Review Red Lantern Restaurant & Private Dining Room - Sydney

Had a private room set dinner for a friend’s birthday this week and was very impressed by the food quality and overall dinning experience. I was expecting the food to be too sweet for my liking but it wasn’t. The flavours were on the whole quite balanced, not too sweet or salty and quite delicious. The highlight for me was the blue swimmer crab cakes, the pan fried barramundi and the roast pork. We had a great time and happy to give this place a top review.

Waited really long for the food and the service was not helpful or enthusiastic. Would have given a 3 but I know we are all experiencing covid. Food was average and there are quite a few other options around if you want fusion Asian and they are cheaper price with better flavour and more importantly, better services

Outstanding as usual - they are just as good as before lockdown, and still go out of their way to cater for vegetarians. We were there for a Savannah wine dinner event with a preset menu, and yet they were happy to make special dishes just for the vegetarians as well. Wonderful service and very happy, helpful staff.

The food was exceptional; Full of flavour and so fresh. Coupled with outstanding service this restaurant is a must visit 👌

We had an absolutely fantastic experience here last night! Wait staff were exceptional, they made our cocktails with a bit leftover so came back to top us up - an extra touch that was so simple yet inspired me to leave a review. Just classy service. Chef brought out the food himself which was exquisite. Chicken was incredible. Many thanks.

Haven’t been to red lantern in over 10 years and still the most lovely staff and food was amazing. My husband and I are both vegan and we asked if it was possible to do the banquet but make it vegan? We said if not that’s fine we could just order from the menu as their were a couple of vegan options. They not only said they were happy to do the banquet vegan but seemed excited about doing something different. The stand out was the corn cake that they usually stuff with crab but for us did mushroom. We could have eaten a plate of them! We felt so welcome. The atmosphere was great - even on a Wednesday night it was buzzing with happy customers and the staff were easy going and very attentive. Would recommend to anyone vegan or not if they like something casual but fun and delicious 10/10

Before I had even sat down I was impressed, as I Loved the decor, the atmosphere, the soft lighting and the friendly welcome. From then it just got better. Every dish was full of flavor & texture & beautifully presented. Excellent Service & Devine Food in a Comfortable, beautiful environment meant for a fantastic experience... one I will return to have again. Thanks to Mark, Adam and the team for making our night memorable.

It's pretty good food, if you are a group of 6 or more you need to get the set menu which is $80 but you get 7 courses. The food is pretty good, with a mixture of modern Asian but also offers a Ceviche. All in all its food for a one of occasions but not a casual dining experience. The service is pretty good though, the waiter had good jokes and made it a fun experience.

If you are after a fantastic dining experience you won’t be disappointed. I am a harsh critic with exceptionally high standards but couldn’t fault the service, food or anything about this restaurant. Don’t miss this place if you live in or visit Sydney.

A pleasant dining experience. The food was a nice twist on the homely Vietnamese whilst not getting too elaborate.

One of my favourite restaurants in Sydney. The service is impeccable, the food never disappoints and I absolutely adore the olde worlde vibes of the restaurant. I never tire of this place! #redlantern

Excellent high quality food. We mainly ordered vegetarian and it was delicious. Highly recommend this place for good Asian cuisine.

We were lucky to find a table on a Friday night. We walked in and we were nicely greeted by our waitress.<br/>We asked her recommendations and we ordered what she suggested.<br/>She was bang on right! The chicken will be my highlight of the night. It was simply delicious. Crispy skin. Amazing!<br/>I like the atmosphere.

This Asian restaurant office a great variety in their food they specialise in Vietnam is food they have some amazing noodles and I really special some tunes and a big big menu for you

We have always loved their cocktails. My favourite is the Hanoi Negroni. This time we matched it with some tasty rice paper rolls with tiger prawn filling. For mains, we had the hot pot and spatchcock, both of which were very good ( the spatchcock in particular was awesome, tender and juicy with just the right amount of smokiness). And we finished with a dessert of banana fritters. Yumm! Looking forward already to our next visit!

Had the smoked spatchcock, Aunty 5 rice cakes, rice paper rolls, pork belly, veg hot pot, and fried rice which were all very tasty. I would have enjoyed more herbs and spices in the dishes - perhaps I was expecting more Vietnamese mint and coriander flavours. Staff were very attentive and friendly and we had a good dining experience.

The service was spot on. Attentive but not overbearing. Our drinks were always refilled. I don’t even remember asking for a refill once. <br/>The food was good. It was subtle but tasty not as oily as you the run of the mill Vietnamese places I go to. <br/>I do wish they had the Vietnamese staple - Pho. It would be good the taste how they would handle something like that <br/>We ordered the Aunty 5 entree which was very good, the chicken which was amazing, the pork belly which was ordinary (the weakest dish of the night), the mushroom hot pot which was great and the fish of the day which was flounder (it was good to begin with but it grew on you as you continued eating it). We tried the trio dessert and ordered an extra banana fritter. The banana fritter and the flan were very good, the sticky rice was just ok.

Fantastic food. Fantastic service. F***** awesome dessert. <br/>The flavors in the dishes are all super unique and the staff is incredibly accommodating and polite.

My high school friend (Hi Michelle!) was visiting from Boston and I haven’t seen her since first year uni so we had a meet up in Sydney. She said her boss who was Australian had recommended Red Lantern to her so we decided to try it. Red Lantern is opened by Luke Nguyen, a celebrity chef in Australia. They serve high end Vietnamese food with some new twists. Generally when I think about Vietnamese food, it’s usually a giant bowl of pho or pork rolls at affordable prices so I told myself to be open minded towards fine dining Vietnamese food. Bear in mind, I’m not much of a fine diner (yet)!

