The Hill Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in Gerringong

We visited The Hill for dinner. The place has a beautiful view of the bay, which adds to the overall ambiance. However, while the setting is nice, there are a few areas that could be improved to make the experience even better.

Atmosphere & Seating • The restaurant has a minimalist white interior with some greenery, but it feels a bit empty. A few more decorative elements could make it feel cozier. • Some of the indoor plants appeared to be drying out, which slightly detracted from the aesthetic. • There is a fireplace inside, but it wasn’t in use, likely due to the warm weather. • The air inside had a noticeable cooking smell, making it a bit uncomfortable to sit indoors, so we chose to sit outside instead.

Ordering & Service • The restaurant follows a self-service ordering system—you place your order at the counter and pay in advance, even though the place looks like a full-service restaurant. • This system is common in the area, but it might limit upselling opportunities, such as ordering desserts later.

Food & Drinks • Sirloin Steak – Absolutely delicious, cooked to perfection with a nice smoky flavor. The side dishes—asparagus in sauce and baked potatoes—were excellent. • Fish and Chips – The fish was good, but the batter was slightly greasy. The fish pieces were thin, so the batter-to-fish ratio was a bit off. However, the tartar sauce was outstanding, so much so that I asked for extra. The fries were also great, with a flavorful seasoning beyond just salt. • Kids’ Pasta – A large portion of pasta with tomato sauce and Parmesan. Our child ate the whole plate, which is always a good sign! • Pipsqueak Cider – A well-balanced drink, not too sweet, not too sour, and very refreshing.

The stunning view and well-cooked steak made for an enjoyable dining experience. However, the interior could be made more inviting, and better air circulation inside would improve comfort. The counter-ordering system is efficient, but it might limit opportunities for additional sales. The food was overall very good, with only minor issues. A solid option if you’re in the area and want to enjoy a nice meal with a...

We unfortunately went here as we had it confused with another nearby restaurant who offered $1 dumplings; by the time we’d realised our mistake we were too committed, and so strapped in for the ride.

The food was, on the balance, edible. We waited 30 or so minutes for ours, which is not the worst. Having viewed some other tables I had low expectations in this regard, so was surprised pleasantly when our food came out at the time it did.

Unfortunately, my pleasant surprise rapidly evaporated. The fish tacos were appalling - it felt like they had whacked a cheap, fish and chip shop fried fish nugget in and then obliterated it with overwhelming acidic coleslaw. I don’t blame the chef - this is the fault of cheap ingredients and likely cost cutting. You can only work with what you’re given and this feels like a higher up issue.

On to the prawn linguine. This was fine. There was nothing wrong or untoward with the dish. It was, however, $36 for a single serve. That’s on the steeper end. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I think for that price you’d get a slightly better meal than what we had. There weren’t heaps of prawns and the pasta was a bit so-so. It was a fine enough dish - but it wouldn’t have been out of place for $24 at Fasta Pasta.

The chips were average too, sadly, meaning there was nothing to redeem the meal.

The view was nice and is about the only thing the place has going for it.

I don’t like writing bad reviews. It’s not fun and it has an impact on a business and the staff who work there. That being said, I felt ill about 2 hours after eating here and my girlfriend spent the next evening vomiting severely all night. You can never tell what causes these things, but neither of us left the restaurant feeling good about what we had eaten.

So, it is with much sadness that I must give only one star. I don’t fault the staff, who were just doing their job, but the place feels like it may have some...

Booked on-line for a 6pm, 90min dinner reservation. First up, lovely modern dining space. Open with great view. My partner and I were shown quickly to our small table (4 chairs 😮) small table and brought table water but with no glasses. We ordered food from the QR code on the table and ordered drinks from the bar. Bar service was quick and friendly. We ordered our food from the QR code: we ordered two light dishes and two mains. Despite there only being the two of us we got all four meals delivered to our table at the same time. Awkward to the point the food didn't fit on the table and two dishes had to be put on the spare chairs. No offer from staff to take mains away and keep warm plus still no glasses for the water.

Food wise we ordered the pork belly tacos and salt and pepper squid for our light starters and the mussels and fish and chips for our mains. The pork belly tacos were 3/5; pork belly was tasty and well prepared but what let it down was the overall presentation and the secondary ingredients seemed to be an afterthought. The salt ans pepper squid was well presented but disappointingly soggy hence a little oily. Also very generously seasoned - which I liked - but it may not be to everyone's taste. The small meals were a good size.

The mains were a good size and my partner really enjoyed the mussels. Only detraction was there was no spoon provided for her. My fish and chips were a massive disappointment and I only ate a third. The fish was very oily and the chips overcooked.

As for service there was no follow-up by staff on our food. Pretty much serve and forget. This venue looks good and the menu is varied and appealing. With better quality control of food and customer service this venue...