Cecilia's Restaurant & Wine Bar — Restaurant in New South Wales

(3.5 stars) Cecilia's is an all-day restaurant located in a locally-focused strip mall in a Central Coast suburb best known for its beach, the pretty Toowoon Bay. Lured in by an online menu that promised six small plates for $90 with interesting options running from prawn Thermidor to kingfish crudo, we were disappointed to find them offering a short bistro lunch menu with just five options.

While my mother-in-law was quite pleased to see her usual, barramundi and chips ($25), our disappointment was somewhat assuaged by being allowed to order a dozen deep-cup Pacific oysters ($40/12) from the night-time menu. We took them three ways—au natural, sloshing in over-done ponzu and chives, and under a clever cheesy bacon and wasabi topper. Oysters felt appropriate in this coastal venue filled with whitewashed furniture, fishing basket lights and—being a corner restaurant—plenty of natural light. Beef cheeks ($25) with crisp Brussels sprouts and confit spuds seemed a bit heavy for a seaside lunch, but are well and were generously proportioned. Many guests seemed to be soaking up the restaurant’s laid-back vibe and lingering over all-day breakfast. Not feeling like a dish with bistro-style fries, I opt to join them by switching out smoked salmon for copious bacon on the smoked salmon crumpets ($20) with scrambled eggs, spinach and caviar.

To drink, the short list of house-wines are inexpensive with almost all of them bearing the Falling Leaf label. Otherwise there are crafties, Brookvale Ginger Beer ($9) or frosty lychee and mint smoothies ($9) for the designated driver in your party (that would be me). With lots of dining events geared at locals, I suspect I’d have liked this venue more if I’d visited for dinner. I was however pretty chuffed to see Sydney performing icon, Deb Roach...

In reply to my previous review as the response was in no way fact.

Owners response….. Our signature lemongrass chicken salad, which is our only chicken dish. The chicken is freshly poached prior to service and the dish is made to order. Due to its popularity the chicken we prepare on the day sells out. Our kitchen maintains strict quality control standards to ensure freshness of the dishes we serve.

My response I didnt stipulate the exact chicken dish we ordered in my initial review however We purchased the lemongrass chicken dish. It was in no way fresh nor cooked the day prior. It was off. Plain and simple!

Owner response…. While we respect that your experience didn't meet your expectations, we're confident in our food safety and quality standards. We've checked our booking system and have no record of your reservation or visit, which makes it difficult for us to investigate your specific concerns.

My response…. I didn’t personally make the reservation so you wouldn’t have found my details on your booking system. So don’t insinuate that I am not telling the truth and insult me.

Owner response…. On the evening that you mentioned we were extremely busy and are confused about the comments you have made regarding the establishment and service period.

My response…. I did raise it with you directly! You were rude, abrupt and in no way wanting any constructive feedback hence one of the reasons I chose to do an honest review than argue with you in the restaurant, your words to me were “we are busy, I do t have time for this” and you walked away.

You’re aggressive and rude and in no way approachable. So forgive me for not reaching out to you again for a...

I feel that Cecilia’s is a cafe trying hard to be a restaurant. My partner and I dined there on Saturday February 19th. The food was good and the service was excellent from our waitress. The wine list is pretty poor. Wines are listed as $59 or $79. Under the headline “Cellared wines” everything was 2018 or 2019. Vodka martini and espresso martini that we ordered arrived in tumblers. No big deal really. As I say it’s a cafe pretending to be a restaurant.

However my major gripe (and warning to all prospective diners) relates to the booking process. We booked online and $50 per person was immediately charged to my credit card. Not the end of the world, but quite unusual. Mostly establishments hold your card details rather than instantly charge.

Again not a massive deal except that at the end of the evening when I went to pay the bill (to the co-owner Sean) I was charged the full amount.

As I walked back to Kim’s Beach House my partner reminded me. I called the restaurant and arranged to go back in the next day to collect my $100.

Sorry, but the cynic in me says that this happens all the time. If you don’t remember, then conveniently neither does he. I absolutely guarantee it has happened before and he’s pocketed the “bonus”.

Hopefully this review will mean that it doesn’t...