Review Isabella’s Spot - Randwick

This is a popular local cafe/restaurant that has been here for years, located next to the cinema in the Spot, Randwick. On the menu you find some classic Italian dishes, pizzas and pasta and some more Australian meals. The restaurant looked understaffed but the service was surprisingly good and quick 👍. Also the food is good value for money and has been consistently good over the years. This place is also a good option for pre/post movie coffee and drinks as the cinema is right next door. If you live nearby walk to The Spot or catch public transport as parking can be a challenge to find. This is the right place for a quick meal as they do breakfast, lunch and dinner. We will definitely come back here for one of them.

Super disappointed in this spot that always seems to be crowded. Food sat for a long time after people left the restaurant before tables were cleaned up. Our chai lattes were flavorless. The French toast was inedible - stale bread. Bacon and sausage seemed undercooked. Unfortunately we won't be returning.

I ordered thru uber eats,Garlic bread have toasted edges cant even get a decent bite out of it ,the fisherman's basket its either the fish or the batter were off, got the first bite and there's a smell that tells you that something is off. Chips were soggy but totally understandable. The only thing normal was the scallop salad, i understand that its peak time and its saturday night, but the garlic bread and battered fish were so dissapointing

Isabella's has been a long standing institution at The Spot in Randwick & they now have 2 "spots" here. The menu is extensive with an Italo-Anglo offering ranging from pizzas & pastas to grills of steak, chicken & seafood. Nothing is kver $15.50 and portions are very generous so it is amazing value for money. The ambience is warm & the staff friendly ans attentive. The food are no nonsense in presentation or cooking method and are tasty. The pasta was very tasty & filling being a huge plate. The schnitzel had a beautiful golden, crunchy crumb & the meat still juicy. Grilled seafood was lovely & light & cooked well as was the steak. Overall, a very enjoyable evening in a nice atmosphere with good food & service that doesn't hurt your pocket too much.

We’ve eaten here before, so we knew what to expect and were not disappointed. This place is cheap as chips. The menu is simple, straightforward and unpretentious, with food types grouped together under one price heading eg pastas $13, pizzas $12, steaks $15, seafood dishes $16 etc. What a pleasure, when even a humble cup of coffee these days, can set you back $5. And it’s not as though they sacrifice on quality or quantity. Six of us dined on a warm Sat night in early Jan and we had a selection of dishes including prawns, pastas, meat and vegetarian and it was all first class: fresh and tasty and nicely served in decent portions. My spag with meatballs was a winner: the meat was firm and well cooked, like the pasta, and smothered in a delicious, tomato-based sauce. We also shared two salads: the insalata ($12) and the Greek ($14). They were wholesome and nutritious. Service is polite and efficient. There were four young Asian ladies on duty the night we dined. They don’t wear uniforms, but they are neatly turned out, and did their best to ensure that everything ran smoothly - which it did. Our order was speedily taken and drinks and food came out quickly and in the correct order, with no long wait between courses. Full marks to them for coping so well on a busy night. The ambience here is bright, airy and cheerful. We sat downstairs just under the staircase - which does present a bit of a head-bumping hazard if one doesn’t watch out - but once settled in, we were quite comfy. Being a Sat night at the height of the holiday season, there was hardly an empty table in the house, but luckily we had taken the precaution of booking ahead. My main complaint about this place though, is the poor state of the toilets. They are dirty, dank and unappetising, and require you to walk through the bowels of the place downstairs to get to them. There is one male cubicle and two female ones. The door to the male cubicle can’t be closed properly, as it no longer aligns with the frame, so expect to be disturbed. The floor was wet and there was a large dustbin overflowing with discarded hand towels (looked like it hadn’t been emptied for days) placed right in front of the urinal, which had a crumbled sign which I think said that it was out of order. But having a toilet and a urinal in the same cubicle just doesn’t make sense to me anyway. There was at least soap and hand towels. The ladies in our party preferred to walk around the corner to the Ritz Cinema to use the toilets there. Unfortunately I find this lack of attention to toilet maintenance and cleanliness, a bit of a turn-off and we’re unlikely to return, despite everything else being favourable. For the record, we paid a modest $130 for six of us and that included two beers, two salads and six mains and corkage for a single bottle of wine. Can’t complain about that.

