Lox Stock & Barrel — Restaurant in Sydney

I never write reviews unless an experience was exceptionally good or bad. I live in Bondi, have done so for the last 7 years and unless you eat at one of the tourist spots on the water you are pretty much guaranteed a good feed & service with a smile. I was very much looking forward to trying lock stock as I'd heard it had the same owners as Brown Sugar and I love their breakie but this newer joint was a fail. We waited outside for about 5 mins and when no one came out thought they must be doing the waiting list inside so we queued at the cash register only to be told to wait back outside (along with the others that had thought the list was inside due to lack of presence). Whilst waiting, a table kicked off as they had waited for 30mins only to still not be served whilst seated for 20mins - uh oh we thought seems like we may be in for a rough ride. We should have left then. We at least entertained ourselves watching the confused customers getting food they didn't order and particularly the table that ordered trout and a hash brown receive a plate with a smidgen of food on there it wouldn't even feed a pigeon. To cut a long story short for us, the coffees we ordered whilst we waited didn't come, the servers seemed disinterested and only one cracked a smile for the 1hr 15 mins we were there, our avo smash with tomato & feta had half a cherry tomato in it between us and I couldn't taste any feta, no butter with my toast and our side order of hash brown come out 15mis into the meal when we were pretty much done. For the price & location I expected better- will stick to...

Stopped in here for a casual brunch and went with the Reuben sandwich, and it’s quickly become a favourite.

The filling was generous, the meat tender, and the sauce had a spicier kick than I expected, which worked beautifully. It came with a unique side I’d never tried alongside a Reuben before, and while I was initially sceptical, it actually paired really well. I’ve already been back to order the same dish again since.

My friends were equally pleased with their meals, everything that came out of the kitchen looked fresh and well put together. The menu has plenty of variety, from hearty brunch classics to lighter bites, and they mix things up with inventive seasonal cocktails that keep it interesting.

Service has always been friendly and efficient, even when the place is packed (which it almost always is). Their takeaway orders also come out quickly, which is great if you’re on the go.

On a recent visit I tried one of their desserts, the Basque cheesecake, and it was rich, creamy, and baked to perfection. Between the lively atmosphere, the ever-changing drinks list, and the consistently good food, this is a local spot I’ll keep coming back to.

Looking forward to exploring more...

I am a native New Yorker, now living in regional NSW and missing the malty, chewy, breading and hard shell of a New York Style bagel. After disappointment down the street at Lox in a Box, I came here cautiously optimistic. I ordered a plain bagel with cream cheese for takeaway before spotting what I thought was a bialy. Actually an onion bagel, I still couldn't resist and added it to my order. The friendly staff member astutely realised she was serving a New Yorker and we had a quick chat about properties of a good bagel, realising in the process that my fresh bagels were about to be fatally toasted. I was grateful when she raced to the kitchen to stop this faux pas from occurring. After departing, I discovered that the bagels were served with the cream cheese on the side so I had to return to my hotel to assemble them. I thought this was a bit strange but I guess it's to prevent soggyness? I would have preferred them prepared. That said, the bagels hit the chewy,malty sweet spot. The shell could have been a bit harder, but the taste of home was there. The onion bagel was particularly delightful and I dare say I would return again next time...