Booze Shoes
Public Dining Room occupies an expansive, light-filled space looking out to the water. Nearby parking isn't fun but the natural, Scandinavian-look fitout makes for a perfect beachside haven and builds on the menu's fine yet casual approach. Fried whitebait, aioli, lemon As is the desire for waterfront dining, there's a strong seafood presence on the menu with heavy hints of the Mediterranean, particularly Italian cuisine. We started with an Aussie sauvignon blanc that tasted a little too young and acidic, although this was placated by the pretty display of lightly fried whole whitebai
Lutonone
Modern dining as it should be. The PDR has a great location, which it backs up with (mostly) very good service and an excellent menu.<br/><br/>The staff are welcoming and the service good, apart from the odd lapse when we had to catch their attention.<br/><br/>The menu has a good range, and everything we ordered was first class.<br/><br/>Prices aren't exactly cheap, but are not unreasonable for the location and the standard of presentation.<br/><br/>A later visit (Nov 2019) was less favourable. The food was good, the service mostly OK, but pricing is now very high, particularly for drinks. The difference was huge; it seemed as if management had now decided to go for profit over customer consideration.
Peita.ward1
Lunch at Public Dining Room. This really is a spectacular place to lunch, beautiful view, relaxed airy space and food is consistently good. We dined on moist scallops with a slightly sweet corn purée and spicy chorizo, superb. These were followed by melt in the mouth Tasmanian Salmon with a splash bright green watercress sauce with a hint of horseradish foam accompanied by asparagus and kipfler potatoes. My partner chose crispy skinned Cone Bay Barramundi which was also superb. The service however did not live up to the rest of the experience. Although staff were friendly I found service a little slow and generally disorganised. Just a slight sour note in a wonderful afternoon.
Loseitall1
Unfriendly Staff. Otherwise okay.
Ajm
Not a good experience at all. I have been here several times before, and always enjoyed it. With the same group, we ventured in last week, but doubt we will return again. The service was slow, it took an hour for our meals to arrive. When asked, we were told that they were busy, although looking around it was not full. When the food arrived, it was not hot, warm at a pinch. We ordered coffee, but it took half an hour to arrive, the desserts were there sooner, and they were tasty, but I still doubt we will return. Staff were not polite at all. Very disappointing after great meals over the years.
Ziggy
Been here 4 times for various meals. Food is solid but pricey and service is slow and offhand. Location is beautiful though. I wouldn't return if I had a preference
Pete_40423
Went there with a 50% off food mid week deal. very good food, very good value with voucher. This is my second visit. Good views, Good food.
Johncandi7
What a view!!. Recommend this restaurant greatly! Stunning location with great food and service. Bread is to die for and dont be shy to order seconds!
Charde
Absolutely beautiful location and decor. I have had both lunch and breakfast and would have to say I prefer the breakfast. But beautiful fresh food and interesting flavours.
Syd Sider
Absolutely Fantastic. Could not recommend this place more highly - the service is just outstanding, the food fresh and flavoursome and the views are some of the best you can get by the water. You simply MUST try a meal at Public Dining Room.
HP
ALWAYS SATISFIES. We go to this restaurant on a semi regular basis and find the food is always great, the service friendly and unobtrusive with a great wine list. The location makes it a real treat. Highly recommended.
Paul Mayson
Mixed experiences. We were turned away at 10:30am on a gorgeous Sydney winter's Saturday morning, despite a plethora of available tables and staff, on the basis that "the kitchen was closed" - notwithstanding that the restaurant's website and phone message say that it is open from 8am. Misleading consumer behaviour? Or blatant prejudice?<br/><br/>..........<br/><br/>We gave this establishment another chance for breakfast, and had a far more pleasant experience. The service was good - slightly distant, bordering on pretentious to us, but decent nonetheless and perfectly acceptable to other tables. The food was excellent - a very inventive and eclectic breakfast menu - one of the best in Sydney. And the ambience and outlook onto Balmoral beach is sublime.
Ana Mardoquio
Its hard not to like it.. Early breakfast and on a crystal clear morning and it was indulgence plus. Coffee is spectacular, freshly squeezed juices, big all sorts and Spanish breakfast had us reeling with gastronomic pleasure. You just cant beat that view and the professional yet warm service just makes me do the two thumbs up.<br/>Dinner there was a slight hit and miss, seared scallops were memorable and again the service was spot on again but my companion was not happy with his dish. I quite liked by seafood and the polenta chips were a novelty so still a win for me.
Maho Koh
Restaurant Public Dining Room. 7/10 Balmoral The flat white i bought from Billys cafe before i got here was really nice and creamy ;) So this place, scores 6 points just for the atmosphere. It is surrounded by glass so you get a full view of the Balmoral beach, and since we had lunch with friends and the weather was sunny, it was really beautiful. As for the food i got oxtail papardelle but it was really really heavy. just two bites were yum, but after that it bacame too heavy. All the salads were okay though. Recommend to share between two as entree. If you want a nice lunch on a bit pricey side, u shud visit this restaurant. Balmoral is a gorgeous calm beach. So peaceful that there are many children out to play, dogs on happy walks.
Anva
Good View. The Crowd arrived at staggered times which did not phase the staff as they seemed oblivious to our presence for large portions of the night. Watching the dusk change to night over the water was spectacular. No explanation of the difference between small plates and entrees. Small plate included prosciutto with parmesan. Same size as and in one case larger than the ordered entrees.Entrees included kingfish carpaccio and zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta parmesan served with smoked eggplant puree (good idea but execution a bit bland). Mains included bouillabaise (enjoyed), the obligatory panfried fish with something (healthy option) and pork belly with pear puree and pear (Crispy skin so hard unable to cut with a knife and One of The Crowd had to resort to picking up with fingers). Dessert included apple and rhubarb (again, why bother) crumble which was a hit with The Crowd and rosewater meringue with fresh berries and vanilla icecream (another fave). Enjoyable night, a cut above the usual local restaurant though I think they were aiming for something more. Parking sweet midweek.
Alexis Bartlett
Good Food, Bad Service. My husband and I just went here for dinner, and although the food was generally OK, the service was pretty bad. It took about 20-25 minutes for us to get oysters, and the staff weren't very friendly. Either that or they were seriously understaffed for the amount of V-day bookings they had.<br/><br/>The food was pretty nice. PRETTY nice. Not amazing. Although the beef for my main course was lovely, raw egg on top of spaghetti just isn't particularly appetising. And although apple and mango make great sorbet flavours, grapefruit does NOT.<br/><br/>All in all, it was a nice V-day dinner with a lovely view, but I'm not sure I'll go back. I'd prefer Bathers' Pavilion down the other end of the Esplanade.
Arancini Baccala Baguette Beef Beef Cheeks Bouillabaisse Burger Cakes Calamares Calamari Cannoli Carbonara Cheesecake Cheesecakes Chili Chocolate mousse Clams Cod Couscous Crab Crepes Croque Monsieur Cupcakes Curry Duck Eggplant Eggs Benedict Fish Fish & Chips Focaccia Galettes Garlic Prawns Gelato Halloumi Ice Cream Juice & Smoothies Kabobs Laksa Lamb Shoulder Macarons Macaroons Meatballs Meringue Mussels Noodle Octopus Omelette Oyster Paella Pancakes Pasta Porterhouse Steak Prawns Prosciutto Quail Quiche Ribs Risotto Salad Salmon Sandwiches Scallops Schnitzel Seafood Paella Seafood Platters Souvlaki Suckling Pig Tacos Tapas Tempura Tiramisu Toasts Torte Tuna Waffles & Crepes Wings
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