The size of the dishes where plentiful and also the prices are really resonable, if you are looking for a budget meal this is the right place. the stakes where cooked as requested and also the side dish. We really enjoyed eating in this place and we definitely come back They could improve the waitress but overall it's a good place for quality and price.

Good food and nice drinks.

My younger son took me here on April 28, 2018. We order chicken pasta and Fisherman basket. Both were delicious and we got value for money!

Burgers, Crepes, Slab Cakes and chimney donuts are the standouts in this little intersection of cafes near the Ritz.   The family vibe behind the counter lures us in since its a family catchup.   $9-$18 for dishes with juices and coffee makes for a great value proposition as its very likely one of us may need more than one meal!

We visited on the 26/7/2019 & was extremely dissatisfied. We had rang two days prior to book a table for eight people, when we arrived the table had to be arranged as it was not even setup. Just before or meals were delivered which we had ordered an hour prior we were told there was no mashed potatoes that they could only serve them with chips. Not happy. It wasn’t as though they were run off their feet as there were only four other customers. Will not be returning in a hurry 😖

Was immediately drawn in by the cheap prices. Service was very average, food was nice but came out questionably quick. Unfortunately, after having the chicken parmigiana i found myself very sick later that night 😷. My partner who got the carbonara was fine. Needless to say we haven’t been back.

Been there twice. First time, ordered avocado and eggs on toast, you get what you pay for $8. A bit tasteless and put in separate portions and together did not taste that great. Second time, ordered a coffee and gelato drink with soy milk. Gelato had bits of ice and peanut? Flavour. I didn't know what it was tbh. Overall food is worth it for price, dont get the drink.

Ugh!! I am so confused. The food prices are so amazing and reeled me in for a second time. <br/><br/>😒I ordered poached egg with toast, bacon, avocado and ricotta. All which I love! However, I didn’t get sourdough and it seems like it was toasted for about 5 seconds. The egg was hard ( so if it’s not runny it’s not poached is that too hard ). The segments were individual and I found it really hard to eat because nothing matched flavour wise. I know I ordered it but I expected it to be different- perhaps avocado mashed with the eggs on top with bacon. <br/>It was really bad and I couldn’t eat it.<br/>We ordered a pancake and i seriously don’t know how someone can make a pancake taste bad.<br/><br/>❤️HOWEVER the juices are AMAZING and so fresh and 4.50$ 😵 the prices and the extensive range of their drinks is the only thing that would make me go back (definitely wouldn’t order food).<br/><br/>😒Customer service wise... annoying. We just sat down and asked if we wanted to order. That’s not too bad except in five minutes or less I was asked 4 times ... I am not a decisive person and that was extremely annoying.<br/><br/>❤️Good location especially for the movies

Went here for breakfast with my partner on Good Friday. It was busy and cheap so it thought it must be good, right? No. It was busy because it was cheap. <br/><br/>I ordered the bacon Benedict. The bread was the crispiest thing in existence. The poached eggs were past poached, approaching hard boiled territory, the bacon was very crispy (which I actually liked, but not how it should have been) and the hollandaise was, not hollandaise. <br/><br/>My partner opted for the big breakfast, I think it’s called, and everything on his plate was burnt. Not just slightly crispy... burnt. We both ordered extra black pudding and this too was burnt. <br/><br/>Service wasn’t great. His food came about 5 mins before mine, my juice came 5 mins before his tea (how?) and they tried to charge us $20 for the black pudding instead of $7. <br/><br/>Horrifying. <br/><br/>Also they seem to have a fly problem.

Great little cafe for a cheap meal. $8 menu available but the rest of the menu is also fairly cheap. Great selection of food to choose from. I chose the salmon benedict for a quick breakfast option. Coffee was also great! Wait staff were friendly and helpful. Food cake put very quickly so not a long waiting time after you’ve ordered. My food came out before my coffee did interestingly enough. Good option for a cheap meal and bang for your buck!

Went here for dinner. Food was not amazing but cheap, so you get what you pay for. Service was pretty bad and staff inattentive. We asked for small plates for the table as we were sharing garlic bread, the plates never came.

