Review Twenty One - Woollahra

Really enjoyed the rustic European feel of this cafe. Portions were generous (big breakfast) and the chicken schnitzel sandwich is a must try. Eggs Benedict were lovely as well. Don't forget the coffee. Service was friendly and food came out promptly. Decor is a bit dated but the food quality and service more than makes up for it. Will definitely come back!

Always great family time here 🥰 Yummy foods,friendly services and nice setup for years in Double Bay~ From mains to soups even desserts…. We always had happy full belly ❤️

Ordered the crumbed mushrooms and cabbage rolls. This restaurant is a huge missed opportunity for Slavic European migrants and their children to connect with this beautiful food culture. The chefs seriously cut corners with our meal. Lumpy mashed potatoes, inconsistent mushrooms smelling of over-used oil, the worst plating i’ve ever seen in my entire life, and so-called “blue cheese sauce” which was plain mayo with blue cheese bits crumbled into it. Seemed like flavours and seasoning were totally random and unconsidered by the chefs. Waiter was terrible, bumping into guests, slamming down glasses and menus, dropped someone’s meal on the floor, but it did seem like his first shift. Overpriced for poor quality of food and service. Will not be returning. This restaurant could be a beautiful thing if they stopped letting standards slip so much.

Old school comfort food - love it. Not many of these kinds of places left in Sydney. Good service, nice wine list. Crumbed veal was moist and tender. Deep fried mushrooms with blue cheese dipping sauce - yum. Only thing missing was potato salad. We will be back, even just for the nostalgia 🥰

great experience as usual. all was perfect though the cucumber salad size was smaller than i recall and the schnitzel size was not as large as previously. but beautifully cooked and presented.

I have been coming to 21 since it opened in 1958. I currently have very strict dietary requirements and I have returned to 21 recently and have been extremely appreciative of the attention to detail and range of choice I have. I have also brought friends who have never been to 21 before who were amazed at the range and variety of the menu. I'll be back again soon!

This restaurant is the heart and soul of a community. You can easily see three or four generations of people there. A warm and homely place. The food is good too!

I’m a coffee lover and this cafe did not disappoint. My husband and I enjoyed our breakfast and service. =) We were glad that the place is also dog friendly, as we had our small furpets with us. Lovely table outside facing the street. We definitely enjoyed our time on a lazy, beautiful Sunday morning. My fave cafe now in Double Bay. 😍

Food was reasonable but nothing special<br/>Our waitress however was short and verging on rude but some of the other younger waitress were the opposite lunch if the draw unfortunately <br/>Won’t return <br/>

Used to love this place. Something has changed and not for the better. Less than average experience as the food is not as nice as it was. Friendly staff but the food is letting them down.

This is a great little spot in Double Bay that serves up killer schnitzels. We ordered a few dishes. The watermelon haloumi was divine. The garlic prawns dish 🦐 was average, would have liked it to be bit more buttery. The chopped liver is definitely a must try! I was extremely impressed by the cabbage rolls. But disappointed that there were no pork dishes to choose from 😥 They had a range of desserts which looked amazing, I had a Russian coffee which was basically a black coffee with vodka in it 😍👌 The service is fantastic. A little gem 💎 highly recommended!

best schnitzel in Sydney. if not Australia. i come here every time i'm in Sydney without fail. Superb. order  the veal schnitzel not the chicken, the veal is the better option in my opinion.

Had my friends birthday dinner here. The food was really good. I had the chicken snitchzel with mash and spinach. It was one of the best I have ever had, and I've had many. My friend had a seafood pasta which she enjoyed thoroughly. The service was great and the food came out quickly. I did find however that there was a lot of foot traffic and the people sitting at the ends of the table would get bumped often. Also I found the prices really high, personally too high to justify even for the best snitchzel. Luckily my friend paid for the dinner. Otherwise the atmosphere was great and we had a good night.

Best and most famous comfort food in double bay like the best schnitzels in the area along with Matzoh ball soup for 7yr olds to 70yr olds everyone finds something to like

We chose this restaurant as there were a lot of diners there. We were tourists and thought it would be good. It was totally full inside so we were told to seat outside - there were lots of heaters so it was warm. Menu is extensive and lots to choose from. I have a condition that restricts my diet, so I chose lamb cutlets on their own and asked if I could have steamed veggies and creamed spinach instead of the bacon and mash that came with the lamb cutlets. Beside the lamb cutlets description it said "cooked to perfection". They were tough and dry, I was served 4 (very generous), I only ate 2. Steamed veggies were dry (again generous portion). Creamed spinach was not good and I sent it back uneaten. I ate the rest because I was hungry. Toilet was filthy. When it came to paying the bill ($86 for two pax - no alcohol). I asked the owner to take the spinach off the bill - a horrible outburst happened and he even grabbed my arm when I told him I wasn't paying all the bill. He was not interested in pleasing the client at all. He didn't want to listen to me. He suggested I pay what I wanted and get out. I paid $70 and he wasn't happy. He said if I didn't pay, he'd call the police. Which he did. The night was a horrible experience. The owner has no people skills and the restaurant is overpriced. I would have expected a lot better in Double Bay.

