Bentley Restaurant + Bar — Restaurant in Sydney

Wow I really do not know what to say about this place. Bitter disappointment probably closely sums it up. I had heard mixed reviews - but as a foodie it was on my list to tick off so we thought we'd give it a go.

We dined at the $220 pp 7 course Sat night degustation and it was one of the worst fine dining experience we have ever had. From food, to ambience to experience.

The menu was pretty archaic - there was nothing novel, creative or inspiring. We were hopeful that the quality of the food would elevate the experience - sadly it was the opposite. The duck was by far the best dish, but it was basically just duck and a plum sauce. The duck was pretty fatty, but compared to the other 6 dishes we sampled, it was the better option. We did Aria a few weeks ago and the duck option on our tasting menu was much better there. The Rib cap was so incredibly over-salted that I could only manage two bites washed down with copious amounts of water. The waiter even said that this was "our take on a Beef Diane".....I've had steak at Outback Steakhouse better than this and tbf for paying $220 pp you don't want your waiter to compare your dish to a simple 'beef diane'. The fennel ice cream was probably the worst dish I have ever tasted to the point that it took me aback when sampled - I was so startled at how awful the ingredient combination was and that it was on this $220 pp menu. I think that this dessert was intended to be a palate cleanser but it was so bitter and sour that I couldn't help wince at the few bites I had. Even the waitress when she took our hardly touched dessert away remarked that "most people dislike this one which is why we have a second dessert to 'win' them over"...just no words about that comment.

Next, unsure if it was staff training night (on a Sat night???), because some of the staff had literally no idea about dining etiquette. For example, one waitress put my knife on the left hand side of me, fork on the right. Some of the waitresses when they put down the dishes, had no idea what the dishes were. For example, when a waitress put down the murray cod and baby turnip, she simply said "this is your fish course"...

For ambience, we were seated right by the waiter's station. Which meant that every few minutes we had staff bumping into our shoulder, could hear the cutlery drawer clattering behind us and waitresses ask each other in lulls "everything ok babe?". Additionally, and I really found this most unusual, but the chefs used a bell to summon waitresses to pick up the dishes. As the kitchen was open, it meant that every 15 seconds or so there was that bell noise cutting through the restaurant. It made the environment feel quite bustling and rushed - most bizarre for a place that calls itself an upmarket fine dining restaurant. Also an interesting observation, but the restaurant has no bathrooms - you have to traipse through the attached mediocre hotel lobby and use their bathrooms. Just an interesting experience for customer dining at a "fine dining restaurant".

I was very surprised that a couple adjacent to us left at Course 4. We heard the waitress ask what was wrong and the gentleman remarked that they had been there for 2 hours and were "bored of the food". We had told the staff in advance that we had to leave after 1.5-2 hrs, and they basically kept to that time frame so no complaints there. A few mins this incident happened, a waitress came up to us and said that they would take our cocktails off of the price of the bill. We asked why but didn't really get a response - I am guessing because this departure was so 'public' and embarrassing?

For contrast, we did Oncore by Clare Smyth a few weeks ago, and for slightly more $ it was MILES AHEAD and a much much better experience. Do not waste your money here - this is a classic case of a restaurant that previously relied on name to get patrons yet has been unable to keep up with the other $200+ degustation options. It has quite clearly lost its "fine dining" title. This place is honestly nothing more than a restaurant attached to a...

I Would not recommend this restaurant under any circumstances. After reading many google reviews on Bentley being a quality dining experience for dinner I made a reservation for my first anniversary. As my partner and I had both never been to the restaurant we ended up walking through the pitt street entrance up the stairs to the bar and walked through the bar to the restaurant. Needless to say being surround by random people standing in the walkways at the bar area it wasn't a welcoming arrival to the restaurant.

We were greeted by the host and taken to our table (table 15) which was comfortable overall. We are greeted by our waiter who was pleasant and polite. He briefly explained that it was a 7 course dining experience and asked if we had any allergies. He also mentioned the first four options were a choice and we understood this as we could pick some separate items.

While we waited for the waiter to come around and take our selection for the first four items, a lady came to our table with a plate that had raw fish. My partner and I were confused as we hadn't ordered any of the first options but were given food. We called the waiter over to query this who then explained that they just serve everything for you to try. As my partner and I didnt really eat certain type of foods, we were already feeling a little put off.

