Review Lil Darlin Surry Hills

Keira Jade

ordered the rainbow cocktail which was nice. has a good atmosphere. wanted to order more drinks, but they weren't sure whether they had cream for one of the cocktails. guy said he would check, he never did. when followed up, the other guy said he'd come to our table to check in. he never did. not enough staff on for sure, probably wouldn't come back

Isabel Blanchard

Great cocktails and shots... many were had. Tried the Bartender Special, Fairy Floss cocktails. The shots were 420 Blaze It, Wedding Crasher, Fairy Floss... the other one I forgot. Lovely atmos - good for a post-work / pre-game hang.

Carla Eade

I came here yesterday for a friend's 30th, we had the place to ourselves, got to watch a cocktail making class and then make our own. It was an excellent experience. Everyone got to choose which cocktail or mocktail they wanted to make based on their own personal preference and the staff behind the bar were amazing. I had Sebastian guiding me and he made it so much fun. The cocktails (one professionally made and one made by me) were both delicious, looked beautiful, and weren't overly sweet which I enjoyed. We had fries, arancini, chicken wings and pizza, all of which were very tasty. I really enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend an event like this if you are looking for something different, but very chilled and fun

Da P (D P)

Came here for cocktail happy hour. Inside was booked with a function but were seated outside which was fine :) some cocktails are overly sweet from the Urban list. However, others were quite nice. I would probably return for happy hour another time. The hostess was friendly and accommodating. :)

Andrew

Crowded, loud, lively and hectic for a Friday night. Staff were so friendly & casual they were like friends. Good food and querky cocktails.

Kerry Southam

Amazing cocktails and food was hot and fresh. You can order from your table and even when super busy, everything is bought out to you really promptly. Staff very friendly. Would definitely go back.

Nicole Lau

Really enjoyed our cocktail class, the staff and drinks were amazing and my friends and I had the best time. Aashrit and Roman our cocktail experts helped us make our own cocktails based on our own taste preferences as well as one on the menu. The atmosphere was also super fun and friendly! Highly recommend

Sona Jain

Super cute spot with great happy hour deals on cocktails. Three stars though because the music is SO LOUD it’s extremely hard to hear / talk. The first three times it was just inconvenient but this last time I legitimately lost my voice trying to talk to my friends. I would strongly encourage the staff to reduce the volume a bit so people can actually hear each other

Isaac Chay

Had our Xmas party last night and it was the best place. Amazing staff Great food Outstanding drinks Greatest place we have been to in a while Highly recommend

Nina Feldman

Love Love Love this place!!! We had our work Holiday Party there, and the staff were amazing - friendly, helpful, making *incredible* cocktails (the new Popcorn Martini went down a treat) and making sure we had heaps of incredible food and nibbles throughout. Can't wait to come back! <3

Hayley Bishrich

I booked a cocktail making class at Lil Darlin for my friends hens - we had an amazing time! Incredible value for money, great food and cocktails. Highly recommend!

Pieta Morello

Family birthday dinner for 10 on a Saturday night and the place was packed but the service was brilliant. Happy hour cocktails were soooo good and the food was great too. Can’t get over how fab their staff were. Complimentary birthday shots and a last minute cake sparkler when we forgot our candles. Will definitely be coming back

Anastasia Ben

1. One burger order arrived without fries. The waiter questioned if we paid extra, despite a side already listed on the menu. 2. As we left, another waiter chased us for the bill as we exited. We had already paid at at the bar prior to the food arriving. This just served to compound the earlier incident. The food is delicious. The venue is beautiful. But this level of service needs a clip in the ear.

Karen Sutton

We were here for an 18th birthday in a party of 10. These guys are a well oiled machine. They were very helpful when booking offering set menu suggestions but happy for us to order from the menu on the night. The service is excellent, the food was fabulous and the cocktails were delicious, we tried quite a few. We got there while Happy Hour was happening which helped with the end bill!

Carol Bilton

Absolutely great fun. Pizza was the best & the cocktail class was a laugh. Doing the flower crowns was fun also; a bit challenging after a few cocktails!

Jeremy Wilson

Philip was awesome. This was second time we went to cocktail masterclass for an event - was awesome as was the first time. Great atmosphere, great experience to get behind the bar and the pizza was tasty! The staff were great and gave us free shots at the end of the night too. Thanks again guys!

