Pieno — Restaurant in Sydney

I came across the chef’s menu ($45 pp) on Instagram and was excited to try this spot. I made a reservation and arrived 15 minutes early. Despite several larger tables for two being available, we were seated at a tiny coffee table that could barely fit a couple of saucers and a plate. After raising our concerns, they moved us to a larger table, but it was disappointing that we were placed there in the first place, especially since the restaurant wasn’t full.

Food: The food was flavorful overall, but the portion sizes and presentation didn’t match what I had seen on Instagram. The beef tartare was a letdown, as the meat didn’t taste fresh.

Drinks: Cocktails were reasonably priced, but there was a mix-up with our drinks, leading to confusion. They corrected it, but the highball was overwhelmingly sweet, and the drinks took a long time to arrive.

Service: The staff was friendly, but service could use some improvement. It was difficult to get their attention, and when it was time to pay, I noticed they had only entered one chef’s menu into the system. This made me wonder if we had only been served a single portion, though they assured us it was for two.

This is a charming spot for a date night, and the food is decent. However, there were too many small inconveniences that impacted the overall experience.

Perhaps my expectations were too high, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to them.

Edit: I honestly was satisfied with the food, and I would have been equally satisfied if I ordered them individually as a la carte. We all read reviews with a grain of salt as reviews are to share personal experiences. Personal. It was mainly the hiccups that impacted my overall experience and my sentiment, so I wanted to preface that.

Re: presentation, the dessert(chocolate mousse) came on a plate for the couple sitting next3 to us & ours came in a bowl looking like leftovers....

I wanted to visit this place again for brunch,...

I’ve been to Pieno for both their lunch and dinner service. I had a nice experience at lunch, so I organised a birthday dinner for 9 people, after seeing some posts of their dinner service on instagram. I enjoyed the atmosphere and it’s very cozy, even in the middle of winter because they have lots of heaters.

We ordered the $55 set menu, and additional sides including the rump cap, lamb cutlets, prawns, potatoes and drinks for the table. So we got a good selection of the menu overall. The food itself was nice and The mocktails were good, specifically the pineapple one. Many people in my table liked the wine selection and margaritas.

Unfortunately we did have some issues regarding service. It was a busy Saturday night, but it was difficult to order and receive our food. They unfortunately forgot some of our mains (our lamb cutlets and other lamb dish included in the set menu). The pacing of the food was also slow, and dishes came out at different times, eg: some of the table received the potato dish, and then another serving of the potato dish came out with the mains. We arrived for a 7:30 booking and I think we left after 10, after we completed our mains. We did mention that our mains were missing and they were very apologetic and made the rest of our food. They also apologised when I paid for the meal.

They let me know that they had some miscommunications with the kitchen and we also felt we had miscommunications with the service.

I appreciated that they let me store our cakes in the fridge but we ended up just taking them home because I was not wanting to stay any longer.

If you want to try the dinner menu, I would recommend coming at a less busy time and with a...

Pieno Review – Exceptional Brunch and Evening Experience!

We visited Pieno for brunch and had an absolutely wonderful time! We ordered two cappuccinos, one dirty chai, and one regular chai latte, along with two muffins and a banana bread. The service was exceptional—every staff member was so warm and welcoming. Although they initially forgot my friend’s banana bread, they realized the oversight towards the end and graciously provided it free of charge. Honestly, we weren’t bothered at all; their outstanding customer service more than made up for it!

Later in the evening, we decided to return for some limoncello, and it was the perfect way to end the night. Even though it was a quiet evening and they had to close a bit earlier, the gentleman who served us was incredibly kind. He gave us great recommendations for places to visit nearby and even treated me to a free birthday shot, which was such a thoughtful gesture.

The atmosphere at Pieno is truly special—during the day, it’s vibrant and welcoming, and at night, the outdoor setting with fairy lights creates a magical ambiance.

Overall, Pieno provided a memorable experience with delicious food, excellent service, and a beautiful setting. Highly recommend it for both brunch and an...