Golden Century — Restaurant in Sydney

We went for a work lunch—what a spectacular embarrassment.

The staff, in their infinite wisdom, decided to seat our party of five at a table for seven—because nothing says “welcome” like two awkwardly empty chairs making us question our life choices. Then, as if choreographed for maximum discomfort, they demanded we order immediately because the kitchen was closing soon. Funny, that little detail was never mentioned when we booked for 2 PM.

After placing our orders under duress, we were promptly ignored for the remainder of our stay. When the food finally arrived, it was plonked onto the table with all the grace of a toddler unloading their toy box—no explanation, no guidance, just a guessing game of “who ordered what?” Which, when you’ve got a table full of dietary preferences and a variety of dumplings, is stressful at best and culinary Russian roulette at worst.

Our drinks arrived 25 minutes in—after the food—because clearly, hydration is an afterthought here. Naturally, one drink was forgotten entirely. Table water? Further drink offers? Ha! What do you think this is, hospitality?

And then, the food itself. A real waste of calories, honestly. It was bland where it should have been bold, slimy where it should have been crisp, and tough where it should have been tender. A veritable buffet of unidentifiable flavors and perplexing textures that made us question whether we had ordered food or an elaborate practical joke.

The vibe? Tragic. In what should have been a buzzing work lunch spot in the heart of the city, we were one of three tables paying premium prices to be utterly ghosted by the staff. After sitting in silence for 20 minutes post-meal, we had to flag down a waiter just to ask for our dessert—which we had pre-ordered at the start to “avoid delaying the kitchen” (hilarious, in hindsight). Of course, the waiter had no recollection of what we ordered.

And the final act? My mango pancake was unceremoniously dumped in the middle of the table with a steak knife—because nothing screams “delicate dessert” like slicing it with a weapon usually reserved for butchering cows.

Overall? A dog’s breakfast of an operation and a skid mark on the once-glorious reputation of Golden Century. Save your money. Go to Subway—you’ll leave with a cookie and some money left in...

Not worth going - nothing like the original. We ate here on a Friday night, and had to make a reservation (the earliest being 8:30PM). Upon arrival, we were walked up towards the dining room, then told sorry the table is being prepared to head back to the reception area to wait. No sooner than the walk back, we are told the table is ready and walked to the dining room again - but the waiter/host had dissapeared. We stood around for almost 30 seconds before someone guided us to a table. There were plenty of tables so no idea why we had to book so late. The food - all of it came out only just warm;

BBQ Pork: 9 slices. Nothing else to say.

Sweet & Sour Pork: Pieces of pork were large, however no one piece of the battered pork was crispy, and tasted like it was reheated. Well below average.

Golden Century Special Fried Rice: served luke warm, the only special thing I could tell was the addition of some caviar and scallop meat in the rice.

King Prawn in Salted Egg: I was most looking forward to trying this dish again. At their original location, the prawns still had the shell on. Here they were most certainly frozen (no shell, curled up). They were crispy and plenty of salty egg, but not worth the price ($48).

Fresh Abalone (500g): This was sliced and stir fried, served with prawn head paste. This was the best dish, as it should for $158.

Admittedly, I did not raise any concerns while we were dining - but given the staff inattentiveness, from a refusing greeting/ sitting, forgetting to provide cups to drink the tea, spilling tea on the table - just could not be bothered.

$350 for completely below average food, no ambience (no music, only fish tanks). You are better off eating at Epicurean - the chinese is much better there even being a buffet, would have been...

Golden Century in Sydney is a tale of two extremes—stunning decor and ambience completely overshadowed by shockingly poor service. Walking in, the setting is impressive, with a classic charm that speaks to its once-glorious reputation. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives almost end.

Despite having a reservation, we waited 15 minutes past our booked time to be seated, making it clear that reservations hold little weight here. Service was outright dismissive, with an air of arrogance that made us feel like an inconvenience rather than valued guests. A simple inquiry about ordering an additional dumpling (noting the menu came with three) was met with rudeness so abrupt that had we not been there to experience this "once-famed" restaurant, I would have walked out then and there. That should have been what we did, just leave, as even when we dined, it took a further 15 minutes to get the bill after asking the spare members of staff.

It wasn’t all bad—being able to step out onto the balcony as we found the aircon was ‘here & there’ at times. Owner Linda was exceptional, a rare beacon of hospitality amidst an otherwise indifferent team. The wine server was also friendly, providing a much-needed contrast to the generally unpleasant service.

All in all, Golden Century needs a serious return to the basics—respectful service, efficient seating, and an understanding that guests are here to enjoy a meal, not to endure attitude. This restaurant once held an esteemed reputation, but unless major changes are made, it will be remembered more for its arrogance than...