We then recieved another plate which contained Kangaroo and kangaroo tail broth which we both didnt eat (this made my partner feel even worse as even at other fine dining restaurants they do offer other alternatives such as vegetarian options).

Once the second and third dishes came out we had to ask the waiter for alternatives to which he had to check with the chef if there was any alternative available.

Thankfully they did have fish and an avacodo dish but for a fine dining experience this was not fine dining. When the fish came out it wasnt very nice. My partner took a couple of small bites and instantly this left a yucky taste in her mouth.

We also recieved the beef option (thinking you cant get Wagyu 9+ beef wrong) but we werent asked how we like the beef cooked as my partner doesnt eat medium rare cooked meat.The beef came and she couldnt eat it, instead had two pieces of lettuce that came as a side dish.

The pre-dessert then came which we both ate and it did cleanse the pallate.

However, when the dessert came, this is where disaster really struck. The dish came with white strawberries and yoghurt which left or tummies curdling especially after the citrus pre-dessert.

At this point I ran to the bathroom to throw up as this was not sitting well in my tummy and left a really sour taste in my mouth. I came back to the table and apologised to my partner for being sick.

After the dessert, we recieved petite fours which were average, and had to order coffee and tea separately as this didnt come as a standard option with dessert.

While the waiter tried his best to be polite and see if there was anything he could get for us the damage was done. We both felt sick from the food, and it realy ruined our anniversary.

We came home and my partner and I both threw up and my partner was ill for the rest of the night.

After paying almost $600 dollars for dinner (including a tip for the waiter for his efforts), I would not rate this restaurant as worth it or a...

A $500 disaster in disguise (Bentley, What Happened?)

We just had what may go down as the worst fine-dining experience of our lives, and it set us back a cool $500. This was meant to be a 50th birthday celebration. Instead, it turned into a meal we genuinely had to endure.

Let me be clear: we’ve been here before. Years ago, Bentley was among our top recommendations. We’re now reaching out to everyone we ever sent here to warn them off. The magic is gone. If there’s a new chef, they’ve taken a hard left turn... straight off a cliff.

Let’s start with the food. Yes, the plating was beautiful. Instagrammers, you’re in luck. Just don’t put it in your mouth. Two of the most baffling dishes:

Fat slices of steamed pumpkin stuffed with bean stew. It tasted as unappetising as it sounds.

Palm hearts in a sauce that tasted like bulk supermarket mayonnaise. Even aiming for Kewpie would’ve been a step up.

They offered to grate truffle on top of the palm hearts. Sounded nice, so we said yes, only to find a $80 charge on the bill for it. No mention of the price at the time. That’s deceptive upselling, plain and simple. It was literally only half of one truffle and we couldn't even taste it because of the said supermarket mayonnaise funk going on.

The non-alcoholic drink selection was dismal - a handful of uninspired mocktails and a glass of Heaps Normal, which is about as special as offering Coke at a wine pairing. The mocktails themselves? Child-level juice at $20 each. And despite clearly telling the staff we’d request drinks if we wanted them, they kept pushing us to order more. That level of pressure is just tacky.

Let’s talk service. While the waitstaff were polite enough, they spoke with accents so strong we couldn't understand the dish explanations, which is frustrating when you're trying to appreciate a multi-course menu. And the water? We were asked, “Still or sparkling?” and said sparkling -they brought one bottle, poured us a glass each, and charged us $16 for it. Yes, we’ve been charged for water before, but that price for two small glasses? Absolutely ridiculous.

Oh, and the view? Our “nice” table gave us a direct shot of Ezmart across the street. Very high-end. Nothing says ‘special occasion’ like staring into the fluorescent void of a convenience store.

My husband is a professionally trained chef who has dined extensively around the world. He left this meal in pain... And by the time we got home the pain had gotten physical. He was writhing in agony on the floor the moment the door was closed from the worst leg cramps imaginable - both legs. Took the entire medicine cabinet to fix it. Something in that meal clearly didn’t sit right. Not just disappointing - concerning.

We’ve eaten at dozens of acclaimed restaurants around the world. We know good food, thoughtful service, and what $500 should buy. This wasn’t it. This was a confused, off-key, overpriced trainwreck that soured an important milestone and wasted our time, money, and energy.

To anyone considering Bentley for a special occasion: don’t. Go somewhere that respects your palate and your wallet. Or better yet — book a flight to Japan....