We tried this restaurant because my husband is an ardent follower of Luke Ngyuen’s cookery programs. I am not a fan of Vietnamese cuisine entirely due to the pungent smell of broth in almost every Vietnamese restaurant. However, this place did not produce the odour like the other places. Overall satisfaction is fabulous and I can’t wait to go back.<br/> <br/>Entre - we tried the entrées Goi Mit - Warm Jackfruit salad unique and delicious. Muc Ran Muoi – Chilli salted squid in a rice paper roll – again another lovely dish. I would definitely like to have them again.<br/> <br/>Mains – Ca Chien Xot Nuoc Dua – Panfried fish fillets in a gravy/curry – Absolutely show stopping brilliant. We wish they were a bit more generous with the gravy/curry. It was to die for and this dish has lured me back to the restaurant in the imminent future.<br/><br/>Desserts - I lover the black sticky rice whilst hubby enjoyed the cream caramel. <br/> <br/>The interior was of vintage grandeur and on the Friday night it was very loud. The ambiance was brilliant but the noise due to large office crowds to small gatherings talking over each other’s voices was one of the negatives.<br/> <br/>Overall definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone.<br/>

It never goes wrong when you closed your eyes and point on any dish on the menu to order. The complexity of flavours in each dish is amazing, very well balanced. Delightful!

Red Lantern is a nostalgic fit-out in Darlinghurst helmed by celebrity chef Luke Nguyen. Besides the authentic Vietnamese-style soy sauce, the posh and elegant restaurant was merely a pricier Australian adaptation of conventional dishes.<br/><br/>The restaurant is fitted with long marble communal tables, cozy wooden furniture, floral wall paper and self-made floor tiles. Black and white photo frames and porcelain containers add to the restaurant’s museumfied association with Vietnam’s colonial past. <br/><br/>I ordered an entree and a main. When there are prawns on the menu, I will definitely order them. I ordered bum tom nuong or banana prawns but received Goi Vit Koi or tea smoked duck and banana blossom salad. In Australia, almost all restaurants take orders without a receipt and every cafe, eatery and restaurant simply gets orders wrongly (one every five restaurant). The salad was not the sour and fiery version which I recognised and tasted in Hanoi but the sugary and insipid ones typical of Asian eateries in Australia.<br/><br/>The main, ga chien dong or crispy skin chicken, is accompanied with a flavourful master stock, oyster sauce and shallot. Here, the savoury sauce resembles the original Vietnamese ones but the chicken was obviously overcooked and the meat was hard and dry. If I were correct, the chicken was either prepared in the afternoon and reheated on order or fried in two separate steps. So, the chicken skin sagged badly. <br/><br/>People say Sydney’s dining scene has improved. What sets Sydney and other gastronomic capitals like New York, Hong Kong and Singapore apart (in a bad way) is a lackadaisical attempt to recreate dishes and a very close-minded population in trying out different cuisines in their original form. For instance, you don’t see Singaporeans requesting Italian and French restaurants to add sambal or turmeric to their pastas or confit duck. Here, every Asian dish (whether Thai, Malaysian or Vietnamese) is watered down and tonnes of sugar is added. And the lack of basic knowledge (roast duck vs Peking duck; adegashi tofu; hainanese vs poached chicken) is laughable.<br/><br/>Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with adapting food to the contemporary environment. However, the reinvention merely perpetuates the idea of a food identity that is neither here nor there; and imbues a wrong perception of food. I have heard people claiming Vietnamese, Thai or Singaporean food here like Laksas or Pad Thais are better and more authentic than the ones in the source country. For goodness sake! <br/><br/>Food capitals have a defined and distinct character. Every establishment, big and small, can be strung into a memorable food journey which is full of personality and not disjointed. If you mention Hong Kong, you would remember their dim sums, tea cafes, fiery live seafood, roast ducks and a vibrant nightlife of drinks and fun. Besides a roaring cafe culture, I still cannot make up Sydney’s gastronomic identity after more than 1,000 establishments. Red Lantern is a microcosm of Sydney’s schizophrenic food culture.

Red Lantern is a Luke Nguyen/ Mark Jensen marvel. It never fails to impress and is always consistent in quality. It’s a superbly ran tried and tested restaurant and the success boils down to the best of everything when you visit. From service, to food, to presentation, to decor, cocktails and even music. One of my all time favourite places to feast. <br/>Full review and lots of pics is now up on Spooning Australia.

Travelled all the way down from Brisbane to enjoy this restaurant. We were completely satisfied with the freshness and uniqueness in taste. The grilled prawn salad, the beef salad, and vegetarian spring rolls were divine. But the standout was the fried rice cakes.<br/>Possibly the only negative was the lighting - it could be slightly brighter to display the vibrant colours of the dishes.

Alex: If you haven’t yet heard of Red Lantern, for starters I’d be quite concerned and questions would most definitely be asked. Headed by celebrity chef Luke Nguyen, the Vietnamese restaurant has been a consistent power player in the Sydney food scene for the better part of 6 years.

Lovely experience, although cramped!<br/>Food was incredible with such a diverse cast of options. Quality taste and quality presentation. Genuinely enjoyed it with my friends

A lot of people recommended me to try this place so I went there with my friends for dinner. The atmosphere was quite nice and the food was tasty as we expected. But am I the only one who feel they are not THAT awesome?! I don't mind going back again if I am around the area but it's not like I'd love to eat their food again. It's pretty cool place to hang out for a drink lover though.

If you after an intimate dinner for two I wouldn't recommend red lantern. The tables are inches from each other and if you have loud neighbours expect to know all about their lives and to not be able to have your own conversation. Onto the food, The dried need was the nicest dish we had, very tasty. The grilled prawns were nice, the duck breast was tender but tbh no better than your average takeaway. The most disappointing dish was the young jack fruit salad, the tofu in it was nice but the jack fruit tastes like artichoke which apparently it is supposed to. Too their credit they did not charge for the salad which we appreciated. Not as good as six years ago overall.

