Atelier By Sofitel — Restaurant in Sydney

Let me just first disclose, we have stayed and dined at the Sofitel Darling Harbour several times in the past and did have an amazing experience in both the Champaign Bar and Atlier.

Unfortunately this time we had quite a different and dissapointing experience.

THE CHAMPAIGN BAR

We arrived 1 hour before our dinner reservation and were seated infront of the bar towards the harbour (Unfortunately the view will dissapear shortly with the new development for Darling Harbour)

Our order was taken quite quickly and the cocktails were absolutely exceptional- we had their signature hotel cocktail and the lemon tart cocktail.

We would have liked to have ordered another round of drinks, though staff failed to service our table and we even attempted to flag down a staff member several times with no success.

We finally flagged down a staff member after 30 minutes and asked if we could order a round of drinks and it be taken to our table at the restaurant.

The staff member said she could do that, though we had to wait for the bar to make the drinks and she walk with us to our table which took 10 more minutes.

Not a big deal, though previously we had the staff deliver our drinks at a later time when we were settled in at Atlier.

ATLIER

First impressions of Atlier were that the decor and atmosphere were beautiful and the lighting was nice and intimate, but walking to out table we noticed the staff appeared to be disorganised due to the lack of staffing throughout the premises. Like every other occasion dining at Atlier, we were excited to have a nice intimate meal especially knowing they have been awarded two chefs hats.

We allowed 1.5hrs for 2 courses and thought it would be ample time considering previous experiences.

Our waitress was polite, though throughout the night we started to observe the chaos of staff (including our waitess) which appeared to be disorganised and understaffed with the amount of patrons.

We ordered the market fish ( flounder) and gnocchi as our mains and two deserts, which we didn't end up getting due to timing issues.

It took 45 minutes for our mains to be delivered and to my surprise there was the kitchen ticket sticking out of the fish ( photo attached after the meal) . We informed the waitress who said she would pass this onto the kitchen.

The quality of the mains were amazing though, I wish we were offered a suggestion that we may have needed a side dish to complement the market fish as it was just that... a full fish on a plate.

After we completed our main course, we had to wait 20 minutes for the waitress to come past to take our plates.

We attempted to order one more cocktail from the Champaign Bar menu, to which the waitress hesitated and did not want to take the order as it wasn't from the standard restaurant cocktails. In the past, staff have always been accommodating in ordering drinks from the bar to the restaurant.

Whilst waiting, we noticed there was chaos and what we thought would be an intimate experience, turned into what appeared to be a bistro with staff running around servicing alot more tables than what we assumed they would. Whilst waiting, we overheard a group behind us who were missing drinks from their order.

After waiting a while, we realised that we would not make our show in time and had to cancel our desert and drinks. The waitress said she hadn't even sent the order into the kitchen or bar so we requested the bill and left underwhelmed and...

Took my family here for a special occasion. Starter and main were average for the restaurant's high price point. The ingredients were fresh, but the flavour was bland and portions small. Dessert (including cheese) was a highlight. The venue was spacious and comfortable, and the atmosphere was pleasant as expected for a 5 start hotel.

Unfortunately, the service was very inconsistent and disorganised despite the generally pleasant attitude of the staff. We ordered drinks and were asked again, there was a very long wait (40mins) between end of the starters and the main course arriving. When the main course dishes finally started arriving, only half came, and we had to follow-up 3 times for the rest of our table to receive their dishes. Throughout starters and mains, not once did the wait staff put down the dish as ordered in front of the person who ordered it.

Despite the menu promoting its 'Signature Cheese Trolley', the staff member could not communicate details on what cheeses were available even after taking 10 mins to find out. We had to ask a more senior staff member, who successfully sourced and communicated the cheese selection. All in all, it took more than 15 minutes just to know what was on the Signature Cheese Trolley. Staff were sometimes attentive, and at other times nowhere to be seen. When I asked for the bill, it took more than 10 mins and I had to follow-up. We also heard multiple breakages (glass, cutlery and etc). during our meal, which disrupted on many occasions what was otherwise a nice atmosphere. The restaurant was only half full at its peak during our time there.

I commend the staff for trying to be helpful. However, at this price point and at Sofitel, much better training and organisation, as well as attentive and knowledgeable service, should be in place. With overall average food and a frustrating customer experience, you have plenty of other restaurant choices for the money, and I suggest you visit those alternatives rather than Atelier By Sofitel for the...

Arrived at 8:30pm for our reservation. We were seated, presented our menus then left to our own devices for 30 minutes. No one came to take our order, let alone provide a drink menu. We were offered bread rolls once around 10 minutes in then again 20 minutes later, but had to chase down our server multiple times. Meals arrived before drinks did. No champagne glasses available, yet they're selling sparkling white. Any one with a small ounce of knowledge would know sparkling is served in a champagne glass. This was rectified after a few minutes. I asked to speak to a manager which was the most prompt service we had.

The manager arrived and after informing him of how poor we have found his service, he left to come back to advise us the drinks were on them and we were comped 50% of our bill.

On to the meals themselves. They were quite tasty and presentation was superb. The atmosphere of the restaurant is quite beautiful and leaves a lasting impression.

Our server - one of 3 that seemed to circulate our table after the complaint was lodged - then offered our male friend a second drink, but didn't offer it to my female friend.

It was evident that this is a theme throughout the night as multiple tables were seeking attention from servers, even resulting in one patron yelling.

The highlight for our evening was Floor. She was a beautiful spark in a dull evening. She was bubbly, friendly, and went above and beyond in her limited interactions with us. She even surprised my female friend with a birthday surprise, which was delightful. Proof that some part of this night can be salvaged.

Unfortunately, the service leaves much to be desired, despite the managers involvement. As an out of towner, I can safely say I will not be returning, nor can I recommend this...