Blackwood Bondi — Restaurant in Sydney

I was really looking forward to having dinner with friends at Blackwood as I had been waiting for a restaurant to arrive at this spot for ages.

The menu looked nice and the reviews were great hence why I booked a table for 4 on Saturday night.

We had cocktails, a bottle of rosé, 1 Curry Roasted Cauliflower, 2 Truffle casarecce pasta and 1 Seared snapper fillet.

Drinks were nice but food was disappointing for the price, apart from the snapper which was delicious albeit provided on its own, without a single side. My friend did not make any specific comment about the cauliflower, just mentioned it was not worth $32. I had one of the 2 truffle pastas and without wanting to sound offending, felt it was more like a Mac & Cheese.

As for the service, the same waitress came 2 or 3 times in less than 5 minutes to ask if we were ready to order whereas the restaurant was not full. I don't think she wanted to be rude or pressing but we felt a bit rushed from the start. It's worth noting we did not feel that way afterward.

Lastly, we all felt quite surprised and curious about the 5% weekend surcharge which none of us had seen before but perhaps it is something new in the area.

This review is only based on one dinner so it may not reflect the usual standard of this restaurant but since I may not be back and I use others' reviews to make choices, I thought it was...

I really enjoy this café and have been back a few times. I’ve tried different things on the menu, and everything has been great. Today I had their simple scrambled eggs, simple, delicious and exactly what you’d hope for. I love when a place makes the effort with a simple dish like that. The coffee is excellent!

One thing that stands out is the staff. Whether it’s first thing in the morning or peak lunchtime rush, they’re always kind, polite, and considerate. Even when it’s busy and there’s a wait outside, the system for seating people is fair and well-managed. If you come early, you can usually get a seat quickly.

I’m really happy with everything I’ve tried on the menu, and the quality is consistently fantastic. For me personally, the only reason this café isn’t my absolute favourite is that the menu could have more variety. They cover a lot of bases really well, but when I’ve come with friends, not everyone has felt totally satisfied with the options. That’s purely personal preference, though I’ll definitely keep coming back and working my way through the menu. When I’m craving something different, I might go elsewhere, but this place is always a solid choice.

It feels like a well-run café with friendly staff, great coffee, and consistently good food. I haven’t been...

I had a deeply disappointing experience at Blackwood Bondi that I feel compelled to share. As a pregnant woman, I was looking forward to a pleasant dining experience, but unfortunately, it was anything but that. Upon arrival, a worker named "Cal" assured us that the wait time for a table would be 15 minutes. Despite being visibly pregnant, we were left standing for over half an hour. During this time, we observed numerous other parties being seated promptly, all of whom had arrived after us on a Sunday and also required two-seater tables. When we finally inquired about the delay, we noticed that our name was still unchecked on the waitlist while at least ten names after ours had been crossed off. When we questioned why our name was the only one not crossed off Cal's dismissive response was, "oh it's not like that," offering no real explanation or apology. I can't help but wonder if this mistreatment was due to my pregnancy or something else, but it certainly felt like clear discrimination. Ladies, if you're expecting, I would advise seeking out a more pregnancy-friendly restaurant. Blackwood Bondi clearly doesn't welcome pregnant patrons. I will not be returning, and I wouldn't recommend this...