We came here with a couple of friends who had a hankering for Crispy Pork Belly, and saw photos of instagram of this place and decided we needed to eat here. I'm not the biggest fan of Vietnamese food, which this restaurant is definitely serving, but I do like the taste occasionally. As far as authenticity goes, I can't say. This place certainly isn't run by Vietnamese people, and the food doesn't feel super authentic like the food you'd find in a small shop that sells you Pho in a giant bowl for $10.<br/><br/>The place was very cosy and dimly lit, with booths and tables for seating options. The waiters were very friendly, and always made sure our glasses were topped off. <br/><br/>We decided to order three mains and a share serving of Banh Xeo, a thin crepe like dish filled with bean sprouts, prawn and pork belly. We got the Duck, the Pork Belly, and the Beef cubes, and all the food was delicious and well cooked. The pork belly was definitely a stand out, very tender and the fatty parts just melted in your mouth. <br/><br/>Overall a very nice restaurant, but a tad expensive. Each main costs over $40, and you'll definitely need one whole dish to yourself and an entree to feel full. The bill can be very costly at the end, so value wise it's certainly not the best. Will be back for an occasion like a birthday or so, but not on a regular basis.

Solid feed! Modernised vietnamese food with traditional flavours. The dishes were quite small and pricy, but it's topnotch! The cocktails were strong and tasty.

The ultimate dining experience! Food was absolutely on point, my favourite was the tea smoked duck. Followed close by the beef. The cocktails were mind blowing and our wait staff were the best I have ever come across. U will be licking your plates clean! Literally!<br/>

Char grilled turmeric chicken with white cabbage, fried shallots, peanuts, Vietnamese herbs and sweet fish sauce. Goi Mit, Cay va Du Du (G)(V). Salad of young jackfruit, green papaya, cherry tomato and Vietnamese herbs $18. Wine by the glass starts at $10 for a small pour. One thought on “Luke Ngyuen’s Red Lanterne, Riley Street, Surry Hills”

I've been wanting to visit red lantern for a while after attending one of Mark Jensen's cooking classes and being an avid Luke Nguyen's greater Mekong fan. <br/>The restaurant holds a familiar atmosphere, almost like you're at your mums house for a feast. The staff are incredibly friendly and fun, they're great to make suggestions for the menu. <br/>We had a set menu which was very filling and full of flavour. Each dish was wonderfully flavoured and very generous. The salt and white pepper squid and the wagyu pepper beef were my personal favorites, both cooked to perfection and moreish. <br/>We chose a number of desserts but the banana fritters with sago were a table wide favourite all round. Finishing off the evening with a Vietnamese coffee was the icing to the evening. It's also a little star struck to see Mark Jensen work in the kitchen and occasionally come out. <br/>Definitely want to try out their lunch menu!

We loved everything about our dining experience . We enjoyed the tasting menu with matching wines. All our dishes were delicious , beautifully presented and well balanced. The staff were excellent helpful and friendly. . The preselected wines complimented the dishes perfectly. <br/>A most memorable evening .

Great service in a nice setting. I'm a big Luke Nguyen fan and I've always wanted to try Red Lantern, so coming here for my birthday was a big deal for me. <br/><br/>We went for the tasting menu to try as many things as possible. The flavours were great, but for the price we paid, I was expecting a little more. <br/><br/>Overall, it was a great experience.

The food was good and the service great. The fried squid came with a delicious lemon dipping sauce. The duck was a bit too sweet for my taste. The beef stir fry was delicious. The flavour exactly how I wanted it.

Expensive. Service is good surrounds are nice. Food is also tasty but not worth the price. Plain and simple. I ordered two seafood dishes- both were lovely. We also got the vegetarian crepe which was tasty. Other dishes were the duck, beef, calamari. Beef and duck both looked dry and the calamari looked oily. No Luke either ha ha!

We went in a group and had the banquet at $75 per head. Firstly, they have two sittings, 6.30pm and 8.30pm, we had the earlier sitting and unfortunately with Sydney traffic and parking as it is, some people were running late, being a banquet you can't start until everyone arrives, so we were being rushed. We were there for a birthday and couldn't have the birthday cake because of time limitations. While most of the dishes were nice, the portion sizes were tiny, we all walked away hungry. Very disappointing. We wont be going back.

went there once. pretty lovely dishes i'd say. good service, good dining experience. Food was reasonably priced for what it is. I would definitely recommend to friends and family. The cocktails were amazing!

I'm a huge fan of Luke Nguyen thats why Red Lantern has been on my food bucket list for some time. The restaurant is really nice, the staff are very well trained and polite. The food was overpriced for what it was. It was vietnamese food served in small portions in fancy plates at 5 times the cost. <br/>Tbh you could get similar food in the West for MUCH less.

We had one of the best meals of our life here. The food was incredibly tasty and very different to anything we had experienced before.<br/><br/>Unfortunately it is at a price point, where you cannot visit too frequently - 2 people  dining will cost you about $150 which is too much but the food is truly excellent.<br/><br/>We are looking forward to our next visit.

A visit to Red Lantern is special but don't restrict yourself to only dining here on special occasions. <br/><br/>The food is simply divine and the service impeccable, offering warm and genuine hospitality. <br/><br/>Our group of four went with a tasting menu to experience a variety of dishes; it saved us from having to choose from a menu with so many interesting and delectable sounding dishes. There was dish after dish of delicious morsels, delivering an abundant banquet dinner.

