Eau De Vie — Restaurant in Sydney

4 Visits 4 different experiences.

Firstly I went to Melbourne eau de vie during PAX and we had a great experience. 5* spent approx $300

Then we came back home and decided to try Sydneys eau de vie we had Cameron as our waitstaff in the whiskey room and he was impeccably brilliant I cannot sing him enough praises. 5* Spent over $500

However our 3rd visit was horrible. I made a booking with a lady and I was told they do not accept bookings for less than 6 people so to just walk in. We arrived at 5:30 waited half an hour for the venue to open. We go in at 6 and this guy with a creepy weedy moustache asks if we have a reservation and then tells us that they're not quiet open yet and to go somewhere else to and drink there instead. And we were told that people of any group size can book, we are placed at the long table in the centre of the bar with those high stools. Not exactly comfortable for a long night of drinking. But it's not meant to be. As we were rushed through 3 rounds of drinks in a 45 minute period. We hadn't even taken 3 sips from our second drink as we were asked about our next round. We did not feel welcome at all they also made a mistake with a drink that we didn't order, but it was removed from the bill. So we got the hint and left the 3 of us spent $295 we intended to be there longer to drink so we left and went to another cocktail bar and spent the remainder of our time and money there. rated a 1☆ experience.

Update: 4th experience has been had which I rate at 3.5 stars. Eau De Vie has changed the contact form on the website for booking and reservation, so I placed one in and got a reply, I booked a larger table to ensure we had proper seating. And we were there for a total of 2 hours and 30 minutes. Which is longer than their allotted seating time of 2 hours, so once they realised we had overstayed our welcome we were asked very politely to move along. We would of loved to stay longer and drink some more so we moved to another bar. -0.5 for not being able to cater to all time constraints that the customers may want. Some want a quick drink and they're out in 30mins while others want to stay longer and spend more. Total spent on drinks $380 + tax + 10% charge + food = $500+

Very loud is the only word I can use to describe the entire evening, I literally had to shout directly into the ear of the person sitting next to me to be able to speak to them, if I talked at a regular level my words were lost and I couldn't hear unless he yelled as well. -0.5 for being unbearably loud. I know it can't be helped.

The showman ship of the beverages was well presented. I ordered the EDV Tasting board and we were presented with the Deluxe board instead. I've had it in the past and I didn't like the extra sides, so I was unhappy with that mix up there is a cost difference and the extra board wasn't touched. -0.5 for the mix up.

Overall it is a good experience something you should definitely check out at least once. But a bit too much effort to make this our regular drinking spot. Also if you want a better experience definitely go during a weeknight if possible. It's less rushed but because a weekend is the more popular night to go out there will be time limits to how long you...

I am rather reluctant to share this but felt that it was needed considering it was such disappointing experience for a place that comes with such good reviews and expectations.

I attended a small dinner and drinks catch up with friends for a birthday and on arrival we were told our table wasn't quite ready as the prior booking was still there, so we were seated in the back room. This is probably where it fell apart. Being in the back room, it meant that there wasn't any staff looking after the area. The struggle to get the attention of staff and even menus meant that on several occasions we had to wait for service or have one of us get up and prompt for attention.

I'm going to give it to the team there that there could have been unforseen staff shortages, which happens and thats totally fine. But if management understand the clientele and the expectations of a place that should have service as a paramount feature to enhance the customer experience, and you are short on staff, then maybe consider closing the back room for the night and dedicate the night to the front room. This would have meant that the experience was great for those that were there and then no disappointment otherwise (and probably no bad reviews). I might add that we booked, not walk-ins, so the head count was expected which meant that walk-ins should have been turned away, again adding to the vibe of a speakeasy.

Overall the food and drinks service was sub par. The food order must have been mixed up as we didn't get consistent serves or timing of food. Of which on arrival we didn't have plates or cutlery to eat with, requiring us to ask for it. On finishing a course, only half the table was cleared. Which left half a table of dirty plates. The drinks took quite some time to both order and arrive, which the staff agreed when we asked if we should order our next round at the arrival of our first given the time it was taking.

In terms of the staff. They were clearly inexperienced, which again, agree that the labour market is tough, but seriously general training on coming with plates and going away with plates/glasses is a basic principle of hospitality. And having staff that understand what is being served. We had welcome drinks and 'apology' drinks served of which we were left guessing as to what it was as no one could tell us what the ingredients were. On ordering a whisky, the staff member took the order and went to put it through. But then forgot to tell us that they had run out leaving some of us sitting with no drinks whilst the rest of the table were served theirs.

I think I will put this one down as an unfortunate moment in time with staff being off, inexperienced staff being dropped in and not given a chance to understand the experience that was being delivered, especially for the money...

With the cool weather starting now, my palate has moved from gin to whisky. To get ready for the winter season, I visited a couple of whisky bars to keep you informed about where to drink this warming amber spirit. First, I got reacquainted with an oldie but a goodie – Eau-de-Vie in Darlinghurst. I was reminded of Sven Almenning’s moody speakeasy tucked in the rear of the Kirketon Hotel because he recently embarked upon a three-million-dollar equity crowdfunding drive for an upcoming bar venture. As all that Almenning touches usually turns to gold, it seemed like a great opportunity for customers to get in on the ground floor on a Nick & Nora’s Melbourne after the successful launch of Nick & Nora’s Sydney in Parramatta.

Almenning’s strength is in his training and his people - recall former star bartenders, Luke Redlington and Max Greco. Today, just showing a modicum of interest had one of the bartenders embark with me upon a lively discussion about the perks their cluster of future bar-owners will receive in The Speakeasy Group venues. Having the forethought to make a table reservation means despite landing in a loud and busy bar, we’re whisked straight to a lounge for our whisky adventure. From the menu of four flights, we opt for Scotch 101 ($50/each).

Presented on a wooden board with an accompanying cheese and cracker bite from the Eau-de-Vie deli, our whisky flight kicks off with the Aultmore 12-Year-Old. It’s a fairly simple dram that’s light and fruity, from a Speyside distillery that’s been bottling whisky since 1897. It’s matched to Primo Amore – a red-wine infused Italian cheese. Matured for 16 years in bourbon barrels, the Ancnoc 16-Year-Old has a bit more going on with vanilla and cereal notes, plus a good bit of wood. It’s teamed with an Italian soft cheese – Taleggio – that smells funky but eats creamy, bringing up some fruit in the whisky.

Chalky Manchego, a Spanish sheep milk cheese, is teamed with the 12-Year-Old Old Pulteney. It’s a good balance to the whisky’s sweetness and faint salty lick. The best whisky on the board to my palate is the Talisker 10-Year-Old, which is the only smoky whisky. It's got a hint of pear-like sweetness, and some earthy swampy qualities, plus peppery heat on the finish. Eating a strong cheese like Gorgonzola with it, lowers the smoky dryness, and brings up the whisky's sweetness for me.

While we've had our noses buried deep in the glass, the bar has emptied out and become the relaxed speakeasy I first visited nearly a decade ago. It's been fun getting reacquainted with it over...