Jenn Farrell

Awesome food with attentive staff and to top the evening live music which was just fabulous x

Tori-Alice Girdhage

The best cocktails and food in Sydney. Great vibes. Great music. Can’t fault a thing!

Jack Jones

Came for a friends birthday, food was nice and choice was great. Very good value for money and great service although I had 5 cocktails and just had a sugar rush, great for pictures but that’s about it!

Kim Alexandra

Lots of fun! Loved the Cocktail making Masterclass and then stayed to relax with with friends to enjoy delicious food and great drinks! Great atmosphere and lovely staff... Highly recommended!

Suzette Rose

Lovely staff nice atmosphere good cocktails and 5th duck pizza was a treat

Steve Noulas

Awesome atmosphere and service. Def recommend this place and coming back.

Ant Hoban

Had a booking for 20 people for a birthday, placed in the centre of the venue. Awkward spot for everyone! Door host with the moustache was rude to us questioning why we had 24 people arrive oppose to the 20 booked although only provided 16 chairs for a 20 seat booking. Don't know why extra people are problem considering it's a good $100 minimum spend to feel any alcohol in the small cocktail cups. Informed we can't do split payment for a group booking after we had ordered, eaten and drank so this made everything really difficult. Luckily the company was good value and cocktails are delicious because your international staff need further training!

Christine Whitty-Turnbull

Went there for a Hen's afternoon doing the Masterclass, such a fun afternoon. Staff were so much fun and the food was delicious, some of us stayed on for Happy hour and more pizza..... thinking of planning another occasion there soon, even though we travelled down from the Central Coast, it is a nice easy walk from Central.... so no drama.

Linda Aurisch

We've been to Lil Darlin twice and both times it has been awesome!!! Definitely recommend doing the cocktail Masterclass, lots of laughs, lots of yummy drinks and just an all round amazing time 😘🍸🍹

Chris Teyayna

The staff were so friendly and a lot of fun. We were well looked after. The food was really good and came out quickly despite it being a full house. Cocktails were delicious and the music was a blast from the past. Great venue (Surry Hills)

Sylvia Pham

I got to love the vibe from this small corner bar restaurant in Surry Hills! The best kind of vibe and environment you would want for a girl’s night out! Or a Friday night chill out! With great music, I’m sure you will have a great time! The pizzas here are superb!!!! Flavouring are all there and I can’t stop eating! One slice after another! Also their garlic prawns I must recommend! Perfect starters for the night! All the dishes are to perfection!

Eatwithmyfoodsafari

The expectations weren’t high, reinforced by some grumbling by the kids when they’d realised our dinner destination was essentially a bar. However, everyone was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. The eye fillet was cooked a perfect medium rare and the chicken schnitzel burger was spot on.

ChangEatsCheap

What sold me with this place is $10 cocktails (between 5pm and 7pm)!! The cocktails were delicious and the food was good too. Service was a little slow but I think it was because they were somewhat busy when we went. I'll definitely come back again for drinks and a casual feed.

Correzpond

Li’l Darlin is an incredibly noisy hen’s party venue. It’s that’s what you are looking for it may be perfect. If not keep in mind that it’s an *incredibly noisy hen’s party venue* and you probably want to be *almost anywhere else* for drinks.

Sara Langston

Fantastic venue - tried both the food and the drinks (came here as part of a group for the cocktail masterclass which we booked via classbento.com.au). Great hospitality, delicious pizzas, and the cocktails were to die for. Will be back!

Matty Vickz

Great atmosphere, great share menu. Perfect to start the night with epic music and great cocktails. We were a party of 9 on a Saturday night. Was looked after very well by our server. The only complaint I would have was our booked tables was not cleaned and ready for us and the table was half wiped with a few of us sat at the dirty table. Apart from that all good and would very much recommend

Alexandra | Lalan_eats

This is by far one of my favourite bars for girls night! The drinks are mouthwatering candy concoctions created by the skilled bartenders 😉🍸 Some of the cocktail bases are made in house, try the Hundreds and Thousands cocktail (or shot 😉) with its cake infused vodka base 😚👌 •••• My top two cocktails to order would be: 1. Fairy floss Martini (raspberry flavoured) 2. Hundreds and Thousands (sweet with a good balance of sour) •••• The food is pretty good too! I tried the mushroom pizza, the dough was interesting being sweeter than I realised but the toppings all went deliciously together! •••• Highly recommend for your next catch up with friends! •• P.s. Definitely book a table I made the mistake twice and waited quite a long while to get a seat, as it's so damn popular 😂👍

Tegan Cockram

Great cocktails. Recommend you go during happy hour as they have a selection for $10. I've enjoyed the 100's&1000's, Fairy Fliss and the White chocolate and passion fruit. Another time I enjoyed the lamb pizza & cheese bacon fries. Pizza was very good ! Fries were light on the bacon and needed more toppings !!! Get pizza during happy hour as it's only $10! Definitely worth the visit!!