Never been one to care what a restaurant looks like on the outside, to me it's what's on the inside that counts. While other restaurants are flashier, more chic or on trend, Red Lantern is a Tardis, a time machine that whisks you away to the era of French Vietnam, of colonialism, where food was fresh and real, rather than being morsels that are the product of the latest gadget.<br/><br/>There were no distractions as crowds walked past, as there were no crowds. Instead I got to concentrate on the company I was in and the good food we enjoyed. Sure you can get cheaper in the west, but I wasn't in the west, I felt like I was in another country.<br/><br/>Service was attentive but not intrusive, advice offered on request accurate and not motivated by profit. Timing was perfect, and prices were not flamboyant, in a city that prides itself on the high cost of living and real estate in general.<br/><br/>Executive Summary for the time poor:<br/>Enjoy Vietnam without leaving Sydney, authentic, unpretentious, not the cheapest but not the dearest. For the experience, great value.

Wow Well Luke was not there but what a experience every dish was an explosion it your mouth, The staff was amazing an so like a family place to eat I watch the SBS shows all the time an now the whole experience has been wonderful, Highly recommend this beautiful place to eat an enjoy all the delicious food. <br/><br/>Thank you once again<br/><br/>Larry

Always wanted to try Luke Nguyens red lantern. I was actually expecting abit more from this restaurant but was disappointed. First the outside of the restaurant looked so run down with barely any lighting. Almost looked like it wasn't even opened until I saw a few ppl dining inside. It really needs a make over. Almost walked right by it. <br/><br/>Walked inside and was seated in such a cramped table only 2 inches away from the guest behind me and in fact the whole place was small. They tried to cram as many tables they can in such a small dining area. It was so uncomfortable and the lighting didn't help either. It was extremely dim. <br/><br/>The food was so average. Flavour wasn't enough. Just average. Nothing special. The entrees were actually quite large and are meant to be shared. They recommended two entrees and two mains for 2 ppl. That was too much food. One entree to share and 2 mains was plenty. Food was overpriced as well. Can get the same food in the inner west for half and even tastes better. <br/><br/>Overall, quite disappointed in Luke Nguyen having his name backed into this 2 star restaurant that is crying for a makeover. I wish I could say something nice about this restaurant but I can't find anything. They did have good service and parking was close by??<br/>I know I won't be returning until they seriously rethink their whole game plan here.

Char grilled turmeric chicken with white cabbage, fried shallots, peanuts, Vietnamese herbs and sweet fish sauce. Goi Mit, Cay va Du Du (G)(V). Salad of young jackfruit, green papaya, cherry tomato and Vietnamese herbs $18. Wine by the glass starts at $10 for a small pour. Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Firstly I would like to pass on my sincere gratitude for the fantastic experience we had at your restaurant. I noted I was having dinner for my anniversary when booking a table. The first thing upon arriving was being greeted with a happy anniversary from the first staff member.  We where then given a complimentary glass of champagne which was divine. The whole experience was warm and friendly with the food being fresh and delicious. I can not thankyou enough for creating a wonderful memory for us. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fine dinning experience with a warm friendly atmosphere.<br/><br/>

My wife and I dined at Red Lantern again tonight and yet again the food and service were second to none. A big thank you to our waiter AJ who was just awesome and made our night extra special and another big thank you to the BOSS who served us our Wagu Beef. <br/>Looking forward to dining at your restaurant again soon . <br/>Mark and Julianne Micallef

We booked dinner at Red Lantern for a special occasion - it was for a birthday. We ABSOLUTELY LOVED dining there. The food was great and we enjoyed every bite of the tasty morsels. And we were HIGHLY impressed by the cocktails - these were balanced well and delicious. The staff were very attentive and amazing.

Fabulous Experience. I was lucky to celebrate my birthday with a friend at Red Lantern. Red Lantern had been on my 'to experience' list for some time. It surpassed my high expectations!<br/>The food delicious - special note, the Banh Bot Chien entree was absolutely amazing!!<br/>Cocktails - delicious!<br/>The service - friendly, informative and attentive, and welcoming. We had a truly fabulous waiter.<br/>The atmosphere - smart but relaxed. People all enjoying fabulous food with good company.<br/>Thank you to the Red Lantern team for making my birthday night so memorable. I will be back to share with others.

Organised a birthday party there last weekend. Very accommodating on the booking and helping with organise a table for what was a large group. Service was excellent and prompt, we went with the set menu which had tonnes of food, nothing left behind as it was a great variety of dishes. Atmosphere was lively but we could hear each other speak so all in all a great night, would absolutely recommend it. Luckily there are some hills around to walk it all off afterwards.

When you consider a fine dine in Sydney, esp for special event or guest, and if you can afford it comfortably, you would think of Testuya, Quay, who are among the best in the world. But they are too formal, you can not bring kids. And they have beautiful views that you will forget you are having food there.That is why we came to Red Lantern much more times than those top end restaurants. You get excellent food and an informal and relaxed environment. You get excellent staff who smiles sincerely. You walk into this city corner, no matter how special the event is or how important your guests are to your business, everything is just like home. You focus on tasting the dishes, forget all those messy life during the day.Yes, it is Viet Nam style or broadly speaking, pan-asia style, but only after you try it, you won't believe you should never try Chinatown in Sydney.

One of the best restaurants in Darlinghurst. The pork entree is amazing. Highly recommend. The waiters are highly skilled and recommended some great food. Try the pork belly

Red Lantern on Riley was the highlight of our trip to Sydney. The food was consistently amazing, with the chili salted squid (Muc Rang Muoi) so good that it disappeared almost instantly. The service was attentive and genuinely friendly. We felt warmly welcomed and at ease. I can honestly say that it was one of the best meals I have ever eaten and it made for a very special evening.

