North Strathfield Hotel — Restaurant in Sydney

Update:

If heaven were a pub.

Cookies fits into the old Arnotts factory as though it was always meant to be there - Triangulated by Strathfield, Olympic Park and Rhodes, it lounges neatly onto a stone street, reminding us that this city still has some soul left - and I taste that soul in the sauce that comes with the calamari.

I really enjoy Cookies Lounge Bar. As a regular, I know the menu well, and when deciding what I want for dinner on a particularly tiring day, why take a risk when I know there is a consistent special waiting for me in the warm embrace of the marvellous chef?

I won't do a rundown of the full menu, as its all good, but I will say, don't be afraid to take a chance on more unusual options like the pie, curries or Irish spice bag - you won't regret it. If you're truly indifferent, go with a burger or the ribs.

Nick remains a top bloke. He is warm and sincere. There is a line where staff become intrusive when being engaging and friendly, but Nick does not cross it - I like him, and I imagine him as an old man having his own place one day. I've warmed up to a couple of the other guys too, who can be a little weird, but I'm weird too, so its okay. I also like the Thai woman (?), Mekkala, Mikayla (?), who I foolishly attempted to converse in Korean with - she is always busily buzzing around getting drinks and smiling. Good for her, she seems happy.

In general all of the staff are quite good.

I'm excited for the renovations, as being able to show the UFC will facilitate us taking the next step in our relationship. Yes, you've seen me fiending over meals on weeknights, but you haven't seen me tipsy on a Sunday afternoon losing money gambling on an unranked welterweight - I look forward to it, hand in hand with a cold...

Short summary: consistent quality food, friendly, great ambiance and atmosphere. Family friendly. Would I return? Yes, I have many times already.

I rate establishments as 5-star only when I FEEL like going - when I say “I want to go to Cookies Lounge today” or when it becomes part of the dinner rotation list.

Menu and food: The menu is great. Lots of choice and decently priced (meaning, you won’t be shocked by the prices). They have daily specials which are interesting. Everything I’ve tried has been delicious and cooked well. The only downside is there isn’t a wide selection of gluten free choices (not an issue for me because I’m gluten free about 5-6 days a week, so there is room for me to dine out and not have to select gluten free). This pub serves coke (no Pepsi which is good).

Staff: The staff are friendly and they don’t take long to make your food. There is one guy there who always smiles and waves. He makes the place GREAT!

Atmosphere and parking: It’s not an overly busy pub (except on trivia nights) so it isn’t a loud, crowded place. The tables are well spaced out and there are comfy booths too. There is outdoor seating too. Parking is close by (in the Bakehouse Quarter) so it makes it easier knowing you’ll have a spot when you get there.

The pub has various activities depending on the night of the week and I love that. It makes it interesting. The trivia on Tuesdays is...

Edit: I am a local and go to Cookies often. The food is good but for the love of god please get rid of your "sticky date pudding" from the menu. It has been a few months since the last time I got it and tried it again (because I am an idiot) and it was still the same fruit cake with caramel sauce. Sticky date pudding is soft, sitting in warm butterscotch sauce. Please get it right or rename the dessert. Better yet, get rid of it and replace it! It has no business being called a sticky date pudding.

Cookies is good but I think the sticky date pudding is incredibly disappointing which has caused me to update my review from 5 to 3. When you order sticky date pudding, part of what makes the dessert is a good sauce. This is just caramel sauce drizzled on top. I asked for extra, which kindly, they provided an additional side portion but it's still the wrong sauce. The pudding itself was tough. I had the same dessert at cookies last year for Father's Day and it was much nicer then (a good, warm butterscotch sauce and a soft pudding). I don't know why you changed the recipe but this ain't it. Do not order this dessert if you're expecting the classic dessert with pudding and generous sauce. Maybe check before ordering. So...