Hayley

Always enjoy a night out at Lil Darlin! Nice cocktails (Fairy floss cocktail and gummy bear cocktail~) and food (Calamari, arancini balls, and happy hour pizzas), what's more to ask for. Love coming here during happy hour, reasonable price, nice ambience and friendly staff. Always the first place that comes to mind when deciding where to go with friends.

The Naked Food Addict

Big, big, big fan of Lil Darlin, headed down one Saturday night with the girls and was overly impressed by it all! From the service, to the atmosphere, the drinks & the food! 😍🙌🍹🍸 Definitely a must try! The share board for two with the salt and pepper squid was impressive, absolutely loved it! And the chorizo and mozzarella pizza was divine! 🍕. Not to mention their $10 cocktails after 10PM! Only downside being that they close pretty early, but other than that, would definitely recommend this place!

Nancy

Came to Lil' Darlin for a mid week lunch with a friend. We each ordered a cocktail (I had the fairy floss cocktail while she had the one with hundreds and thousands) and we also ordered a Margherita pizza and side of sweet potato fries to share. Whilst everything was great, our main complaint was that the portions were just too small. We ordered a large pizza to share and it was barely enough to fill one person up if they ate it all. The side of chips were also ridiculously small. I would have given 4.5 if the portions were larger. In terms of cocktails, I love sweet and fun vibe these have! Definitely good for those with a sweet tooth. Service was very friendly, it's just the price vs portion sizes that's a let down

2Foodiefrogs

We love the concept at Lil Darlin with their plants and vines running along the ceiling and on the side of the walls. We have visited both the Randwick and Darlinghurst Location. However the Darlinghurst Location pumps the old 90s and 00s hits on a Friday and Saturday getting people into a dancing mood. The cocktails are amazing and after 10pm they become only $10 each! We have tried the Hundred and Thousand, the Fairy Floss Martini, White Choc Passionfruit martini, Cucumber sour and the Blood orange margarita. The only one that was slightly on the heavy side was the Fairy Floss Martini everything else was delicious. Prices are standard compared to other places all day until 10pm and then you're in for some value. So if you're heading out, a great few drinks or just a quick date, its a great option.

Miss Deliziosa

Old post- came here a few months back from happy hour cocktails $10 from memory. Tried a few although don't remember all of the names they were all pretty good and didn't take long to arrive at our table. We came when it was the peak of happy hour and after work drinks and managed to be seated at one of the stools facing the window. We felt slightly tucked away but not forgotten which was good. Service was great and would definitely come back here. Value is pretty damn good for $10 during happy hour!

The Next Rush

I tried the Seafood Salad with a light coat of sweet chili dressing to allow the natural flavors from the octopus, prawn, calamari and mussels to remain true to themselves. Great salad of summer freshness, the potato salad was nicely done without the overly creamy heaviness you can sometimes get. Their chicken is cooked perfectly and though it is nicely seasoned and juicy, it is their salads for me that stole the show here and are the reasons I'm coming back!!!!

Coffeebrunchanddinner

Wow what a happy hour - from 5-7pm it's $5 wine and beer and $10 cocktails. Cocktails are the draw card here and you just have to order at least one. We managed to try the 100s and 1000s, popcorn, aloe vera, white chocolate passion fruit and gummy bear cocktails. All were delicious and not sickly sweet - the only one I wouldn't recommend would be the popcorn as the butterscotch was over whelming. Next time I'll be ordering the fairy floss. Majority of the tables were booked so I would recommend getting their early for a few drinks before heading to dinner in surry hills or sampling some of the bar's menu.

Sougata Khan

Nov16-The snitzel was huge! Shouldn't have ordered the big one. The mushroom sauce was pretty good. Love the decor here. The price is actually very reasonable for the quantity. Feb17-Ordered the pecking duck pizza and chorizo pizza . I would have liked a bit more meat . The chorizo was delicious though.

