Courgette Restaurant — Restaurant in District of Canberra Central

Second visit: We came back despite the new management. We weren’t particularly impressed with the service second time round though, which is disappointing because we booked in specifically based on our previous experience. The wait staff were wonderful with the other guests but seemed to take exception to me because I was in a flannel shirt (from Uniqlo but what does that matter). I was snubbed. My partner also observed this. When I asked to change a couple of the menu options in the 7 course degustation, the waiter cut me off before I could tell him about my dietary requirements, and told me that the kitchen would know what to do and walked away. He didn’t bother to check with me, but fortunately, I was okay with the substitutes. We remained polite and left a tip nonetheless because the food was still delicious. When we visit Canberra, we have carer duties for frail family members. By the end of the week before we go home to Victoria, we’re exhausted and appearance is far from mind. All we want is just to go somewhere where we are looked after. That didn’t happen on this occasion and because of that, there won’t be another.

First visit: We really needed a relaxing night out and we were so glad we ended up Courgette. I called two other restaurants while we were sitting in the car in our driveway. One, I couldn’t get through to, and the other could only offer a table at their next sitting at 8:30pm, which was too late for us because we were tired and hungry. Courgette was extremely accommodating to book us in between sittings when I declined their next sitting. (I didn’t ask them to. They offered to have a table ready for us on arrival in 20 mins.)

We made very minimal effort with our appearance but we didn’t care and neither did anyone else. The kitchen was was so good when I asked if one of the degustation meats could be replaced. I would’ve happily foregone the dish if the response was no but this was no trouble at all.

Our waiter was amazing. His manners and customer service were second to none and I wish I’d asked his name at the time. He looked after us from beginning to end. After being there for about 1.5 hours, we explained to him that our gogo juice was running very low and we’d have to head home soon (we’re in our forties), he offered to ask the kitchen to speed up our dishes. Again, the kitchen and wait staff were so accommodating, bringing them out in record time one after the other.

The food was outstanding and we had such a relaxing environment with a little garden view next to us. It was also all the other little things that made this minimal effort outing exactly what we needed. Thank...

I have a huge fine dining experience and hold management position within this industry so I have received numerous positive reviews regarding this restaurant, which consistently praises its exceptional cuisine and elegant ambiance. The food was indeed of high quality, and the atmosphere was quite sophisticated, albeit slightly chilly for our preference. The venue exuded a refined ambiance, befitting a fine dining establishment.

Regrettably, the service experience significantly diminished our overall enjoyment of the meal. For a restaurant that has garnered numerous accolades, including prestigious awards, the service fell short of expectations, resembling that of a casual bar.

Overall, the entire staff lacks service experience. There is no waiter; instead, a manager walks from table to table with a tablet and is the only one who takes orders. We waited a long time before placing an order. Runners serve you. There is a significant lack of communication within the team. Five different people asked us if we wanted to order drinks when we had already ordered. They also set our table without providing us with napkins, forcing us to ask for them after receiving our first course.

We opted for the five-course tasting menu, which included a wine pairing. Our meal consisted of a printed menu that provided a brief description of each dish. The dishes were placed on our table without any explanation from the staff, indicating a lack of knowledge or understanding of their offerings. The wine pairing was particularly disappointing. It felt as though we had ordered at the bar rather than the restaurant. The wine was not accompanied by any information about its grape variety, producer, vintage or other relevant details that you expect when you pay for a wine pairing.

This lack of service is unacceptable for an establishment of this caliber.

In conclusion, would I recommend this restaurant? While the kitchen’s quality is commendable, it falls short of expectations in terms of overall dining experience. We had booked for our anniversary, but there was no effort made to acknowledge the occasion, not even a verbal greeting from the staff.

I sincerely hope that you will reconsider your current work approach. The meticulous attention to detail and the exceptional quality of service are fundamental components that contribute to the positive reputation of a restaurant. Regrettably, solely relying on the quality of cuisine is...

Pretty average - I had high expectations of Courgette, having heard of it for many years as a must-visit in Canberra.

Having grown up here, I think Courgette may just be resting on its laurels - the foodie scene in Canberra has really come a long way in the last 10-15 years, and relatively speaking, Courgette is extremely average. Was not impressed by a single thing I ate.

We called to book, and my partner mentioned that we wanted to have the set menu, but that I do not like lamb - which they told us wasn't a problem, they would swap it out. You'd think that an establishment which promotes itself as being 'high-end' would have noted something like this down for our visit - would've really added a nice element of customer service to the experience. We came in for lunch, told them we wanted the set menu + reiterated that I do not like lamb. Guess what arrived?! Lamb. Thanks! Hate it.

The wagyu beef was cooked to the point that it was indistinguishable from a piece of rump steak that's been cooked for 8 hours. Don't see the point. If you want to eat delicious wagyu, Raku does it well. Seared on the outside, thinly sliced - that's all you need to do with a piece of wagyu steak.

Others have mentioned this in their reviews, but charging $2 for a bread roll I did not even request seems ridiculous. Surely the margin on the food should cover giving someone a bread roll which probably cost 20c. Literally was not even given the option - they were placed on our table, and we were charged. Rude.

Ordered a cocktail which was chock-full of berries, with a paper straw, in a scratched glass. The straw barely extended 1cm over the rim of the glass, and went soggy so quickly - did not enjoy.

I'd been to Morks in the same week and had a fantastic experience, so this might've influenced how disappointed I was with Courgette. Staff at Morks were very attentive, explained dishes, food was amazing and full of flavour, I never had to flag anyone down for a refill of my drink, atmosphere amazing.

Wouldn't go back - atmosphere super average, food average, service also average. Lots of nicer places to dine in Canberra nowadays - places that serve innovative food, with amazing service. Drizzling sauce decoratively over every plate to make it look pretty doesn't really cut the...