Is there a Zero Rating?<br/><br/>I can't describe how frustrated I was after my dining experience here.<br/>My wife and I visit 'The Spot' a few times a month but decided not to dine at our usual restaurant however instead at Isabelle's Spot restaurant. What a mistake this choice was.<br/><br/>SERVICE:<br/>Once we were seated, we were given 2 menu's and there were 3 of us. The restaurant was empty however, it was ok, my wife and I shared our menu. Then when we were ready to order, one of the waiters was standing behind me LITERALLY. She was cleaning the table behind us. I said excuse me so she could turn around so I can ask her when ever she is ready, we are ready.... she didn't turn around. I said it again and nothing happened. Now due to religious purposes, the waiter was wearing a headscarf which perhaps this could be the reason that she did not hear me... even though she was standing behind me. My wife yelled 'excuse me' so loud that the patrons sitting next to us actually jumped and laughed that we had to yell. The waiter ignored us and then we waived at (i think) the manager and she came down to take our order.<br/><br/>About 20 seconds after the food came, the staff stood next to me to talk to another waiter across the restaurant which added even more aggravation to the already disgraceful service received. Then when she was ready she put the bill on our table. <br/>In my opinion even though you are closing down, you should allow your diners to have a great experience at your restaurant, not show them bad service and then tell them to hurry up eat and get out. I used to work at a fast food restaurant during high school and my boss used to tell us we will always start cleaning once the last diner leaves the restaurant.<br/><br/>FOOD:<br/>Disgusting is a harsh word however unfortunately I cannot find another word to use... perhaps revolting.<br/>I ordered a seafood dish and the meal was absolutely oily. There was more batter around the prawns then prawns itself. You will see from the pics that I did not eat the batter and not even finish the meals. My wife ordered a pizza which she also left two slices. This pizza was supposed to be shared for the table, however when it came out..... well this restaurant has created a new size, it is called miniature. The other member of the group ordered fisherman's basket. He experienced the same thing whereby the food was all oily.<br/>with our meals there was hot chips. As a restaurant you would expect they would pre-cut potato's, not at this restaurant... at this restaurant they buy packets from Coles or Woolworths and just fry them.<br/><br/>We were getting looks from some of the waiters to hurry up and finish... as they were mopping...while we were eating which is very unhygienic. The service was so rude that the waiter walked up to the table next us and asked the ladies if they are ready to pay... they hadn't even finished their glass of wine.<br/>After the bad meal and terrible service, i just wanted to get out so I got up to pay the bill. The floor was so slippery that I literally was sliding. From the seating area to the cashier, it is a slight ramp with no steps.<br/><br/>People dine at restaurants for the experience and atmosphere. This restaurant has encouraged me to save my money and just cook at home.

More focus on quantity rather then quality. But exceptional value. Generous portions for $10.50, with plenty of chicken and mushrooms. If you were to buy pasta, a decent bottled sauce, chicken and veggies from a supermarket you would almost be at this price; and it tasted about the same. Would recommend for a quick dinner, beats take away, you won't be hungry, but it is not fine dinning or quality traditional Italian.

Cheap and cheerful brekkie and ok coffee. Nothing special but it is exceptionally good value. Comfy seats and lovely staff too. Have had lunch once - again was pretty average.

Absolutely appalling service and quality of food. Our party attended Isabella's for my fathers birthday. We all ordered mains at the same time. As all the mains arrived to the table, the waitress came to tell me that my main, the lamb cutlets had run out. I was surprised to hear this however opted for a different dish altogether. About 15 minutes later, the waitress came out to tell me that in fact they did have the lamb cutlets and so it was decided that I'd have that instead. A further 15 minutes later, the waitress brought out the steak. After informing them that the cutlets should arrive, the waitress then came out and apologised and said they actually did not have the cutlets. I could not believe this comedy of errors. By this point, most of the party had finished their meal. The manager then came out and apologised for the mix up and that they would not charge for my meal. They then brought out the steak. The steak wasn't even cooked properly and it was stone cold. The meat was bleeding all over the plate, which is an absolute nightmare for someone who prefers their meat cooked medium to well. I was appalled at this service. <br/>After discussing the quality of food with the other members of the party, we realised that the overall service and quality of food for ALL meals was disgraceful. Three party members ordered the "paella" which was nothing more than boiled rice with some cooked calamari on top. The pasta my fiancé ordered was not cooked fresh - the sauce clearly came out of a can. The only two meals that tasted reasonably well were the two fish and chips. <br/><br/>Absolutely appalling service and quality of food. I would not recommend this place to anyone, even if it were the last restaurant on earth! If I could give this review zero out of ten, I would!

