Bottega Coco Barangaroo — Restaurant in Sydney

From the moment we stepped inside Bottega Coco in Barangaroo, we were captivated by its stunning design and warm, welcoming atmosphere. The space is absolutely beautiful, with a sense of relaxed elegance that makes you want to settle in for hours. We were greeted by a super friendly maître d’ and looked after throughout the evening by our brilliant waiter, Arthur — a French national whose friendly, attentive service added so much to our night. All of the staff were genuinely lovely and made us feel right at home.

We chose the $95 “Taste of Italy” banquet, and it truly lived up to its name — a generous, high-quality journey through some incredible dishes:

PEAR & PECORINO FOCACCIA This was a stunning opener. The focaccia was pillowy and warm, topped with creamy pecorino, fresh peppery rocket, thinly sliced pear, toasted walnuts and a subtle drizzle of honey. The combination of sweet and salty was pitch perfect.

TARTARE DI TONNO Fresh Yellowfin tuna, beautifully bright and clean on the palate, paired with briny baby capers and a tangy pickled onion gel that cut through the richness. The cucumber, avocado, and a lively apple and celery vinaigrette added freshness, while salmon roe gave little pops of the ocean. I’m not a religious man but this dish could have come from the heavens above!! It was that good!!

FRITO MISTO Crispy, light, and not greasy in the slightest — the calamari and baby octopus were tender and perfectly cooked. The spicy mayo brought a subtle kick, balanced by a fragrant mint oil. A classic executed to perfection.

FIORE DI ZUCCA These zucchini flowers were a highlight — delicately fried and generously stuffed with a lush ricotta and goat cheese blend, accented with lemon zest and parmesan. The napoletana sauce added a rich, tomatoey depth that tied everything together.

BURRATA Creamy, dreamy burrata paired with smoky grilled peach and scattered with smoked almonds for texture — just brilliant. The hit of verjuice and Davidson’s plum gel lent a perfect sweet-sour note that lifted the dish.

PESCATO DEL GIORNO The grilled fish of the day was fresh and flaking apart beautifully, complemented by sweet beetroot, delicate zucchini, and a rich, savoury fish demi-glace. Balanced, simple, and deeply satisfying.

SIDES The roast potatoes were golden, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside — the ideal Italian sidekick.

TIRAMISU What a finale. A gorgeous take on the classic — airy savoiardi sponge soaked in good coffee, rich mascarpone cream, and a velvet-smooth chocolate glaze that took it over the top.

We also enjoyed a Chardonnay and a Riesling with our meal — both well-chosen, beautifully balanced wines that matched the food perfectly.

All up, Bottega Coco delivered a fantastic dining experience, from the atmosphere to the service to the memorable food. The “Taste of Italy” menu is absolutely...

My husband and I (5months pregnant) came to BC for high tea on a weekday. It looks like a beautiful place in the heart of Barangaroo, and at the time of dining it was not crowded. We had made a booking specifying our dietary requirement (pregnant).

While the foods were generally ok, there were a lot of hiccups when it came to service, which we thought was common practice in hospitality seeing my husband is also in the industry. They were not massive things, just lacking attention to details and care. However for the price that we paid, it was far from acceptable.

Firstly we were sat down and asked if we wanted tea or coffee. I asked what tea they have, thinking I'd get a menu with a variety of teas (it's high tea after all), and they mentioned they have Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Green tea and Peppermint. Disappointing, I was expecting a wide variety of teas, not the same kinds I have at home. I asked for Earl Grey with milk (they didnt ask which milk and brought full cream cows milk), and my husband asked for large latte. A regular latte came instead, which upon pointing out, they replaced right away.

My water glass had lipstick on it and a dead fly in the water, I had asked for it to be replaced. The glasses were also not polished as both my husband's and I'd have fingerprints all over them.

The savoury then came, and there were two items I couldn't have out of 5 options, which was smoked salmon sandwich and cold prawn on a piece of bread. We asked if they got our dietary requirement upon booking and if they have a suitable substitute (that they could've prepared prior to us coming in). They offered me chicken or cooked salmon as a replacement and I chose cooked salmon. Chicken came instead... So I called them again and said that was not my choice and then the fixed it and brought salmon out. I have attached the picture, they were literally pan fried salmon and chicken breast on bread with salt and olive oil. No sauce, nothing. I took one bite of each and didnt finish the rest.

The dessert selection was fine, though they didnt change our plate from savoury to dessert so we had our scones sitting on olive oil.

One of the staff eventually came around and asked what was wrong that we didn't have the substitute salmon or chicken, how could we looking at them? The savoury and the dessert came one hour apart, with about 3-4 complaints from us on the points above.

It's quite unfortunate though we appreciate the gesture from the staff coming over and tried to rectify the situation, we had a small discount but for $160, we have had better high...

How This Place Has 4.5 Stars Is Beyond Me

Let me set the scene: It’s 37 degrees outside. The restaurant is 80% empty. And yet, we—a party of two—are escorted straight to a corner table where the sun is glaring through the window like a personal heat lamp. Off to a great start.

I made my way all the way from Schofields into the city, hoping for some decent Italian food. I’ve been to places like Ragazzi and Fabrica—restaurants with equally glowing reviews but, as I would soon realize, worlds apart from this disaster.

We asked for still water—it arrived warm. My friend requested sparkling—twice—also warm. Not a great sign.

Then came the burrata with focaccia. Imagine: a sad, syrup-drenched pile of cherries completely overpowering what should have been a delicate, creamy bite. The focaccia? Soggy at the base, an insult to the very idea of bread. At this point, my faith in our main course was already hanging by a thread.

For context, I get one day a month away from the chaos of kids and husband. I live for these lunches. I don’t have time for mediocrity. And yet, here I was, watching my appetite evaporate.

The prawn spaghetti arrived. Ever had one of those pink sauce pastas your mum used to make when you were a kid? This was exactly that. Overcooked pasta, under-seasoned sauce. The prawns? Cooked perfectly but had zero flavor—what a waste of potential.

Then, the prosciutto pizza—or should I say, cherry tomato pizza. Soggy, sloppy, cold. The only thing memorable about it? The undercooked tomatoes. We asked for clean plates—three times. Paper napkins—twice. Service? Non-existent. No one cared.

We didn’t dare order drinks. We sure as hell weren’t risking dessert. And for this gourmet disappointment? $150.

To top it all off, when we gave our (very fair) feedback to the waitress, her response? "Oh, sorry. That’ll be $150."

No explanation. No sincere apology. Just a bill for a meal I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

I saw two other tables complain while we were there. HOW is this place still operational?! My one day of freedom, wasted. My appetite, ruined. My patience, tested.

Whoever is handing out these 4.5-star reviews—I have questions. PS - can't wait for the automated chatgpt response just like the rest of the reviews...