The RnB Diary

The restaurant was busy so we ordered pizza takeaway. The crust is unbelievably thin and crunchy, the topping of chilli prawn was so tasty and just enough heat for me. The margherita was oozing with cheese and the tomato sauce was nice. I would like to eat in next time and try other things. We came back here again for happy hour drinks and ended up ordering food. The arrancini was ok, not as good value and taste as ivy. The Peking duck pizza on the other hand was sensational. $10 cocktail was awesome.

Sandhya

This is a great little gem. The food is very tasty and in big portions so if your order the pizza I suggest sharing, even the chicken schnitzel is a large portion for one person so it's definently worth your money. I've had quite a few different cocktails here and each one has been awesome. Highly suggest the hundreds and thousands and the fairy floss martini. Caters to a large group of people but keep in mind it is small so can get very loud. Great music selection and really good vibe in here.

Food Obsessed

Hello lover. I say pretending like I am in Sex & the City as I sip my Fairy Floss cocktail. It's very girly. Like there twinkling lights and fake ivy everywhere. Ok the drinks are on the sugary side but no one is asking you to try everything on the menu (at least not on the same day). It's got fun ingredients like cake infused vodka (holla). My absolute fav is white choc passion fruit martini. It's a fun place to hang out. Happy hours the cocktails are $10 and totes worth it.

Amelia

Best cocktails ever! We come here after work sometimes on a Friday evening when it's happy hour - $10 cocktails! I am someone who prefers sweeter cocktails, which is what these cocktails are, so if you like sweet cocktails this is the place for you.

Emily Sinclair

The food here is delicious, my favourite being the arancini balls! Their pizzas and burgers are also very tasty, especially the duck pizza and the cheeseburger. My overall favourite thing about Lil Darlin' is their cocktails, plenty to choose from and $10 cocktail happy hour is Friday + Saturday 10pm - close.. doesn't get much better!

Jojo

This place has a great atmosphere on a Friday night. Nicely heated, ridiculously catchy music that you can't simply sit still to, excellent cocktails and just the right type of food. Everyone there was in a great mood, the staff and patrons alike

Ningjaeats

#kningjaeats at happy hour with the best cocktails. I haven't had a proper chance to try out their food menu but their spicy chicken wings were so juicy and perfect with the many cocktails I ordered. I will definitely be back for a cosy night of girlie chit chat with more drinks.

Phesephony Naidoo

Great pizzas and really amazing cocktails!!! Will definitely be back. Love that ALL cocktails are part of their happy hour!

Facebook User

Great food, rude staff. The food was great as were the cocktails, however very poor service!

Moon__angel72

Too noisy...food was slow. We had a birthday dinner here tonight and while it wasnt awful, I wouldnt really recommend it to others to have an intimate dinner or catching up with old friends. We had a booking at 7:30 pm and on a Saturday night, it was packed. We were taken to a corner barrel table which was awful in terms of ventilation, lighting and sound distribution. There was absolutely no air vent at half of the barrel tables so we spent most of our time there, while waiting tirelessly for our food to come out, standing around feeling like we are in the way of patrons rushing in and out the bathroom door. While the starters came out quite quickly, pizzas took quite a while to come out. However the duck and spicy prawns pizza were to die for. Drinks were not as good as we had expected. My fairy floss martini tasted like red medicine with little to no trace of vodka; my friend's rose had no hint of alcohol at all. The music was too loud and we were having a very difficult time catching up with friends we havent seen for a long time. Our conversations consisted mostly of "Whattt?" and "whaaa?"Lighting was so bad photos and selfies become a bunch of deleted blurs. Overall, while the pizzas were very nice, it would not have outweighed other factors. I dont think I would come to Lil Darlin again though.

Postcards From Peta

Perfect for a girls night out. The sweetest cocktails in Sydney

LiveLifeSydney

Li'l Darlin Surry Hills is only a short stroll from Central Station, a friendly waiter greeted us at the door and sat us down right in the centre of the restaurant. I looked around and was quite surprised to see a good number of people chatting over drinks on a Tuesday night, the whole ambience was warm and cosy with nice music in the background.

Louie

The youngest sibling in the Lil Darlin chain just hit Surry Hills. What used to be a simple patisserie on the corner of Devonshire and Elizabeth is now a laid back yet stylish cocktail and wine bar. And all those in the area are breathing a sigh of relief – finally a bar in this part of Surry Hills that locals don’t just have to settle for.

