The Garden Bar Frederickton — Restaurant in Frederickton

Beyond overpriced, underwhelming but in a pretty location.

I’m going to assume, especially since they are currently looking for a Chef that the changes in the kitchen may be the cause for the drop in quality. However it’s still not the customers responsibility to overlook while being stung with prices so high Sydney would clutch its pearls.

It truly is a lovely spot for a cocktail and a lovely meal. Unfortunately the cost far far outweighs the execution. Their ambitious menu does not deliver with dishes not just under seasoned but not at all seasoned, so incredibly underwhelming. Quite frankly the audacity to charge what they do and make big claims in the menu and fail at the simplicity of seasoning makes me very mad. This isn’t just an expensive restaurant, it’s ludicrous especially for its location and clientele and in no way shape or form is this justifiable. The lovely view is not enough to justify ever going back. The service is weak and the menu is all talk and no walk.

I’m not sure if they ran out of salt or they just don’t believe in it. But not only did the kitchen not seem to have any, what was on the table wouldn’t produce more than a couple of specs after vigorously shaking the salt shaker like it owed me money.

I ordered 2 x drinks, a Cocktail $21 & Glass of wine $13. The glass of wine was so warm it was like drinking bath water. Shockingly warm. Like leaving your bottle of water in the car on a hot day, or maybe they microwave their wine? The server did apologize but did offer to get some ice, 4 cubes I put in melted within 60 seconds.

2 x entrees (burrata $26!! And Pork Belly $24). Not a speck of seasoning on the ball of burrata or the handful of cherry tomatoes and the accompanying 4 leaves of basil and drop of balsamic. Bland and mostly inedible. Wet cheese, not drained and some cherry tomatoes could not possibly retail for more than $12, but more than double is just appalling. For what reason? The pork belly was undercooked, stiff, dry and cold and then absolutely smothered in a thick coating of gochujang paste. So underwhelming. Pass.

Next was 2 x mains (Chicken burger $28! & Fish Special of Barramundi $44!!!!!) The chicken burger was a fairly good looking burger consisting of a southern fried (kfc like) style chicken breast and pickle with a chipotle slaw, fries and aioli. Decent but so overly expensive, how a piece of fried chicken on a bun with slaw is $28 I would love to know? The Barramundi was a nice piece of fish, cooked almost perfectly if it wasn’t for the NO seasoning and fail at crisp skin. It was served with a beurre blanc sauce, green beans and “fondant potatoes”…. They were not remotely fondant potatoes, as a chef and this being my favourite kind of potato and the sole reason for me choosing this dish I was very angry to realize they were not at all what was described on the menu, not seasoned, crispy or caramelized in any fashion. Small triangles of skin on boiled unseasoned potatoes, so utterly disappointing. The green beans were flashed and shocked to quickly so too raw and cold and as on theme not seasoned at all. So disappointing and an absolute joke for $44.

2 x Dessert (Brownie $15 & Affogato $10). The brownie was cold and average with a bright green scoop of pistachio ice cream that faintly smelled and tasted of pistachio but was the colour of cheap mint ice cream which was a dead giveaway. The affogato came 15mins after and being that it is simply a shot of coffee and a scoop of vanilla ice cream was baffling why it took so long.

From this experience alone there is not a chance I would trust them with a wedding. Poor service, poor kitchen performance and insane prices does not equal quality, customer first practices.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t do it and certainly don’t assume you can charge your customers the moon, that of a Michelin star restaurant for you to try your hand and just guess. I sincerely hope they pull their finger out and stop the price gouging. They are in need of some respect and a hefty portion...

Finding the perfect wedding venue can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, but from the moment we stepped foot onto Garden Bar & Kitchen, we knew we had found our needle – and it was everything we could have ever wanted and more.

From our very first enquiry to the last dance, Megan and the team at Garden Bar & Kitchen was absolutely phenomenal. Our wedding coordinator, Megan, was an absolute dream to work with, she was incredibly responsive, organised, and went above and beyond to ensure every detail was perfect. We had a vision for our day, and she not only embraced it but elevated it with her expertise and passion. The venue itself is simply breathtaking. Our guests were constantly commenting on how beautiful the space was, and it provided the most incredible backdrop for our photos.

Beyond the aesthetics, the service was impeccable. The food was absolutely delicious. The staff on the day were so attentive and professional, ensuring everyone had what they needed without ever being intrusive.

They were incredibly flexible and accommodating with our requests, no matter how big or small. It felt like they genuinely cared about our happiness and were invested in creating the wedding of our dreams.

If you're looking for a wedding venue that combines stunning beauty with unparalleled service, look no further than Garden Bar & Kitchen. They delivered on every promise and exceeded our expectations...

We just had my son’s wedding at this location and they could not have been more helpful and accommodating. The atmosphere was fantastic, the restaurant looked great and the food, as always, was unbelievably good. The wait and bar staff and the manager were amazing and there is a separate building for the actual wedding ceremony for which the restaurant supplied chairs and signing table etc. I highly recommend this not just as a restaurant but as a wedding/function venue. A particular shout-out to the barman on the night. I don’t know his name but he was happy to discuss the origins of the various drinks as he mixed them, and made the evening that little bit more interesting and his knowledge and enthusiasm for his work is to be commended. This is not to say the other staff were not equally helpful and accommodating. Overall a fantastic experience for all involved, not just on the night but in the lead up to the ceremony. They could not have been more helpful and my son and daughter-in-law were made to feel special every time they visited the restaurant in the months leading to the ceremony, even if they were there just for a meal and not for a planning session. That personal touch puts the Garden Bar and Kitchen at the top of my list for both a restaurant and a function venue...