Icebergs Dining Room and Bar — Restaurant in Sydney

I had high expectations for Icebergs based on glowing recommendations from local acquaintances. However, my visit with my husband and seven-month-old son left much to be desired.

Despite making a reservation and specifically requesting a window seat, we were seated away from the desired view. When I politely inquired about this, the hostess was dismissive and unhelpful, insisting that window seats were reserved only for those who explicitly mentioned it in their booking notes, despite my prior request.

The moment my son sat down, it was clear he did not like the vibe and now I can understand why. The ambiance felt unwelcoming, and it was evident that the restaurant was not accommodating to families. The staff appeared pretentious and made us feel like our presence, especially that of our baby, was an inconvenience. As a new parent, dining out can be stressful, and the lack of understanding from the staff only exacerbated the situation.

Throughout the meal, we received dirty looks and judgmental stares, making us feel unwelcome. I attempted to soothe my son with a toy, only to be told it was not allowed in their "silent" restaurant, despite the background music playing. This left me with the choice of letting my son cry or facing the disapproval of the staff, a dilemma no parent should encounter.

Despite the food being of good quality (although I had to eat my lunch in 5 minutes to get my son out of the restaurant), the overall experience was marred by the staff's lack of empathy and professionalism. As frequent diners in the fine dining scene, we were deeply disappointed and would not recommend Icebergs to anyone, especially families. We had to ask to order, no one checked in on us during the meal.

The restaurant's policy and staff demeanor need significant improvement in customer service and inclusivity. It's a shame that such a renowned establishment falls short in welcoming all patrons. It is not a cheap restaurant, we paid good money but left feeling as though the staff were paying us to be there. After reading other reviews it seems this is a common occurrence, especially to those from diverse backgrounds which is appalling in this day and age. Please spend your money elsewhere. Not at this obnoxious restaurant. There are plenty of other options in Sydney for a wonderful meal where patrons feel respected, valued and are treated with inclusivity. Sadly, icerbergs does not meet...

We went to Icebergs to celebrate our 30th Anniversary on Saturday night, and upon arrival the staff were very polite and congratulatory, and this service continued throughout our meal, so that is a huge credit to all. We were seated in an end dining area, and my wife was seated with a slightly open door behind her, and a cold breeze was coming through the door. A few times during our meal my wife got up and tried to close the door as she was getting cold, however, it would not budge and some of the staff also tried to no avail. Thus, for the majority of our meal my wife had to sit in a cold breeze which was very uncomfortable. As for our meal, our entrees were superb, however, when our mains arrived things were not so great. My wife ordered the Murray Cod, and when it arrived it was impeccably cooked and very moist, however, her first bite contained a number of bones and what looked like cartilage, and that continued throughout the entire fillet. Thus, she had to pick the meat away from bones, which made for an unpleasant experience and resulted in her not getting very much to eat off the fillet. It was not noted on the menu that the fish had bones in it (or when the waitress was queried about the dish prior to us ordering) so the lack of a warning caused this course to be unpleasant from the get go. I ordered the duck, and once again the cooking of the item was superb, however, to be served three small (and I mean very small) slices off the tail end of a duck breast was a shock, and given the price paid for our meals ... insulting. My dessert (the chocolate pavlova) was delicious, however, my wife had the granita, which was effectively tasteless ice and very disappointing.. We also had the joy of sitting next to a table where one of the diners was getting himself well and truly inebriated, which in turn meant that his volume went up and up, however, at no time did the staff politely ask him to lower his voice, nor did they stop serving him alcohol. This in turn made what we thought was going to be a pleasant evening out where we could talk to each other easily over the table, into more of a pub dinner ambience. Overall, the setting and staff are superb, however, the dining experience was very below the expectations we had for a two hat...

We have all done it once, or maybe not. When you get back with ex, and suffer some kind of Myopic episode, until you realise the next morning why you terminated the relationship in the first place. This was exactly like last night’s soft opening of Icebergs.

The restaurant was already buzzing, with influencers, Bondi blondes, and threatening looking men. Have to say, a Lovely welcome, all smiles, male waiters in white jackets, female staff in hierarchal coloured dresses and of course an usually cold weather front foaming up the sea, just as night closed in over the famous Bondi sands made it an awesome spectacle. Sorry I digress, we ordered cocktails and we waited so long for our drinks order, they had to be struck of the bill. Not a great start.

The first course arrived over an hour and a half after ordering. In truth the Risotto was excellent, but by that stage, I was so hungry, I could easily eaten the dessert that was wrongly delivered to the adjoining table.

Another hour two hours later, ( maybe State Rail own this restaurant) and the main courses arrived, one order was incorrect, and one dish was inevitably cold and dish so dish so small it would not have fed a Pygmy, for a fleeting moment we had lost the will to live, but greatly received the offerings with the same disenchantment of a dud Christmas present.

Even the $190 of Shiraz was cold.

I alluded that Icebergs is like going back to a failed relationship. Lots of unrealistic expectations, lots of gloss, but lacking in any sustenance.

It will always have a fab view (so does the RSL) downstairs. It is great for people watching, and the friendly staff, and the food shows potential. But I suspect it will always get booked out for the superficiality rather than anything else, unless there is a change.

One final point and this would have not mattered, but a $32 credit surcharge!...