What a wonderful friendly experience in this nostalgic restaurant. Whilst sitting and looking at the menu we noticed the size of the meals was huge. So to boost our appetite we started with an Aperol and soda water. The wine list is very minimal but full of quality and from the outset you can tell people are here for the food. Quite a strong Hungarian influence.<br/>We had the Transylvania layered cabbage with mince and Hungarian sausage, which was magnificent until we got to the middle and found it was cold. Our waiter wasted not time in getting back into the oven and back out promptly, it was superb...But why or how can that happen in an I institution?<br/>We also had the two types of wiener schnitzel with French salad and fries (fries were just OK) but the Schnitzels were incredible, look at the pics. Soft, juicy the nicest crumbing.<br/>Overall I think this place is great and if your looking for a home style traditional big plate full of goodness feed, go there. Book.in advance, it gets really busy about 7.00pm.<br/>Desert we rarely have but when we saw the apple and cinnamon pan cake come out we had to have one. It's like a calzone in size with fruits and apple perhaps straight from the apple strudel mix. Delightful!

Popped in around lunch time based on the various good reviews. There were about 10 people there, including those ordering takeaway coffee. I ordered a cappuccino and almond croissant at the counter and took a seat. The coffee came about 10 minutes later. I suppose my face prompted the server to "wake up" and asked, sounding a bit uncertain, "you want an almond croissant?". So he went back for the croissant which was quite big and tasty. The coffee, however, was luke warm, almost no foam and rather "thin" - I'm guessing it had been poured and then sat around on the counter before being served.<br/><br/>Overall, disappointing given that there are quite a few complementary reviews.

My favourite restaurant in Double Bay. Nice location and services are excellent. Their food are delicious. Tea/coffee is nice. Highly recommended.

Awesome beef burger, don't be put off by the dated decor. The burger was one of the best I've had. Service was quick and friendly. Definitely return.

Came here for lunch on Saturday and had the Beef medallions with mashed potatoes, which were bite size fillets. These were delicious and the mashed potatoes were good too. For dessert, I had the gundel, which was a grounded walnut with rum filling and had chocolate topping. This was the signature dessert dish of this joint and it was delicious. The chocolate melted in my mouth, which felt so good. The service was good and the staff were attentive, as well as friendly. This place is located in the heart of Double bay, one of the wealthiest suburbs of Australia, where all the streets are neatly laid out. The prices are a bit steep, but you get what you pay for. This place is great for catching up with people and offers a great vibe. I highly recommend this place to all.

Consistently delicious homely food in a cosy old world atmosphere. Favorites are the Vienna schnitzel with mash, chicken soup and bon vivant cake.

The decor was probably in fashion one day... but who cares, really?! The food was good, hearty and tasty. The staff was very attentive too. What I liked about it, was the fact that the place is packed with locals that the staff greet everytime they walk in: the sign that it's a great place to eat!

Overpriced, heavy unsatisfying food. My partner and I visited this place for the first time yesterday for lunch and weren't too happy with the food. I ordered the Hungarian meatballs, which were like HUGE meat like patties put into a large dish filled to the brim in heavy and thick oily sauce with a few chopped beans. The meatballs were swimming in this sauce that had a soup like consistency leaving me feeling very heavy after the first few bites, but not satisfying at all. <br/><br/>My partner ordered the beef burger with fries. His beef was very limp and not meaty at all and the fries had no flavour or added salt to them.<br/><br/>Just felt like the meals were overpriced for what they were and the lady who served us was not that friendly.

Chicken schnitzel with mash potato and spinach was delicious. Loved the pork knuckle and cabbage. Staff were all attentive and easy going and the owner very helpful and friendly. Great European restaurant . Recommended !

Loved it. The best European food I have had in 24 travels

It's ok, nothing spesh. My favourites are the cheesecake and strudels.