Vietnamese food at its finest. So much ingredients that works very well and gives that distinct Vietnamese taste. We had the $85 tasting plate and it was worth it. This is a tasting plate that had generous portions to the point that I can't breathe from eating too much and even took away leftovers. The only negative is the creme brûlée which was drowning in uber sweet sugar syrup and some dishes that was too salty but still edible. Worth a try!

Last night was my mothers 50th birthday and thanks to the amazing staff we had the most wonderful dining experience. <br/>We were greeted with a complimentary bottle of champagne to celebrate the special occasion, which was just an added bonus to a fantastic evening. Every course was exceptionally prepared and all our dietary needs were accommodated for with absolute no fuss. We have dined at Red Lantern many times before and will most certainly return. All the best to Luke and his Red Lantern family.

The food was exquisite. The waiter was very friendly knowledgeable and lots of fun. We had a great time and I would certainly recommend.<br/><br/>Marie

Amazing food. Servings are generous, presented beautifully and most importantly tastes incredible, so clean and fresh. Service is impeccable and prices are reasonable. My only advice- in a town where incredible fit outs and ambience is being achieved in restaurants. It's time to catch up.

I was celebrating my 50th b'day with family & friends. Thank you for a wonderful night. the food & the service was excellent. I would highly recommend Red Lantern. the food was fresh, full of flavour & plentiful. the service was excellent but relaxed which was perfect.  I WILL BE BACK.

I had a great night with a few friends and was able to take advantage of my birthday voucher.  The food was what I have come to expect from Red Lantern so needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed what I ate and ate plenty of it.<br/><br/>The service was also what I have come to expect and I love the new restaurant on Riley Street.

I tried my luck at a last minute booking for red lantern and as had been trying every visit to Sydney was more than happy when I got one! The food was incredible. I had the green papaya salad with scallops and chicken, rice cakes with pork and pork floss (the rice cakes were incredible) and the truce cooked duck. The dishes are made for sharing , and as I was dining alone they made smaller portions for me so I could try different things. The service was attentive but relaxed - and the best part - I bought s copy of the out of print recipe book I had been hunting for.

We had planned our family holiday around eating here, and we weren't disappointed. Superb service, and amazing food. We had them lunchtime tasting menu, and walked away fully satisfied. Definite highlights were the papaya salad, clay pot chicken and the beef dish...although, all 6 dishes were really as good as each other. We would happily make Red Lantern on Riley a regular lunch/dinner spot every time we visit Sydney.

Everything vietnamese should be sweet,spicy and fresh clean flavours. We opted for one of the feast options. Every course was perfect. great flavours, well cooked and more than generous portions. The service was quite good, but at times there was quite a lengthy wait between courses that didn't quite make sense ( deducted 1/2 a point for this). Price wise, yes it's a little on the hexxy side for vietnamese, but it's not over the top. Well worth a return visit.

Sorry Luke - this was a true 'let down' experience<br/><br/>Service - Slow<br/><br/>Wine List - Shallow - and the Rusu Dò was one of the worst I have ever tasted<br/><br/>Food - let down twice with selections of food from the menu not available - (I was looking forward to the pork belly damn it) - Swordfish main was dry - the Duck was more bone than meat. The dessert helped make things better.<br/><br/>Would I come back - yes only to be convinced that this experience was a once off 'bad night '. Otherwise if it isn't - well Luke you may need to get back into the kitchen here

Was a bit disappointing compared to our visit last time. Ordered the salt and pepper calamari...very bland and sauce was too tangy.. nothing special here. Could find much better calamari elsewhere without the price tag. Next rice cakes. Really nice texture. Sauce was good but the pork floss confuses me. Its like there is too much going on all at once. We ordered the pancakes. Pancakes were crisp but there was so many bean sprouts it just felt like a cheap filler. Really expensive for what you are getting.

Don't understand why you would have a rude Scott to meet and greet customers. It ruins the customer experience and doesn't reflect positively about your restaurant.

Very disappointing meals. After reading about the restaurant and the chef Luke Nguyen I was excited to dine here tonight. We ordered soft rice paper roll at $18 and I was shocked when I received it... It was just two small rice paper rolls and it was nothing special, in fact I have had better roll elsewhere at better price. Another entree was green papaya salad with sea scallops and master stock chicken. This dish was terrible, chicken was gamy and the salad was really average. I didn't enjoy this salad at all and I usually love Vietnamese salads. The salad mix was boring and the dressing was sweet altogether just wasn't a well flavored dish. For mains we had King fish green mango salad, it was okay but unmemorable. Second main was King Prawn glass noodle in curry sauce. This was probably one of the better dish we had tonight, King Prawn was fresh and of a good quality however again, the overall flavor wasn’t very sophisticated as you’d expect from chef’s cooking. <br/> I did love drink I ordered though, Negroni which was very drinkable throughout the meals. Total bill came it was $140 – I don’t think this place is good value for money, the food is very average, nice ambient, service was impeccable  but  I don't see myself coming back to dine.

Food is pleasant. I found it rather pricey for the portion size but its a wonderful restaurant and the customer service is very good. I highly recommend the rice cakes with pork floss and prawns.

Exactly what i was hoping this place would be. Luke Nguyen should get more credit than he does for his cooking and flavouring abilities. Food was phenominal, a perfect mix of spicy and sweet with all the flavours (but bigger and better) that I've come to expect from Vietnamese food. Our waiter was friendly offering us lots of ideas for what to.do with our short time in Sydney.<br/>Cocktails were delicious with asian flavours, well deserving of their many awards.<br/>

Very nice Vietnamese restaurant. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. I recommend the spring rolls wrapped in buttercup lettuce with mint leaves, which add a nice touch (entrée). The fish marinated in a spicy coconut curry is fantastic (main) and the ribs I actually slowed down on to enjoy more - amazing (main).