Confessions Of A Glutton

Pizza is classic bar food, but don’t expect any Hawaiian or plain Supreme pizzas here. First to roll out was the Crispy Peking Duck pizza, topped with tender, shredded pieces of Chinese roast duck, hoisin sauce, delicate slices of cucumber and garnished with coriander.

Petit Fours

Lil Darlin' has 3 locations, all promising a merry time. It's dark but inviting with bottles lining every square inch. We perch ourselves down and let the waiters welcome us in. Pork and Beef Meatballs 12 Salt & Pepper Calamari 14 Arancini Balls 12 Calamari was hot and fresh, straight out of the fryer and with two delicious sauces to boot. Then you've got the arancini balls which are little mouthfuls of soft rice and fontina cheese. Finished off with some simple meatballs finished in a rich tomato

Penguin Says Feed Me

I’ve passed by Li’l Darlin several times in Darlinghurst, and have always meant to drop by for a cheeky cocktail or two. But it’s hard when Gelato Messina is only a few doors down, and somehow gelato always became a priority when walking down Victoria Street and the idea was quickly forgotten. Gelato can do that to you sometimes. Luckily Li’l Darlin also has two other locations in Surry Hills and Randwick (which aren’t in very close proximity to a gelateria) so there was nothing to stop me from dropping by Li’l Darlin in Surry Hills to try some food and cocktails. Salt and pepper calamari – $14 We begin with a few starters, including salt and pepper calamari with a choice of two sauces, nahm jim sauce or chipotle aioli. The calamari is perfectly tender and the chipotle aioli delivers a slightly spicy kick but I find the batter a little oily for my liking. Arancini balls – $12 The arancini balls are crispy round nuggets of risotto stuffed with feta, fo

Listvianka

All tables reserved and nowhere to sit. Recently I went to Lil Darling with a girlfriend and we both ordered a cocktail ($17 each) but when we went to find a seat, every table had a reserved sign on it.. even though the bar was almost empty. We found a seat by the window that supposedly was free, but then one of the bar staff came to us and said we couldn't sit there because it was reserved. I asked him where he suggests we sit to drink our cocktails and he said 'sorry you need to book in advance to reserve a table'. I normally don't have the confidence to argue in public but on this occasion I felt I needed to tell him that he needed to review his customer service policy because if a customer spends $34 on drinks they should be able to sit down in an empty bar to drink it! He wanted to argue with us. Then one of the other staff members told us we were ok to sit there. We left after that, never will return!

Foodie1501

Was originally heading somewhere else to eat but as we walked past this place we wanted to go inside and check it out. An amazing and delicious menu of cocktails and also good choice of food options. My friend and I had a tapas style dinner and it was so yum! I especially enjoyed the arancini balls and salt and pepper calamari. I saw a few people order the burgers and they looked Devine. We had the Peking duck pizza and that was pretty good as well! A cool little tapas bar with delicious food! Definately worth a visit with friends!

It Is What It Is

Hungover?. I've been here many times. Once my friend was hungover so I brought her here. MUST EAT: Share platter for two. (This can honestly feed 4.) Pockets SO SO: The salmon salad (It just lacks a bit of flavour) NOTE: The fairy floss martini here tastes more like red medicine. HOWEVER, the fairy floss martini at the darlinghurst location is real tasty.

Kate Green

Great birthday dinner at Surry Hills Lil Darling. Starters, pizzas and " last meal on earth" chocolate brownie swirls were to die for on the set $35 menu. Very generous portions throughout and food kept coming at the perfect pace. Our waiter Sonny Joe was exceptional. Best service I've had in a very long time. Highly recommended for group dinners. Cocktails at $10 between 9 &10 on a Saturday night were a great bonus too. Yum and thanks ;)

Kimo

Friendly service and casual bar (no need to dress up) Everything we ordered was yum but the best was the Peking Duck pizza - tasted just like Peking Duck pancakes! Would visit again

David Murray

Greeted by very friendly and attentive staff. Great selection of beer, wine and cider. Tapas were delicious, served bery quickly (but we were there on a Sunday evening). The pizzas are an absolute must! The decor sets the mood. Reasonable prices.

Review Lil Darlin Surry Hills - Sydney