Me and a friend ordered the pizza.  There was too much tomato paste and orange oil came out of the pizza, totally horrible. It also had no taste. We also ordered other items which were average. Would never go again.

Isabella's has been a long standing institution at The Spot in Randwick & they now have 2 "spots" here. The menu is extensive with an Italo-Anglo offering ranging from pizzas & pastas to grills of steak, chicken & seafood. Nothing is kver $15.50 and portions are very generous so it is amazing value for money. The ambience is warm & the staff friendly ans attentive. The food are no nonsense in presentation or cooking method and are tasty. The pasta was very tasty & filling being a huge plate. The schnitzel had a beautiful golden, crunchy crumb & the meat still juicy. Grilled seafood was lovely & light & cooked well as was the steak. Overall, a very enjoyable evening in a nice atmosphere with good food & service that doesn't hurt your pocket too much.

I have ordered twice from here. First time the order I placed was not available, I thought ok they were busy & chose something different. The food went in the bin. I thought I would give them another chance.....big mistake. Chips missing, food cold.<br/>It will be a long time before I think of trying ( maybe) again.

Definitely a value for your money place. Food was so-so. Not exciting, but fine. And the prices are cheap. You get what you pay for. Ordered the pizza. It was fine for A$12. Would not have been happy if it had been A$20.

FOOD TYPE <br/>Italian or Modern Australian with pastas, meat and fish dishes, and a small selection of pizzas and desserts.<br/><br/>FOOD QUALITY<br/><br/>Seven of us dined here midweek on the Australia Day holiday in Jan. We started with two refreshing salads: the scallop and the garden. Both were decent size, with a nice assortment of freshly cut, nutritious ingredients, like tomato, lettuce and onion. The scallops were an interesting addition to one of them. For mains we ordered a selection of dishes including steaks, salmon, barramundi and garlic prawns. I ordered the flame grilled mushroom and thyme steak (only $15) which comes with mashed potato, glazed carrots, sauteed green vegetables and mushroom sauce. It was well cooked just the way I like it but they still managed to keep it tender and brimming with taste and flavour. It was a delicious piece of meat, not overly large, just the right size and perfectly complemented with the fresh vegetables,creamy mash and smooth mushroom sauce. My dining companions were similarly impressed with their food. My wife especially enjoyed her succulent and fresh garlic prawns served with rice and salad. Presentation was simple but neat on classic white crockery. By the time we got to dessert, it was nearly closing time, and all that was left was the bread and butter pudding with ice cream, so we just shared one serve of that. Like everything else, it was lovingly prepared with care and attention to detail. The pud was firm but soft and moist and smothered in a syrupy, sweet butterscotch sauce. Yum. No trouble polishing that off between three of us.<br/><br/>ATMOSPHERE <br/>There are three choices for seating: outside, downstairs inside or upstairs inside. As there were seven of us, we decided to go upstairs. Normally I wouldn’t choose to sit here as it lacks the atmosphere, the vibe and the outlook you get from downstairs, but since we had a fairly large party, and the rest of the place is small and quite cramped, upstairs it had to be. I’m assuming though that upstairs generally isn’t well patronised and used mainly for “overflow” on busy nights, because we were the only people there. But being seven of us, we made our own atmosphere. The space itself is quite airy and light. It’s been tastefully decorated in red, brown and white colours with lots of floral displays and mod artworks on the wall, giving it a bright and cheery ambience. So despite my trepidation we were quite happy up there. The rest of the place downstairs and outside was fairly full, with a fun and energetic vibe. Doors are flung wide open to the street creating a alfresco, breezy and relaxed feel. Next time, I’d sit downstairs and enjoy watching the passing parade. <br/><br/>SERVICE <br/>Even though we were upstairs and away from the hustle and bustle of the main action, there was no compromise on the service. Our pretty, young waitresses (and there were quite a few of them) were all attentive, helpful and patient (which they needed to be with seven indecisive people, half of whom came late). Our booked table was ready and waiting for us. Orders were quickly taken as soon as everyone was there and the food came out without delay and in the correct order. These guys are clearly well trained in customer service and they didn’t miss a beat, despite it being a fairly busy eve on a pub holiday.<br/><br/>COMFORT <br/>As we were the only ones upstairs we were able to spread ourselves out over a few tables, so there was plenty of space to fit everything. The air con kept the place nice and cool although the ladies complained - as they do - that it was too cold, but the helpful maitre d was quick to come to our help and turn it up. Chairs are standard wooden ones, firm, but a tad hard.<br/><br/>MENU <br/>I just love the menu here. It’s simple and clearly laid out on coloured sheets enclosed in plastic laminate. Dishes are grouped together according to type i.e.pastas, pizzas, chicken, seafood etc and mostly it’s just one price per type, pizzas $12, veal dishes $15, pastas $14, steaks $15, seafood $16, chicken $15 etc. Makes choosing easy.<br/><br/>TOILETS <br/>Toilets are downstairs, past the kitchen and the waste and storage areas. And to match their location, they’re not the most appetising, with an uneven floor and a chipped door. There are separate male and female ones. The male toilet is oddly configured with a urinal and a toilet in the same cubicle (as you can see from the pic).I don’t quite get the point of that. It’s not as if two are going to share that cubicle! <br/><br/>ACOUSTICS <br/>We had no trouble conversing, as we were the only ones upstairs. But being fairly open and airy, with high ceilings should generally keep the noise levels down, irrespective of where you decide to sit<br/><br/>COST<br/><br/>We paid a modest $181 for seven of us and that included a single beer, a small bottle of sparkling wine, a soft drink, two salads, seven mains, one dessert and corkage at $3 a head. That’s outstanding value in these awful economic times.<br/><br/>BOOKING<br/><br/>Recommended especially for weekend dining.<br/><br/>PARKING/ACCESS <br/>You’ll find Isabella’s Mark II (not to be confused with Isabella’s Mark I which is on Alison Rd, near the corner of Belmore Rd) in the heart of The Spot, Randwick’s busy dining and entertainment hub. It’s around the corner from the Ritz Cinema. Parking though is never easy around here. It’s a narrow, cramped and congested little precinct for motorists and best avoided if possible. We normally head straight past and park on Howard Street, where there are no restrictions and usually quite a few places to be had. Just be prepared for a 10-15 minute walk, but that’s better than struggling to find something nearer. <br/><br/>SUMMARY<br/><br/>I guess the owners of the longstanding and popular Isabella’s Mark I, decided to capitalise on their popularity and open another one at The Spot. That strategy seems to have paid off judging by the midweek turnout. And the formula is the same: a simple menu, modestly priced with basic choices and just a few price bands. Food is well prepared and fresh and tasty. Service is fast and efficient and the ambience is homely, casual and relaxed. Isabella’s Mark II, just like it’s older brother or sister, represents solid value for money and a welcome addition to the Spot’s otherwise rather limited and bland dining choices. You can have a satisfying and filling meal here with a drink, for less than $30 a head. Not too many places in the overpriced eastern suburbs can match that.