Red Lantern on Riley. What can I say, one of my favourite restaurants I have ever eaten in. We went as a group for 6pm dinner reservations. As soon as you walk in you are greeted in a very polite and welcoming manner as you are accompanied to the designated seats. The atmosphere provides a semi-casual clothing justified by the talkative nature of the people around us. We had 3 entrees, accompanied with 4 mains and 2 sets of desserts. For entree we had soft paper rice rolls with avocado and tofu, rice cakes with tiger prawns and pork floss, and lightly battered chilli salted squid with lemon and white pepper sauce. The rolls had the perfect balance of texture and flavour accompanied by the dipping sauce. Rice cakes were flavoursome working in harmony with the perfectly cooked prawns and crunchy pork floss. Finally, the salted squid, highly recommended as each bite brought about a unique and fresh taste to the table. Mainsssss. Slow braised beef with black beans and mushroom sauce, wok tossed smoked duck breast with egg noodles, caramelised free range chicken with lotus root, and market vegetables stir fried with curry spices. The beef was melt in the mouth, every mouthful kept you coming back for more. Duck breast was flavoursome and fulfilling accompanied by the egg noodles. Chicken was perfectly cooked and market vegetables served a unique experience towards the street food of vietnamese cuisine. Dessert. dessert platter for two consisting of one scoop vanilla ice cream, one scoop black sesame ice cream, pandan waffles, banana fritters and creme brulee. Sweeeet city. Every dessert fulfilled its purpose on the plate, to make me consistently come back for more. From the creamyness of the scoops of ice cream to the unique flavour of the pandan waffles, everything was on point. Overall, a great place for an exquisite dine, excellent atmosphere, service and food. 5/5<br/>

Fantastic fantastic fantastic. Close to the best meal i have had in Sydney. A wonderful menu and great service. Could easily charge double the price for the quality of the food.

One of my favourite restaurants in Sydney. The food here is DIVINE! Every dish was delicious , presented well and priced well. The restaurant has a great vibe to it - not super busy / noisy or rushed. The staff were genuinely lovely , suggesting a great bottle of wine to compliment our banquet .

With the closure of the Crown Street Surry Hills outlet, we decided to venture to it's surviving branch on Riley Street, Darlinghurst for a special birthday dinner. The setting in Red Lantern is somewhere a mix of 50s Vietnamese and modern. The front of house is a restaurant and the back of house is a bar (Red Lily). You will have to get a booking in advance for a table in the front of house. You might be able to get a bar seat at Red Lily, but they do serve a different menu.

Great food and exceptional service!! Thank you Richard for such a lovely experience - I will definitely be back and have shared this story to my friends and family already.

Exquisite Food, Nice Ambience, Good Service, PRICY!!!. We went here with another couple some time ago, and were glad that we went there together. With 4 of us, we could taste a much wider range of dishes. The food was exquisite, right from the preparation to the presentation. We ordered 4 entrees and 3 main dishes, followed by 2 desserts and coffees and that was a lot of food! Yet we devoured it all! That day they had a tiger prawns with mango chutney special entree and unlike some other restaurants, it was truly special! Amongst the mains the Pekin duck and char grilled pork stood out. However, the blue swimmer crab meat preparation was a bit of let-down, as it was served with the meat still in the shell, and we were not provided any crab-crackers or those tiny forks to scoop out the meat. That’s where they lost a star in the rating. The desserts, too, were not the greatest. The Vietnamese, coffee, though, was perfect to end the meal! The restaurant is not too big, but has a nice, cozy décor. Everything about the restaurant, right from its signage to interiors to serving-ware, looks simple, elegant and tasteful, nothing overtly bold or pompous. The service too was extremely friendly and courteous. The waiters helped us on deciding what to order and gave us enough time between each course. Every time we were served a dish, the waiter/waitress would say what it was, and briefly described its ingredients and preparation. Luke Nguyen walked up to a few tables, including ours and had a chat. It was a lovely experience, but at that price ($75 per head including 1 cocktail per person, and 4 entrees, 3 mains and 2 desserts to share amongst 4), I don’t think we will be coming here again for some time.

This restaurant was incredible, from its high quality service to its interesting and tasty menu. Food is a lovely twist on the traditional Vietnamese flavours, and tastes great. Staff are very friendly and so accomodating and attentive. Worth every cent!

Red Lantern on Riley , the Darlinghurst outpost of famed Red Lantern, opened in 2012. The storefront, plucked from colonial Vietnam, is situated at the northern end of quiet Riley St. Its only signage is a small plaque underneath the store number, but that’s ok, I think it’s fairly obvious which restaurant it is. Step through a floor to ceiling glass door and into a beautifully designed dining room.

Last night we checked out Red Lantern On Riley. Celebrity Master Chef and Restaurateur Luke Nguyen’s second Red Lantern restaurant (the original still running strong 10 years in on Crown St in Surry Hills). More specifically we spent the entire night in the Red Lily Cocktail Bar out the back of the restaurant. A small but racy space with wooden stools and a marble bar. Our bartender Ken was an amazing man and had us exchanging pot shots all night. We pretty much tried every cocktail on the menu, all of which were amazing discoveries, we also had most of the ‘bar food’ menu which was next level and had some of us saying that it was the best bar food we’ve ever had. We got to briefly meet Head Chef Mark Jensen who’s the co-owner and brother-in-law, and his wife Pauline (Luke’s sister) ran us through every dish that came out. Amazingly Luke was also in the house as he was serving dinner to 2 lucky winners of a competition he ran where the winners were flown first class from anywhere in th

French combines so well with Vietnamese. This restaurant makes me feel slightly nostalgic... I'm French and I met my husband in VietNam, a country where my grandparents were born in the 20s... I'm always really attentive to the cross references between two leading food cultures and Red Lantern does it very well. We had the tasting menu, which was beautiful, maybe the entrees were better than some of the main. The service was friendly, discreet, not overly effusive. The atmosphere is warm, very French in its decor. Really lovely for a date night.

