Me-Gal Restaurant — Restaurant in Sydney

Oops! The staff at Me-Gal are amazing and attentive, with the best attitude and sincere friendly demeanor. Unfortunately, the manager (or someone who appears to be in a supervisory role with "plain-clothes) is rather arrogant and unapologetic for someone in that position. He also threw the rest of his staff under the bus and failed to take responsibility for a minor thing that happened to us.

We ordered two dishes from the Me-Gal extension in the lounge of the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga. It's a nice bar with views of the Sydney Harbor. I ordered the chicken sandwich, which arrived precisely 15 mins after ordering and was extraordinary. My girlfriend ordered the gnocchi, which failed to arrived after 15 min (did not come concurrent with mine), then 25 min (I began eating at the urging of my gf), then 30 min. Finally, my gf went up to check on it, and they had forgotten to place the order with the main Me-Gal restaurant. At that point, it was another 15 min before it arrived. Believe it or not, the objectionable piece hasn't happened yet, as contrition on the part of the person delivering the food would have totally rectified this situation (it's only a lounge, and mistakes happen). BUT there was a shift change and this manager dude was filling in for the normal staff. When he finally delivered the gnocchi, he barely-audibly muttered 'sorry about that' under his breath. Struck by the lack of acknowledgement, I asked what had happened, and he said "I don't know - as soon as she came up I ordered it and they cooked a new one." That's not really an explanation -- like why was the initial order not received?? But anyway, I reminded him "it was 45 min" and actually contested that, asking 'did you order it with her', pointing to the bartender, and i said yes, and he said he's just returned from a 30-min break so it was only 30 min. (As an aside, we ordered it 10 min before he break, so he's incorrect). The inclination to contest that actual wait time is appalling.... anyway leaving a bad review is the only way we as customers can give feedback to folks like that in management, and it's a shame, bc this place appears to be struggling as it's empty...

The views were spectacular, the atmosphere was fine, the food was very average. We went for a family birthday dinner and figured a view back into the city would be a nice change. The sunset over the harbour bridge was spectacular and Me-Gal views did not disappoint. The cocktails (Tazzie devil, and Rose and Ella) were both very good. For appetisers we got watermelon and feta salad, burrata, and chips and dip. These were all considered medium dishes, but I’m not sure they would have filled a sparrow at breakfast. The chips and dip tasted great but the dip was a beet salad which was far too heavy for the wispy little cracker chips we got on top. The menu said the burrata could come gluten free but all that meant was we were served a cold ball of cheese with nothing to dip or eat it with. We ordered the lamb and the calamari as mains from the large dishes menu. The calamari was very nice but was more the size we had expected of the medium dishes. The lamb was huge and is designed for 2-3 people (although I think 4 could easily have shared). It was beautifully cooked but unfortunately had lemon juice and lemon myrtle all over the top, which was very tangy and did not balance in the dish. The side salad of mixed greens and pears was also nearly inedible due to the excessive lemon juice all over the fruit. The side of potatoes were great and well cooked but came with olive tapenade, which absolutely did not suit, and 2 of us bit into an olive pit. It felt like the dishes lacked a cohesive theme or flavour and did not balance throughout the meal. The restaurant is beautifully designed inside and the decor is fresh and looks sustainable. I was surprised at the number of very young children who screamed their way through dinner and changed the vibe of a place trying to market themselves as upscale dining (and priced as such). We had an enjoyable evening but will not return and would not list this as a must do...

Had lunch today at Me-Gal at the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga, opting for the shared menu featuring uniquely Australian dishes with a strong focus on fresh local produce and native ingredients. We had the shared menu at a great price of $109 per person. The menu consisted of:

Sonoma Bakery Mission sourdough, whipped wattle seed & ricotta butter – can never go wrong with sourdough & butter. Burrata, spring peas, preserved mushroom, garlic chives – not a fan of peas, but the burrata was milky, creamy & just a delight.

Hiramasa Kingfish crudo, tom kha sauce, cucumber, heart of palm, coriander – This was delicious, and the sauce complemented the fish well.

Swordfish, fennel, gem lettuce, grenobloise – Tasty but slightly overcooked.

Striploin – Rangers Valley, Marble Score 5+, polenta, rhubarb, fioretto – This was when I got disappointed. I asked for medium-rare, but the striploin was served well-done. I don’t eat much meat, but when I do, I don’t want it well done. Disappointing dish, but the flavors were spot on. Also, not sure what they did with the polenta, but I wasn’t a fan. The rhubarb was also too sweet, and I left it on the plate.

Seasonal leaves salad, aged balsamic – Way too much salad.

Valrhona gianduja, Guanaja – Dessert wasn’t too bad, but I didn’t enjoy the cherry in the middle.

Overall, it was an interesting meal, but I’m not a big fan of native ingredients – sorry, just personal preference. The flavors didn’t quite click for me in that aspect. However, the Me-Gal cocktail was absolutely delicious and a highlight of the meal! It was refreshing and the perfect balance to some of the more unusual flavors in the dishes.

Great view of the City...