I've been in Australia for nearly five years and i jhve tp say this place has to be the worst place i have eaten in that time. Absolutely shocking, my meal was basically a big plate of grease. I didn't have great expectations and thought i'd give it a shot but nothing could have prepared me for the grade of crap these cats are dishing out. Needless to say i didn't eat my meal. It was literally swimming. Shocking!

Amazing service from the attentive staff that i found knocks bars of many top rated restaurants I've been to. The menu has a large variety of choices that are very well priced!  i had the basic yet perfectly cooked poached eggs on sourdough with a large portion of bacon. Isabella's Spot in Randwick is a must!

Cheap, but bland. Eggs in particular come out cold and frighteningly tasteless. Service and atmosphere is nice, so I hope they can improve. If I wanted cheap meals just to feel full, I'd eat at home.

Isabella's is famous in Randwick for cheap eats, in fact $7 breakfasts.. who wouldn't love this! Plus, they are much bigger and tastier than some breakfast places in Sydney. Anyway their success has led them to opening a second spot, at 'The Spot' no less 😜 Same menu, $7 breakfasts, HUGE menu, $12 dinners and lunches - pastas, schnitzels, burgers. Not the fanciest place out, but the price is incredible. Also healthy options for a bit more $ - I got the egg white omelette for $12. They are fast and the service was great. They accommodated my friend with a high chair for her young child, plus some food the child could eat. Coffee isn't the greatest, but they also have smoothies and tea. Who wouldn't love the<br/>price here 👍👍