We had the delicious dilat for $145 with matching wines. Not very impressed, especially when the waiter didn't even fill the glasses up to the line. Stingy really. The salmon was delicious but 2 pieces for 4 people, hummmm! Maybe 1 piece each would of been better. If there ever is a next time I would get individual serves from the a la carte menu and share.

Arriving at the Red Lantern on Riley, I first notice the friendly welcome, the warmth of the space and the definite feeling of being transplanted into any restaurant in Saigon or Hanoi. I'm left with a yearning to return to Vietnam instantly.

The flavours were more refined Vietnamese, even though I'm probably more used to overloading my senses with herbs and sauces. Nonetheless salads were enhanced by perilla, vietnamese mint and coriander, nuoc mam and palm sugar. I'd definitely go back for the occasion. I'm not sure how big the a la carte servings are, but the degustation is quite reasonable when you compare prices.

Red Lantern On Riley is a wonderful place. I cannot express how much I enjoyed this restaurant. It is neither pretentious, nor is it snooty in any way, despite its popularity and wonderful reputation. Unassuming restaurant, to the side of a quiet street (Riley St :P), you would not actually notice it much unless you  knew you were looking for it. Red Lantern   (for short I suppose!!) has many other l

Good news for CBDophiles, Luke Nguyen has opened a second Red Lantern on Riley Street. While I love the original one, if you’re in a hurry its great to have one just that little bit closer. The fit out is beautiful, warm chocolate wooden overtones, with that hint of the French colonial going on that you read about, if like me you haven’t yet had the chance to see for yourself in Saigon.  I read an interview Luke did just before he was about to open.  He fit out the original Crown Street venue for $40,000 odd.  This one almost hit seven figures. Its no wonder that some Sydney restaurants find survival tough.  You need a pretty serious steady stream of rear ends on seats to generate the cash flow required to keep creditors off your back (the banker within can’t help but think about this). There’s also a cosy little bar out the back with a great list of cocktails, I’ll check that out next time. So, on the menu that day: Diep Chien voi Xa Ot, scallops pan seared  with a tamari, citrus, lem

To sum it up, should you go to Crown or Riley?well it depends, if you want to see the awesome and talented Mr. Luke himself (I'd say Riley!) and to take snippets of the French Colonial Vietnam decor. However, for a moreish dose of Aunty 5's rice cakes I'd say Crown! ummm .. so now tell me which one would you choose?<br/>

The Nguyen family really know how to run a restaurant; the menu was well designed, the staff very attentive and the atmosphere buzzing. Most importantly, the food lived up to expectations. Red Lantern on Riley would be a place I would like to go to again and try all the other options on the menu!

Apart from the ritzy fit-out, Red Lantern on Riley isn’t that different from its Crown Street counterpart but, then again, it is a little like ordering a second bottle of the same wine. Why do something differently and risk being disappointed when you can happily enjoy the same thing over and over again?

I knew after eating at Quay, the next meal would be really hard to top but Red Lantern in Surry Hills was very memorable and left me feeling excited for the next sequential dish when I thought I wasn’t that hungry...

Luke Nguyen is one of my favourite celebrity chefs, and while he has pretty much done it all here in Australia (restaurants, cookbooks, appearances on MasterChef, etcetera), he does not come across as a typical celebrity chef whose ego in and out of the kitchen has outgrown his waistline. Having watched every episode of his three food travel series on SBS, Luke seems genuinely affable, unpretentious, and a chef who likes to get his hands and feet dirty for the sake of cooking great food. Despite being a fan, I've never set foot in his Red Lantern restaurant on Crown Street, so when he recently opened an offshoot in East Sydney's Riley Street , it was time to sample his modern Vietnamese food . Red Lantern on Riley is located inconspicuously around the corner from a cluster of nosheries on Stanley Street, just a door away from another Vietnamese restaurant La Mint. Once you step inside, the smart decor is apparent and you are instantly transported to a spacious and luxurious den seeming

The Banh Tom – Aunty 5’s rice cakes with tiger prawns, caramelized pork, pork floss and shallot oil was amazingly good! The rice cakes were crunchy and tasty. I especially loved the caramelized pork and pork floss.... We had the special of the day, which are pork ribs with pineapple and lotus roots. The pork ribs were cooked to perfection, tender and fell right off the bone.

Quality ingredients, Tasty dishes, Nice decor, Down-to-earth service, Tempting cocktail menu, More expensive than your average Vietnamese restaurant, The tasty bar menu dishes have tempted me to return one day to try the a la carte menu with hopefully a few friends

What I did like about them both was that super fresh organic vegetables and herbs were used and that made a massive difference to the quality of the rolls.

All up, a great meal with the best ingredients - all the dishes were prepared beautifully and the serving sizes were fairly decent. The waitstaff we had were perfect - observant, a bit familiar, but knowledgeable about the food.<br/><br/><br/>

I like the menu which is a good balance between Vietnamese standards and other home style dishes. We decide to order a mix. The three goi cuon (fresh Vietnamese rolls) are precision sliced into six bite-sized pieces, sparing guests the conundrum of whether to double dip or not into the hoisin peanut sauce. The goi cuon looks and tastes the part with garlic chives poking through, the prawns pink and visible and perilla mint, a favourite of mine, adds extra colour and taste.

Red Lantern. I took 2 overseas visitors to dinner greatly embarrassed by service and food we took advice from our waiter on signature dishes left most of food 3 starters & 3 mains on table as not liked by any of us mullloway not fresh and muddy <br/>Too expensive for poor food and service ,very disappointed .