Mmmm. I visit 2 weeks ago saturday night with a group of friends and had a matzo dupling soup with an amazing top crop salad with smoked salmon. Well salad was amazingly huge and it was beatiful and fresh. Staff welcoming and service very fast. I will create my chance to go back 21 and will have that salad again.

Sure the decor is a bit dowdy but the food is hearty satisfying and authentic and the kitchen amazingly efficient and staff welcoming. Yes it's been around a long time but that's because it gets it right

Very cosy...Good food..good price...goood service....appeals to the elderly judging fron the crowd.

Will always come here.. I have been to 21 since I was a child and will hopefully take my children there in the future. Service is always polite, fast and so is the food delivery. Don't need a menu because everytime it is chicken snitzel with mash potato and spinach! Can't go wrong... YUM!

It was a good little restraunt; good waitresses and service. However most importantly the food was great! I ordered the half half schnitzel which had 1 chicken schnitzel and 1 veal with fries and on the side some creamy spinach paste. It was all delicious and I ate it all! Portions are quite large which is a good thing i guess :) I also ordered a chocolate smoothie and god that was amazing ! Yeah i'd recommend going here xx

I like it. I like the restaurant. It may not be fashionable but it has it's own style and very clean. I love most of the food here, creamed spinach, pork knuckle, layered dish, cabbage roll. I go there every third week and I am Asian. just want to say - it is part of my diet now , so homely ..

Thank you 21 Espresso. Thank G-d, I have finally found a restaurant that gives you the feeling of the "good life" .<br/>For the first time in 30 years I have found a restaurant that delivers what it promises...GOOD FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br/>The food here is absolutely fabulous. I have eaten in different places all around the world...and if you want <br/>a meal that Moma used to make 'PLUS' ....THIS IS IT!!!!!<br/>From the soups, to the mains and sweets...I cannot choose the best......All I can say is Jenny Craig...Weight<br/>Watchers....EAT YOU HEART OUT!!!!<br/>CANNOT WAIT TO RETURN.

The Heart of Double Bay. I dine a lot at 21. I've been going there for many years. Everything about the place is great. The atmosphere is very homely. The waiters and waitresses are always caring and efficient...always happy to help. I love the matzo dumpling soup. It's flavoursome and a real treat. The food is all very authentically European and appetizing. I almost forgot to mention the apple strudel. What can I say - delicious! I always love dining at 21 and I look forward to my next visit, which I'm sure will be very soon.

Great atmosphere. When I first went to 21 Espresso in Double Bay was about a year ago. I found that place welcoming I always feel relaxed there. The food is great. The staff is very polite and professional, always keep smiling. There is nothing they would not do for you even some changes just to meet your needs. I go back whenever I can.

Home away from home. Living in Newcastle, this is the closest I get to Hungarian restaurants, unfortunately Melbourne has more of them than the whole of NSW. Yet, when in Sydney, this is the place to eat Hungarian! The flavours are true to the tradition and the service is welcoming. Fantastic find.

Love this restaurant. Wonderful home cooked meals and owner is fantastic.

I have been to Cafe 21 a couple of time now and I do not live in the eastern suburbs and I absolutely loved everything about it, going back there again today. It is absolutely great

Same old, same old. I grew up fressing in this icon of Double Bay. And that's the problem. Neither the decor, nor the menu have changed in decades. Now that might be good thing. Familiarity. But then again, well worn and 70s era furniture has to rely on a highly loyal clientele. And maybe that's the reason why 21 still continues to function. Many a meal being served each night to the mature aged/ Hungarian Eastern suburbs set.<br/>Unfortunately i think 21 is a metaphor for much of Double Bay. Tired.<br/>Aside from the decor, the food is reasonably tasty. The portion sizes however are really large. And the menu is diverse. <br/>I normally do the schnitzel, with coleslaw, or creamed spinach. The fish (of the day) and chips a colleague ordered was substantial and the lamb shanks another ordered, looked as if they were from the Jurassic era - positively huge. <br/>Whilst most recently I did not order dessert, I know the waffles, pancakes and cakes/tortes are all delicious.<br/>We waddled out happily fed and know, when we return again, it will be same old, same old. <br/>BTW - free Chuppa Chups at the register are a nice touch.

Needs renovation. I think the restaurant can do with a renovation, its been like that for 15 years....and you are paying Double Bay prices.

Eastern suburbs favorite. Been a Double Bay favorite for ever. Always reliable. Double Bay's best Eastern European restaurant. Famous for it's greatmatzo ball soup, schnitzels, spinach puree and supurb gundel pancakes.<br/>A favorite with the older eastern suburbs set.