Deux Frères — Restaurant in Sydney

Visited May 3rd 2025 in the evening Short story: Food was mediocre enough already and the only service served was a slice of nasty rude attitude: extremely disappointing experience

Long story: Food: Confit duck croqueta - actually good, crispy outside, soft, pillowy and tender duck inside - the only good dish we had Patatas bravas - mid, just fried potatoes that were kind of dry inside, this was the safe option and in my opinion hard to get wrong anyway Artisanal loaf - literally just multigrain bread, that was cold, with a flavoured butter that one friend found extremely salty and the others found extremely tasteless (devoid of even the taste of good butter itself) Serrano Jamon - two friends found it ok, one didn't like how sweet it was (had honey on it) black truffle manchego - this was mid, nice truffle flavour from the manchego, but again multigrain cold bread served with it and some jam Most invaluable player of the evening: mussels escabeche conservas (tinned mussels escabeche) - Wow, where do I even start. Rather than a briny flavour, this mussel conservas had an extremely fishy aftertaste and frankly no other flavour. Supermarket potato chips were served with the mussels. I tried pairing the mussels with some of the bread and butter but to no avail. Plating looked like it was thrown on (Please refer to the picture attached). I wish I could chalk my strong dislike of this dish up to differing palates but the whole dish was so offensive it was really not possible. For an 'authentic tapas' restaurant the pricing of this dish for 22 dollars relegated the vibe to a hiphop joint funded by nepotism and spite for flavour.

food was genuinely so underwhelming that while we initially intended to order more, we later decided to protect our tastebuds by bringing them somewhere else.

Now the SERVICE: We were first served by a lady who, while not the warmest of waiters, was helpful in suggesting the quantity of food to order. Unfortunately that was the only plus for the service here. Throughout the dinner there was no refilling of water, and even grabbing the attention of a waiter to ask them was difficult. I mean, it really isn't so difficult to give a pitcher of water at the table if your style of service is more casual. This lackluster, and simply bored attitude from the waiters continued on throughout the dinner, until it came to pay the bill.

Following some instances of failed eye contact and hand raises to ask for the bill, we finally managed to ask one of the waiters for it, only for the guy to FORGET about it for 15 minutes. We then failed to get their attention for a while again to remind them before finally asking the same guy for the bill again. To which he then brought us the wrong bill (5x our table's) and stared blankly when I said it was the wrong one. Then when the correct one was finally brought over and I clicked no tip for the nonexistent and shit service, he said and I QUOTE verbatim, "Generous huh". My dear brother, you did not serve us once at the table, did not take our order (the initial server was never seen again by our table), and proceeded to forget our bill then bring us the wrong one after, please explain to me WHY I would tip you for any of that? And I should say, tipping in Australia is not an automatic fee you pay for service, its for service that is present, engaging, and exceptional. And not to mention the failure in service hospitality and mutual respect by this waiter; I couldn't even believe my ears when I heard him say that.

Overall an extremely offensive and disappointing...

Disappointing Experience at Overpriced Restaurant Exploiting Cultural Appeal.

Upon stepping into the restaurant, I was initially captivated by its charming ambiance and promise of authentic Basque cuisine. Coming from the basque country, I came here to enjoy the taste of my native area and shared with friends a good moment. However, my enthusiasm quickly waned as I delved into the dining experience.

Let's start with the food, it was just... correct. Nothing particularly stood out, and some dishes were downright underwhelming. Take, for instance, the xistora, a dish that arrived in embarrassingly minuscule portions. We took the group menu for $85 each, which give you access to shared plates such as 1 pintxos each. It was as if they were trying to stretch a single sausage to feed a party of ten.

But what truly soured my experience was the exorbitant pricing. I couldn't help but feel like I was being taken for a ride. The final blow came when I glanced at the menu and saw that a liter of sangria was priced at a staggering $95. Now, forgive me for being a stickler for authenticity, but I couldn't help but do a double-take. In Basque Country, a liter of sangria would set you back a mere $25, yet here, they had the audacity to charge nearly four times that amount. It's beyond comprehension. I could list dished and mentioned how overpriced it was but that's not the point.

It's disheartening to see our culture being exploited in such a manner. Charging astronomical prices for what amounts to average quality fare feels nothing short of a scam. It's a shame that some establishments capitalize on the allure of foreign cuisine to fleece unsuspecting patrons.

In conclusion, while the restaurant may have the ambiance and the promise of authentic Basque cuisine, it fails to deliver on both quality and value. I'd caution anyone against falling for the trap of overpriced mediocrity disguised as cultural authenticity. Save your money and seek out establishments that truly honor the spirit of Basque cuisine without resorting to blatant...

As a Basque person, I visited this restaurant a few weeks ago, hoping for an experience that reminded me of my hometown’s food and culture. Unfortunately, it was quite the opposite. Here’s the breakdown:

Food: We didn’t get to try it. We sat at our table for 20 minutes waiting for someone to take our order, but after being completely ignored, we just left. We did get a look at the menu and at dishes served around us.

One dish caught my eye—the paella, which is not particularly a Basque dish but I get it’s popular and everyone likes it. But for God’s sake, please don’t add Chorizo to it!! That feels like a betrayal. I have nothing against rice with chorizo (it can be quite tasty), but saffron is one of paella’s signature ingredients. Adding chorizo simply kills the saffron’s flavour. If you insist on serving this dish, please call it something else. If you think I’m being overly pedantic, just read my thoughts on the atmosphere below.

Service: The 20-minute wait and being ignored speak for themselves.

Atmosphere: This was what hurt me the most. As a ‘Basque’ restaurant, you are not just selling food— you are sharing our culture. I urge you to do so respectfully.

When I discovered this place, I hoped it would be a rare chance for Sydneysiders to connect with a beautiful but little-known culture. The decor was nice and familiar, but Flamenco music (which I personally enjoy) is not Basque. You’re misleading your customers with this. That is also why I might sound pedantic about the paella. I understand sourcing authentic ingredients is difficult, and replicating traditional dishes may not be cost-effective. But please, don’t fabricate dishes. It just seems a disrespect culture. If you’re going to profit from it, first take the time to educate yourself about it so you can represent...