Could not fault the food, wine, service or price. We ordered the $69 tasting menu and every dish was excellent, the bottle of wine well matched to each course and the service friendly and attentive. The quality of the dishes was exceptional for the price so we will certainly return to try other dishes on the menu.

Average food for way too much money. Food was ok, nothing special. I had the jackfruit salad as entree. Tiny portion, with a strong lemongrass taste. Not enough sweetness for my liking. My main was the eggplant and tofu curry. The ingredients were fresh but the eggplant skin was hard as a shoe sole. Taste-wise ok, again the hit of sweetness was missing. The NZ Sauvignon blanc was very nice though. Paid 150$ for the two of us, too much money for an average meal

Vastly overrated. Good ambience decor that reflect modern Viet decor. Food is average and compared to less up market Viet dinning places, is quite overpriced even after discounting ambience and service. But our experience was mostly about the service, bad service. Waiter, a Thai guy, seems friendly and attentive, except the he forgot to submit one of our 4 dish order, so we had our meal without the green. Also he made recommendation to substitute the fish with large prawns in my choice of claypot fish with tamarine source. I was foolish enough to take his advice as being a Vietnamese I know prawn can make very claypot dish also. Turns out its battered prawn dish that was badly done and prawns weren't fresh. This ruined my meal. Couldn't understand why he did that, except perhaps being told by manager to get rid of the prawns. Was then eager to promote their desert when we have said no we will pass the dessert. Basically cheap selling just like a poor street hawker in Vietnam. I don't blame the water but think this tells me a lot about the place. From now on whenever my overseas friends asked if I have been to the famous Red Lantern, I can knowledgeably reply Yes and No don't recommend!

We love Red Lantern; we love the cocktail bar, the rooms, the food, the matching wines; but it is all about service and that was sadly lackong tonight. Not on our list to go back now for the rest if 2015.

Loved it. Came on a quiet Sunday night and really enjoyed the experience. It had a warm, inviting atmosphere and the service was excellent. It is trendy and relaxed and by no means pretentious. Great cocktail selection- my favorite was the one with the Kafir lime leaf. We ordered 3 courses and each was the perfect balance of spicy, salty, sour and sweet. Light, refreshing and utterly delicious! My favourite was the green papaya and pork salad as the starter and the Vietnamese pancake.

We hosted visitors last night and decided on Red Lantern, as I like the pocket bar concept in the rear lane called Red Lilly. <br/>We had a banquet for 4, ending with a great desert platter. However this dining experience was over shadowed by the waiter asking "would you like to leave a little something for the floor and kitchen staff?"... In Australia the floor and kitchen staff are paid $25 plus, a fair wage for fair work, unlike the messed up employment scheme in other first world nations, like the United States where you have to beg for your income. Tipping in Australia is a discretionary amount the patron may or may not choose to leave. Being asked is vile and my group's response was an immediate "no thanks", which makes us look like we are stingy. This has left a foul taste in our mouths. Bottom line is that this "begging" turned a good night bad and this question is simply unacceptable. We will not return as there are so many wonderful options within minutes of this venue that don't beg and offer the same level of service and quality.

Food is nothing special at all.

Not worth your time or money. We went on the first night of the new menu and were let down. Dishes were ok, not great and certainly not worth the $140 we paid for entrees and mains for 2 people. The service was great from the staff, however we waited roughly 1/2 hour between dishes (didn't matter that we weren't sharing dishes, they still brought them out separately anyway). Don't worry about the $40 prawns, they were average at best, and the salad was tasty, but was overloaded with Chilli and wouldn't suit everyone's pallet. Also be careful about the sparkling water - they charge 10 dollars per bottle, but it's run out of a machine in the kitchen, not with fresh seperate bottles. Overall, staff were great, the food was not.

Not worth it. Major dissapointment. Pros: <br/>-It's dim and has a great atmosphere. <br/>-staff were very attentive, friendly and polite<br/>-neatly presented dishes<br/><br/>Cons: <br/>-boring food. Didn't taste nice. Your better off eating at a regular vietnamese restaurant where it's cheaper and your actually satisfied and full (and u don't leave feeling robbed)<br/>-the banh xeo for example was doughy and thick, it's supposed to be thin and crispy. The filling wasn't that great either was very boring and had added coconut milk. Was just odd tasting and texture was terrible... Mushy! My friends and I didn't eat much of it and we were starving. <br/>-There was nothing excitingly different or inventive either about the dishes we got. None of them stood out.<br/>-the items on the menu are very ordinary and uninteresting and there's not a lot of variety. <br/>- very expensive !!!!! <br/>-had overcooked, dry chicken!! <br/>- salt and pepper squid was disappointing. Wierd tasting batter. <br/>- dessert looked better than it tasted <br/><br/>Overall, I wouldn't come again or suggest it to anyone. I am vietnamese and the flavours and cooking techniques shown was just of poor quality. I am now convinced luke Nguyen should just stick to being a tv personality and stay away from trying to achieve restaurant quality food.

Put this restaurant on your bucket list. Throw in some house designed cocktails, and your in for a treat of a lifetime

Red Lantern Rules!. I went to Red Lantern on Riley last night for my birthday, using a voucher I'd got from my last visit (bring three or more friends and have one of the banquet menus, and receive your own meal free). Everything was pretty much perfect, the restaurant itself is lovely and the staff were all excellent. I was very impressed that they altered the banquet sharing menu for me because I am vegetarian (although I still eat seafood), but still had lots of meat for my family. The food was all delicious, the meat-eaters raved about the ribs, and I really enjoyed my vegetarian noodles and the mulloway (perfectly cooked!). Desserts were fantastic - and they brought my banana fritters out with a sparkler on it!! So cute. Service was very friendly and attentive, could not ask for more.