Matteo — Restaurant in Sydney

My partner and I dined at Matteo Double Bay this evening and were genuinely disappointed by the experience.

We ordered the focaccia, deep-fried pizza dough, antipasto, steak tartare, prosciutto pizza, vodka rigatoni, and Diavola pizza.

The deep-fried pizza dough entrée was unreal! crispy, light, and full of flavor. The focaccia, prosciutto from the antipasto, and steak tartare were also enjoyable. Unfortunately, that’s where the compliments end.

From the moment we sat down on rock-hard chairs with no cushioning, the atmosphere felt off. One of the female staff members kept staring at my partner, making him feel incredibly uncomfortable. Her expression was cold and unwelcoming, which set a negative tone for the night.

Service was careless. No one asked if we had any dietary requirements or allergies. My partner is anaphylactic to nuts, and the antipasto was served with a huge pile of them. This could have been life-threatening.

We requested the Diavola pizza to be mild. The waitress assured us this would be no problem. When it arrived, it was extremely spicy—so much so that it burned my mouth. I had to down a glass of water and request more. Once I could speak properly again, I flagged a staff member to let her know the pizza wasn’t made as requested. She mumbled something under her breath and walked off.

The prosciutto pizza was soggy and limp we had to roll it up to eat it, which is not what you’d expect at a restaurant of this calibre.

When the bill came, we noticed the Diavola pizza (which we sent back) was still included. We asked about this, and the waitress said nothing and walked away. A man who I assume was the manager came over, laughed in my face, and said, “Don’t you know what Diavola means?” That kind of response was not only unprofessional but downright rude.

By the end of the meal, I didn’t even bother ordering dessert. I just wanted to leave. My partner and I rarely get a night out, and we were genuinely looking forward to this after hearing good things from friends. What a letdown.

As we were leaving, I politely asked if we could take a photo at the back of the restaurant. The staff refused and said we weren’t allowed.

Overall, the service was shockingly rude and made us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. There was nothing Italian about the warmth or hospitality you’d expect from a place like this. I will absolutely be warning friends and family to avoid Matteo Double Bay.

I would appreciate a response from the owner to discuss these issues directly. This was not just a bad night, it was a genuinely upsetting experience, and I believe it deserves to...

After reading recent mixed reviews, I admit I was a little hesitant but....my dining companion and I wanted to stay local, and the good reviews I read swayed us to give Matteo a try. Glad we did, too!

Parking? There’s street parking, free after 6pm, as well as two car parks near by. Easy peasy!

Without making a booking, we were seated immediately. A nice menu offered some interesting choices. We opted to share a salad and a pizza. Both were de-lish! The salad was greens and raddichio in a very light dressing. The pizza crust was....soggy under the filling of cheese, mushrooms, tomato sauce, olives and artichoke while the outer edge of the crust was perfect. Good flavour but soggy...

As we sat and talked, I noticed that many of Matteo’s patrons looked mainly part of the ‘younger’ crowd. That could be why my friend felt there was a lack of effort by the staff to make us feel welcome since the host and staff seemed to be ‘fawning’ over only certain guests. There was a clique like feeling. There’s really no reason to have a clique kind of vibe and staff should and could pay attention to all patrons, not just certain people. Still, when staff was at our table, each one was sweet and courteous.

I think management or the owner(s) might offer all staff training in (better) hospitality, because a restaurants’ success relies on ‘good will’, excellent customer service and knowing how to make patrons feel ‘special’. You know...so first time customers keep coming back.

As for me, I enjoyed my meal, sans the soggy pizza and the ambience. I’ll be back!!

*Georgie, thanks for your reply to my review...it was funny that when I asked to speak to you (!), no one knew who Georgie was!! I explained that I’d seen your replies here to other reviewers but still, I was told there was no one by the name of Georgie. I’m thinking it would be great to stop in and introduce yourself to your staff. Thank you for your reply...

i recently hosted a hen's dinner party here and was extremely disappointed with the experience. I had pre-ordered food well in advance to ensure a smooth night and even printed menus for decor, based on the confirmation from the restaurant regarding the menu. I had made it very clear multiple times via email that all food needed to be pork and nut free due to dietary restrictions. They assured me that this wouldn't be an issue.

Despite this, one of the first items they brought out was an antipasto board full of pork and nuts - the only two things I had explicitly asked them to avoid. I had to send it back, which was frustrating since they had previously confirmed they could accommodate. To make matters worse upon arrival, I was informed that some of the items I had pre-ordered were unavailable as they had "sold out". Given that I had preordered well in advance and had structured the menu accordingly, this was incredibly frustrating.

The service throughout the night was unorganised and chaotic. The staff kept messing up our drink orders and communication was poor -- i had to speak to multiple people just to make adjustments on the menu on the spot due to their last minute changes. To top it all off, one of the pizzas they served had nuts on it, despite me repeatedly specifying before and during the event that nuts were a serious allergy concern. At that point, I didn't even bother complaining because I had lost faith in their ability to handle dietary requirements responsibly.

Considering I spent close to $900, I expected a much better level of service and attention to detail. Given the mistakes made - especially ones that could have put someone's health at risk, I was extremely disappointed. Given this, I would expect a partial refund. I would not recommend this restaurant for any group dining, especially if dietary requirements need to...