Bar Ombré Rooftop — Restaurant in Sydney

Don't bother with this place, there are plenty of better rooftop bar options where you actually get a view of the Harbour Bridge. I booked for my best friend's birthday on Sunday 13/12/21 around 4pm. We arrived half an hour early and thought we'd ask to see if the table was ready and if not, no dramas, we would return. There was nobody at the reception area when we exited the lift at 3.45pm so we walked toward the bar and on the way I saw/paused to look at a clipboard on a table. As I walked back to my friend in the queue for the bar, a woman on the stockier side with dark hair and black spectacles approached me and only said "hi". At first I thought she was a random before realising she was a member of staff. I asked whether our table was possibly ready yet, but before she replied she suddenly barked at other members of staff "WIPE THAT TABLE DOWN NOW GUYS". To say that my friend and I were utterly shocked would be an understatement! Treating staff with such disrespect is demeaning and extremely unprofessional. She then turned to a male member of staff and told him to show us to the restaurant downstairs (Salt Meats Cheese) so we could have a drink until our table was ready, he was lovely and friendly with impeccable customer service skills. We happily sat in the restaurant and passed the time with a drink each. We returned to Bar Ombre around 4.30pm and the same barking lady greeted us, said she would get our table ready and walked toward a tiny table right next to the live band... we watched as she wiped down this table which was located in a non-socially distanced space between the live band and a group of roughly 10 girls who were obviously celebrating a birthday as they were well and truly multiple drinks into their sitting. My friend and I sat down. We could not hear each other speak at all given the live band was immediately to one side within arm's reach, and on our other side were the group of inebriated girls whooping and yelling toward the lead singer "IT'S HER BIRTHDAY" pointing at their friend. My friend and I felt so uncomfortable seated in this crawl space. I noticed an area away from the main sitting area which actually had a view of the Harbour Bridge (unlike the main area of the venue, which is false advertising given their website promotes harbour views from this rooftop bar), and saw there were a couple of men standing near tall bar tables, so I suggested that we move there... we relocated to one of the bar tables and sat on a couple of bar stools, then I made my way toward the bar to get drinks for us both. On my way I approached the lady who had seated us, and told her that we'd moved as the table we were originally given was unsuitable/uncomfortable because we could not even hear each other speak. She then told me "that's a smoking area, you can't stay there". I replied, "would you be able to offer another option? Because we are too uncomfortable in the original location". She looked around for a moment before abruptly telling me in a tone that implied annoyance "we are fully booked, you'll have to wait". I politely thanked her, returned to my friend to let her know we could not stay in that area, then we left for Opera Bar where we ended up sitting along the concrete retaining wall with the best view of Sydney Harbour. Even though we didn't have a shot at getting a table as the venue was super busy despite it being Sunday arvo, we still had an enjoyable time and agreed that Bar Ombre did not deserve our patronage due to the rudeness of the lady who needs an attitude adjustment or to find a job in another industry that isn't hospitality/customer service. It's not a customer's problem that the venue overbooked, how can they expect customers to be ok with being seated at a table that clearly should not have been shoved into such a cramped space in the first place given social distancing rules! Don't waste your time making a booking/queueing for Bar Ombre - take your...

I would like to report a very uncomfortable situation that happened to me yesterday at Bar Ombré. We went to celebrate a birthday of a very dear friend and to meet friends who were already inside the venue ... like most, we went there through friends referral. I had a disposable cup and had been looking for a bin from the car park to the door of the establishment, I didn't find any !! (I parked in the building) When the security guard stopped me, I explained that the plastic cup was empty and I was looking for a trash bin. He started to give me a lecture about not being able to come in with alcohol. I explained that the cup was empty .. he continued to ask me to listen to him, interrupting me, he didn't even let me explain that the cup I was holding there had never had any ALCOHOL, in fact I hadn't even drunk any of alcohol, regardless. He continued to talk about Australia's rules, and continuously asking if I was understanding him. Of course I understood, I've been in Australia for 15 years, I'm fluent ... but I also couldn't get a word out - so I just said yes. I have never been in such an embarrassing situation. I'm not a party goer. I have a son and husband, I was the driver yesterday, and I really just wanted to visit the place and enjoy my friend's birthday. When he asked me again if I understood, I said yes, but I didn't like the tone he was using with me - calmly - I think he finally got that I actually speak English, he said he was simply clarifying that in Australia there are laws and you cannot enter any establishment with a drink. I again said that the cup was empty and that I was looking for trash bin... he asked if we had a license - I gave my drivers license and after checking he started making remarks with a smirk on his face, about license and drivers license - I didn't laugh, I didn't think it was funny. He asked me again if I understood, I said yes, that I still didn’t like the tone he was using... that he was lacking respect - he said that I arrived with a cup in my hand and was giving him attitude. (So explaining myself was not allowed and asking for a bin is a sign of bad attitude...)

It was then that he asked us to ‘step out of the venue’ ...Yes, simple as that ... quietly, we complied. The security guard continued to lecture me only to then turn to my friends and to say that we couldn't get in because I “had too much to drink” !! at that moment, the manager approached and made a movement crossing his hand by the neck, to 'cut' me off without even exchanging a word with me! My friends tried to reason with them and said I had not drank anything and that I was driving ... I was beyond over that situation. Increasingly frustrated watching unfold the Absurd Situation, being judged and mistreated, publicly embarrassed and trying to make sense of the lack of tact and how out of proportion the situation had blown...I just wanted to leave... Some of my friends knows the organizers who unfortunately got involved without being able to reach any conclusions. I didn't want to be there anymore from the moment he stop me from explaining anything about that empty plastic cup ... I honestly see there, prejudice, machismo and a complete lack of professionalism that I have never experienced in my life! So you Mr. Manager - really could do with some training on conflicts and resolution. And to you Mr. Security guard - your rights end where mine begin. I’m not the only one never...

Don’t have you birthday / any large gathering here.

I booked bar ombré one month in advance for my wife’s 30th birthday for 20 people and I advised that I will be bringing balloons. When I arrived they gave us two separate tables with very uncomfortable seating near the bar for our 20 guests as opposed to the single long tables which were much more suited for 20.

To add insult to injury those huge long tables which could easily house more than 20 only had 6 people sitting at them.Also there was no space at all for the balloons even though I had confirmation that there will be space.

We asked the staff if we could be moved to the long tables which could fit all of us however the main guy started arguing with us saying that we did not tell them which table we wanted when booking. How the hell would we know which table ? We don’t work there and we haven’t been there before… it’s common sense !!

Eventually after persistent asking, the staff were able to move us to a longer table however we all had to squeeze in.

The service was also bad in general. When they brought the cake out they didn’t provide plates till we asked and they didn’t provide forks or the knife. After asking they gave a huge kitchen knife to cut the cake and they told me to return it (you shouldn’t tell a customer to return the knife especially in a packed crowd …clearly no sense of safety).

The staff also had a bad attitude and were not welcoming or helpful, they treated us like we were a burden even though we booked ages ago and notified them of our plans. I had spent so much time planning my wife’s birthday and these guys essentially spat on all...