By the Bay Cafe & Grill — Restaurant in Sydney

We’ve been going here for at least 10 years. Different owners each time. Today’s visit is worthy of a review - absolutely nothing V E G A N on their breakfast menu. I asked for toast and sliced avocado with a hash brown (they didn’t have any dairy free margarine, just cheap imported lurpak (not even peppe’s). I got nearly half an avocado, toast and hash brown literally thrown on the plate - not even garnished and the toast looked like it had fallen on the floor and was picked up. The person next to me got scrambled eggs - they were not cooked and the bits that were - looked stringy. Stringy. It’s eggs - cook it. If I owned that place I’d be looking at the plates coming back and offering refunds, replacements or credits and changing how they’re done. Just yucky

The atmosphere just reeks poor. There’s plastic plants haphazardly placed to try and block the kitchen - God, why? Clear the clutter and rubbish and make the bay the focus. Some knuckle tied their non stop yapping dog to a chair so we could all listen - ban that crap - we are all over the weirdos without children and their fur babies - tell them to sit outside or go somewhere else. Then they put a table full of mothers inside with one screaming child - everyone left - place them outside too - there’s a park they can enjoy. The best bit is the narcissistic photos of the owners flashing up on the cheap tv screen - what we’ve all come down to the beautiful park to see - more screens of people who are overly confident for nothing.

A bit of advice - ramp up the menu - including vegan and gluten free, train the chef or cook or whatever in those dishes till they’re perfect; clear the clutter and crap including the tv - are you serious - wheel it away; hold some events - movie nights outside with great dinner options and cocktails in summer and mulled wine with blankets in winter; do some great giveaways and trivia nights; host amazing events (only when the place is not poor looking) and watch the cash. The waiter was average but because everything else was so bad, he shone. Bruh, get out of there. It’s toxic.

EDIT - they’ve responded poorly to this review (which they’ve now removed), they mentioned they’ve been there for five years - no wonder the menus are so greasy and old looking laminated bits of paper and haven’t changed. They said if I spoke to them they would have helped - I did, and for breakfast I was guided to a falafel bowl. For breakfast. Not a Lebanese breakfast or anything. Falafels. Yuck.

They didn’t mention their poor food once, it was mentioned to the waiter who didn’t even respond and here’s a big guess, because it’s common.

Thirdly, they said Lurpak wasn’t cheap. Tell me you have no class without telling me. It’s imported rubbish. Use something local like Pepe or even Allowrie over a Nordic scrape. Shame.

They tried to focus on how they were a “family friendly” cafe, which they are not - there’s not one thing to indicate that - if that’s the case - put something to entertain them inside if that’s where you’re going to put them.

The dog is bs, it was constantly barking tied up - it is a park and if people want to bring their animals then make them sit outside with them, or was it yours? The owners and you think it’s perfectly fine to chain your dog outside the window?

I’m so glad you took my advice and didn’t just rush into justify your poor food, service and atmosphere. I look forward to never seeing it again. The response was poor form and egotistical, rather than addressing the real issues, you made excuses. Why don’t you just fix the stuff I said and see if it makes a difference? Or defend your cheap plastic crap (omg - they called it “faux plants”)...

Booked for Mothers Day only to arrive and our Table was apparently taken ,staff said they would organise another table and said please wait here ,so we did .15 minutes still waiting so asked staff again where are we sitting staff member just pointed to a table .We then waited 15 minutes and tried to order via the table which apparently was switched off .Got up and asked staff where do we order and was told we will come to you waited another 10 minutes till our order was taken .Share plate and main arrived then We sat and waited 50 minutes after asking staff on two occasions where our dessert was.We decided enough is enough so I went and complained about the wait and requested to settle the bill as we were not waiting any longer.To which the offer to box up Dessert for us was made but at no point was there any Apology made or any offer of a refund for the appalling service.Suddenly our dessert turned up at the table we were vacating ,we sat and ate the dessert even though the dessert was supposed to be warm was stone cold .The owner needs to train their Staff properly if you are going to charge Nearly $400 for 4 people with only a share plate and a set menu.This was ordinary at best and disappointing for a Mother’s Day lunch .Its a place you would grab takeaway at best .OK so seeing as you have replied and questioned my honesty and version of events !! Firstly our table was not available as you said as someone else took it .We stood and waited and at no time did your staff say it was ready ,I had to chase up your staff and ask again and which table was it !!! Secondly At no time did we get any attendance without me chasing up your Incompetent staff .Yes you did offer to package up the desert ,however at the exact time as I was paying for the food it was delivered to our table .This was exactly what happened and the table next to us who arrived well after us was attended too and competed there meal well before I got up and complained.I am not in the habit of leaving poor reviews ,In fact this is my first time for a Restaurant and I have certainly eaten at a lot of restaurants in my 56 years .,So congratulations!!! I advise anyone who entertains going to this place to look elsewhere as the owner has no ability to...

I can at least prove one thing with photo receipt as I’ve been charged for two large cups served small cups instead. No explanation to the two large cups dumped on the side of table turned cold after half an hour. When the manager finally came he threatened to tip them off the sink. When I went to counter to get the staff’s name my dog and I been threatened to be kicked outside of the restaurant. There were witnesses around. You can not prove anything you said but I can prove at least one thing. My bank receipt won’t lie. I don’t have another Google account and I do not have control of other people’s opinions. I will not delete this post and I have right to keep my personal opinion. I will repeat the story here: The manager on 1st of June 2025 lunch shift was really rude and the staff took the wrong order for just two large cups of coffees. My friend and I been served small coffee. They delivered two large coffee to next table. When we told the staff she left to check but never came back to me and let me know if I can have the two large coffees or not. The manager mentioned he will tip the coffee in the sink. He also threatened me to kick me and my dog out of the restaurant when I tried to ask the manager on duty’s name. I will never go back again ever and will report to authorities for such behaviour. I’m the regular customer and the price been out of the roof but the service doesn’t match the price tag. P.S. I’ve checked your website your large cup coffee is 5.5 each and I have got my bank transaction details approved I paid $11.17 at 11:07am receipt number H132929843613. The management teams response below is totally unacceptable and trying to twist the story around. I’ve been charged large coffees but got the wrong order and left with no response then threatened to tip the right order to the sink and tried to get rid of me and kick my dog out when I tried to ask the rude staff’s names. The ‘manager’s behaviour is unacceptable and set a bad example for new employee who took the wrong order. Customer service is unacceptable been reported to the authority for further...