Croft Restaurant — Restaurant in Sydney

Booked via First Table and came around 5:30pm. The place was mostly empty besides 2-3 tables and the atmosphere was really nice. The service was mostly great but the mains were a little bit underwhelming.

For our entree we ordered the beef tataki and smokey marrow which was excellent, especially the bone marrow which was a large serving. The beef tataki was tender and not chewy.

For the mains we ordered the eye fillet steak medium rare and the lamb shank. The steak was cooked medium rare, however I found it quite tasteless by itself and it didn't have the natural meat flavours a normal cut of meat should have. It had gravy sauce on the side and the steak was topped with a Roquefort crust (blue cheese) which I thought would be a nice addition to the steak, however instead it overtook any flavour of the steak and vegetables. It felt like the blue cheese was used to mask other flavours instead and unfortunately I did not enjoy it much.

We also requested if we could pay full price for the steak enhancements but was advised it was not possible. I was disappointed at how inflexible they were about the menu. I was looking forward to pairing the truffle and bone marrow with the steak and as it would have enhanced the flavours a lot.

The lamb shank was better and I liked it more than the steak. It was still a bit dry, but it was more flavoursome, a good portion and it had a balanced amount of sauce and vegetables. The bone marrow addition was a highlight!

I also wished that the online menu and the First Table menu were the same or we should have been advised via First Table that the menu would be different. The online dinner menu showed set menus, whereas at the restuarant it was a la carte menu (this menu was not available online).

We did want to order from their Thursday special steaks too as my partner really likes their steaks, but it was not included in the First Table deal which is understandable. However we were willing to pay full price but it did not seem to be an option either if you booked through First Table.

Overall, my favourite dish was the entree. I don't think the full prices of the dishes are too expensive for what they are, but did expect better quality and taste for what it was meant to be.

Sadly I do not think I will be back, however if you do go, I would certainly recommend their beef tataki and...

We booked for breakfast through Groupon.

2 August 2023, we showed up at the time we booked but we were not attended for extended period of time as they wanted to serve in-house guests first. After waiting for quite a while I approached the clerk who told us to wait for longer telling that he wanted to attend the queue of in-house guests which didn’t seem to stop growing. I said we’d waited long enough. And told him they shouldn’t book guests from outside if they prioritise in-house guests and let us wait that long. To that, one of their guests got very rude to me and told me not to talk like that to the clerk. I was to leave but the clerk stopped me by telling he was going to take us to our table then. We were given a table close to that other rude guest.

The next thing I found disappointing was they didn’t have food that were listed on the description when I purchased the Groupon voucher. We are vegan so checking what’s available with the deal before purchasing vouchers is very important. One of the main reasons I purchased this voucher was seriously because there was guava juice. I remembered I really enjoyed it at a morning buffet in Thailand. But there wasn’t. All they had were apple and orange juice, nothing special. There were quite a few items that were on the voucher but weren’t actually there. This is false advertisement.

The clerk came to me later to make peace and staff were nice but It was really an unpleasant experience.

We went back for dinner and lunch on the following days only because we’d already purchased vouchers and there were nothing else we could change them to while our stay in Sydney.

I found a hair in my dessert at dinner but the waiter did nothing after I complained. I was to just leave disappointedly but the nice French waitress who’d served us prior asked how it was at the door. I shared what had happened and a manager gave us complimentary drink.

We had vegan burgers for lunch, which was the worst vegan burger I’d ever had. Nothing substantial and mostly filled with junky sauce. I normally finish my meal cleanly but that was honestly the first food I couldn’t finish. It was disgusting and $30 for a single burger.

Again some staff were nice but honestly not...

This was my first time using First Table, and it turned out to be an unexpected delight. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary and wanted to find a restaurant with a good atmosphere and decent food. This place exceeded our expectations — the ambience was excellent, and the staff were attentive, taking the time to explain clearly how First Table works and the charges involved.

Since we booked quite early, we were the only two guests at first, which felt like having the whole restaurant to ourselves. Although we booked a table for two, the staff thoughtfully gave us a spacious four-seater tucked away in a quiet corner — very private and ideal for the occasion.

At first, I was worried that with the 50% discount, the food quality might be compromised. But it was the complete opposite. Having previously worked in five-star hotels, I can confidently say the standard here is on par with branded luxury hotels.

The scallop entrée was seared perfectly with a good portion size, and the sauce complemented it well. The ribeye (medium rare) was cooked spot-on, tender and juicy, paired with a well-matched sauce. I’m a vegetarian, and I was pleased to find a good range of vegetarian options. The mushroom crêpe entrée was full of flavour, and the baked cauliflower main was also enjoyable.

For dessert, we shared the chocolate lava cake. Although the centre didn’t quite flow — perhaps it had sat a little too long — the cake itself was soft and moist, and the chocolate used was rich and fragrant. My partner paired the meal with a glass of Shiraz from South Australia, which was full-bodied, fruity, and very satisfying.

Overall, this was a truly memorable dining experience — wonderful atmosphere, excellent service, and high-quality food at great value for money. With its convenient location, this is a place I would happily...