Margarita Daze — Restaurant in New South Wales

Margarita Daze had all the promise of a relaxed coastal venue with stunning beachfront views and a vibrant, easygoing atmosphere. Unfortunately, our recent visit was anything but enjoyable. What should have been a casual and relaxing evening out quickly turned into one of the most disappointing dining experiences we’ve had in quite some time.

From the moment we arrived, the service was dismissive and unwelcoming. We were greeted by a waitress who, instead of offering a warm welcome, opened with the blunt remark, “You’ve only got this table until 7.” There was no smile, no introduction, and no attempt to make us feel comfortable. This abrupt and unfriendly attitude set a negative tone for the evening and left us feeling like we were just being rushed through the system.

Not long after ordering, we were asked to move tables. To our dismay, we were relocated to a small, low coffee-style table that was completely unsuitable for a full dinner. Eating a main meal while hunched over such a table was uncomfortable and made the entire experience feel unprofessional and disorganised. To make matters worse, our original table was part of a set of three smaller tables pushed together, and one of the longer, more suitable tables nearby—which could have comfortably seated our group—remained completely unused for the entire night. It was baffling and frankly insulting to be shuffled off to a substandard spot while better seating sat empty.

On top of the poor seating arrangements and bad service, the prices were eye-watering. The drinks menu was more aligned with a high-end Sydney CBD cocktail bar than a relaxed beachside venue. Cocktails were expensive, yet nothing about the quality or service justified the cost. It felt like we were being charged for a premium experience that simply wasn’t being delivered.

The overall atmosphere was chaotic, but not in a fun or upbeat way. It lacked warmth, organisation, and attention to detail. No one came by to check on us, offer water refills, or see if we needed anything else. It was as though once we were seated, we were forgotten altogether. The combination of dismissive service, awkward furniture, and poor management made the entire experience feel rushed and poorly thought out.

Perhaps most frustrating was the complete lack of effort to make amends. There was no apology for moving us, no attempt to explain the decision, and no sign of care about the comfort or satisfaction of their guests. For a venue with such a prime location and strong social media presence, it was an enormous letdown.

What made it even more disappointing was that our table spent over $1,000 at the venue. For that level of spending, we expected far better service and treatment. It’s not just about the money—it’s about respect for your customers and basic hospitality. Sadly, Margarita Daze failed on...

Unfortunately, we have had to give Margarita Daze a 1 star review due to our most recent experience, it's a shame because 1 year ago we actually left you a 5 star review. Last week my partner and I attended Margarita Daze to celebrate a milestone in our life, we were happy and wanted to enjoy a nice night of food and a couple of drinks. We ordered a bottle of wine and our 2 meals and no sooner that we sat down, our bottle of wine was full of fruit flies. It's important to note that we were sitting inside the restaurant, not outside. My partner approached the bar to request a replacement and a lid for the bottle, the fact that there were flies in the restaurant didn't overly bother us but having them in our drinks was an issue. The shaved head male that wears the black 'covid marshal' T-shirt responded really abruptly 'well, I can't replace every bottle of wine that has flies in it' , didn't make eye contact with my partner or apologise and then proceeded to slam things around the bar. My partner was shocked and came back to the table, told me what happened and to be honest it ruined our night and made us feel really uncomfortable for the remainder of the night. We understand that it's been a really tough time for hospitality, well a lot of industries to be fair. There are a lot of people that would be happy to take this mans place that are currently out of work that I'm sure would offer a much better customer service experience. We continued to watch this man for the rest of our time at the restaurant and he was so rude to everyone he served, we hope this isn't the owner or manager. What a disaster that would be for your business. We have actually emailed the restaurant a few days ago and have had no response so this type of service is obviously acceptable in this venue. This is why we have left a 1 star review. Long time supporters of this restaurant, now will...

Margarita daze has been a place we have regularly visited since it first opened. We come regularly with family that live in Umina. We have always loved going and the staff have always been very friendly and welcoming. That was until we visited the other day 29/12/23 and were greeted by Georgie. A very unfriendly and quite rude bartender. Three people were turned away in front of us. Before we asked if we could sit outside. There were plenty of free tables outside and people sitting outside as well. She said we could “but just so you know if it does rain I cannot bring you inside”. She kept repeating this even though we had understood as we did not have a booking. There were also partially sheltered tables outside. Rather than approaching the situation with a positive attitude her attitude was very off putting. Had we not have been there before we probably would have left. But we normally do love the atmosphere of margarita daze so we decided to sit outside. The other staff were very nice and helpful but the same cannot be said for Georgie. Whilst ordering she was tapping her fingers and sighing as if we were taking too long. We found her to be quite condescending and uninterested in helping us. After ordering I spoke to my mum who has been there earlier in the day. She had explained to me that she was just as rude to her earlier. It’s very disappointing for such a nice place that has always had such lovely and accomodating staff there’s one in the mix that can drain the atmosphere of which we have always loved. We would love to come back but are reluctant after such a poor experience. With the prices put up, the food is lovely but it is the atmosphere...