Manny's Wine & Fish Burleigh Beach — Restaurant in Gold Coast City

We visited the restaurant for dinner a few days ago. The restaurant is a very small venue with approximately 25-30 seats. We chose the 3 course set menu for $69 plus 5% Saturday service fee.

The first course was 2 Labneh and 2 Banjan crisps, the second was a small cup of Aadess lentil soup and the third course was 1 lamb skewer, 1 chicken skewer, tabouleh and bread.

My verdict as a professional chef myself:

Overall, the food was not bad but the price performance ratio doesn’t seem sustainable. The size of the courses are too small for the price and quality. The restaurant tries with the prices and portion sizes to represent a fine dining restaurant but it’s missing out on a few things: If you have an open kitchen everything needs to be spotless. You have 3 cooks in your little kitchen and everyone of them spends time on their mobile phone when they have nothing to do in the very corner assuming that guests won’t see them. They don’t wash their hands before or after using there phone. This is a concerning point due to the fact that you are using raw chicken in your kitchen (cross-contamination). I don’t want to tell you how to run your restaurant better, but one way to improve your value for money is to reconsider your staffing: you have 3 cooks and 2 service members employed in a small size restaurant and they all have time to stand around or engage with their phones. This indicates that you may not need all of them and adjustments would improve your prices, and the quality of guests’ experience and not lastly, avoid any potential hygiene issues (as they won’t have time for their phones). Good luck, mate.

Response from the owner an hour ago

Dear Brendan, thank you kindly for your detailed review. Which restaurant do you chef at? Regards, Patrick

Hello Patrick,

Thank you for your prompt response. However, name is not Brendan. The restaurants are located in...

If you’re drawn in by glowing reviews, think twice—this restaurant charges fine-dining prices for average food and tiny portions. I don’t mind paying premium prices for premium food, but this was nothing special—good Lebanese food but no better than what I’ve had elsewhere for half the price. While the food was decent and the service polite, it’s just not worth the cost. 2/5. (More detail below)

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The tasting menu was a red flag right away—it was actually more expensive than ordering the same dishes individually, which felt like an obvious attempt to overcharge diners. The trio of dips, priced at $26, came in tiny portions—barely three tablespoons of each dip—something you’d usually get for free or in much larger servings elsewhere. The falafel, at $26 for four pieces and a small dollop of hummus, was average and equally overpriced. The fattoush salad, at $17, was another disappointment—tiny and lacking the crispy pita pieces you’d expect.

The mains, chicken shish and kofta, were tasty but nothing remarkable, and they didn’t feel special enough to justify their fine dining price tag and without any sides. I don’t mind paying premium prices for premium food, but this was just average Lebanese food, no better than what I’ve had elsewhere for half the price. The whole experience felt like paying for a high-end meal but getting little in return.

To top it off, the server, who had been excellent all night, didn’t ask how the meal was and instead jumped straight to offering dessert and presenting the card machine, subtly suggesting a tip. We would have been happy to share feedback if asked, but this made the experience feel rushed and impersonal.

For the price, it’s just not worth it. While the food was decent, the poor value means we wouldn’t...

Our special night was made even more special by the restaurant Rabbath Burleigh. It was a special romantic Lunar New Year eve reunion dinner as well as to celebrate our 7 months apart reunion. The Lebanese food just blew our minds. Firstly, the owners Patrick and Renee made us feel so welcome. It was like there was nothing they wouldn't do for our dining pleasure and made sure it was perfect! My husband is allergic to most beers and have had numerous problems in restaurants just to be able to drink there. When they realized that he couldn't drink their beer, within minutes they sent out for grab to deliver exactly the beer he liked. We were totally blown away! This brought my husband to tears after years of fighting with restaurant staff who wouldn't allow him that privilege. Secondly, the food was just AMAZING! My husband who is very particular about food felt like he was a Master Chef judge savouring and tasting each and every dish with such delight. Now, he has eaten a ton of tabuole in his life but nothing like this. As he said, the flavours were just zinging all over his mouth, they even smoked the pomegranate seeds. They were so passionate about their family recipes that their food reflected the love and thoughtfulness that branded their menu. And when it was over, we really did feel like we had dinner with family. Thanks guys, we will never forget it. Food was top-notch! Service was immaculate!! Thank you so much! We'll definitely be back again!❤️ (sorry the review came a bit late as my husband was a bit delayed in posting and i realized he didn't post it here too but on his own fb page. we recommended a couple to your resto and they too were...