Bert's Bar and Brasserie — Restaurant in Sydney

The Hard Stuff Was Hard to Fault, but the Easy Stuff Was Full of Faults

Yesterday, my husband and I dined at Bert’s for lunch to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. Having booked well in advance and requested the best available table, we arrived with high expectations. Bert’s has traditionally delivered an unbeatable trifecta: exceptional food, atmosphere, and service. Sadly, something seems to have shifted.

While the lunchtime crowd was a mix of diners, the best tables were consistently allocated to young Instagrammers nursing a glass of wine and snapping photos. Meanwhile, we were seated in what felt like the least desirable spot in the room, facing empty booths set for two. For a restaurant operating at half capacity, this seemed a missed opportunity to enhance a special celebration.

We started with high hopes—and a glass of Veuve. Originally, we had planned to toast with Dom Pérignon 2013, but were surprised to see it listed at $110 a glass, up from the $70 we’d seen online, and while it didn’t derail the afternoon, it felt inconsistent with past experiences and should be noted by management.

The food, as expected, was outstanding. The handpicked crab remains the best seafood dish you can order in Sydney—fresh, luxurious, and utterly satisfying. The king prawns in brown butter were divine, and our waitress’s suggestion to enjoy them as a middle course was spot-on. These dishes were followed by the Kidman steak, cooked and rested to perfection, paired beautifully with creamy Dutch potatoes and a crisp salad. Every bite reminded us why Bert’s has earned its reputation.

Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the wine service. My husband ordered an aged Riesling by the glass, but when it was poured (without a taste being offered), it was clear the wine had turned. We raised this with the sommelier, whose dismissive attitude made us uncomfortable. His curt explanation of the “petroleum characteristics” of aged Riesling came across as condescending rather than informative. When we mentioned the strong rubbery and blue cheese notes, he abruptly reinforced this is what can be expected from an aged Riesling and suggested we should have ordered a Chardonnay instead. The interaction left us feeling uncomfortable and reluctant to order more wine—a stark contrast to the warm, polished service we’ve experienced in the past.

We ended our meal with an affogato, which was simple yet delicious, and a satisfying conclusion to an otherwise uneven experience.

While the food was exemplary and our waitress delightful, the overall experience fell short of Bert’s usual high standards. The lack of acknowledgment for our special occasion, a poor seating choice, and the sommelier’s dismissive approach detracted from what should have been a memorable lunch. Bert’s has always been a place where the details matter, and we hope this feedback encourages management to ensure the “easy stuff” receives the same care as the “hard stuff” which is some of...

Despite the food being perfect, the service was appalling. We waited 20-minutes from our scheduled booking to be seated, with wine glasses and plates from the previous customers still on the table, only to be told we were “too quick”. We were seated in the lounge area, despite not being able to select a lounge or table at booking. With a party of 5, this was not practical, as the lounge had only one table which could barely fit two dinner plates. We asked to be moved only to wait another 20 minutes to be told it’s not possible we’re booked out. Water was not offered, and we had to ask for it 5 times before being served any (no water was served again, despite us asking). The waiter said he would make the night “special” despite the seating, but it was anything but that. When our meals came out, we were offered no cutlery or napkins… before eating in our lap until a waiter finally saw how impractical this was. They then sourced two small tables which were still not big enough for everyone’s food. When I raised the service quality with the on duty manager, she was defensive and stated it was our party’s fault for booking the lounge (the website didn’t give us an option), and did not action anything immediately. 10 minutes later she came and apologised about the service whilst still being defensive and inferring it was our fault for booking the lounge. A bottle of wine and free dessert were offered as a sorry which we were grateful and were not expecting. Not the standard of service you would expect from a restaurant with this...

Bert’s in Newport offers one of the most beautiful dining settings on the Northern Beaches. The fit-out is extraordinary—a lavish homage to a 1940s Parisian brasserie, with an attention to detail that borders on theatrical. Service is equally impressive: warm, polished, and unhurried. The entrees, generous and carefully prepared, promised a dining experience of rare quality.

Yet the signature main course—the now-ubiquitous steak frites—was underwhelming. A marbled Angus steak should deliver richness without excess, but in this case the marbling tipped into fat, leaving streaks that diners were obliged to push aside. Instead of indulgence, the effect was waste and disappointment. Thin and overly fatty, it simply did not compare with offerings at rival establishments further north.

The sauce, too, was a missed opportunity. On a night when nearly every patron seemed to order steak frites, why not embrace the challenge of a classic béarnaise? Technically demanding, yes—but perfectly suited to the ambience and far superior to the bland accompaniment served.

Finally, the absence of any salad garnish felt like an oversight. A French bistro plate, however simple, rarely arrives so stark. Perhaps this is a deliberate departure from tradition, but if so, it risks undermining the very atmosphere the restaurant so meticulously cultivates.

Bert’s dazzles with its surroundings and service, but until the kitchen matches the standard of the décor, its reputation will rest more on glamour...