Poetica Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Sydney

Due to the review function and sentence length limitations, the original text was deleted.------ A Response to the Poetica Owner Thank you for your impassioned response. However, instead of clarifying the situation, your reply only reinforces the profound disappointment I experienced. Over the several years, I have written positive reviews for some restaurants and cafés, and this is only the second time I have felt compelled to write a negative one. This entire matter could have been resolved with a single, clear email. It is regrettable that your response reveals why such a simple solution was not possible: it is a textbook example of a business prioritizing its own narrative over genuine customer service.

It is particularly unfortunate that so much time—my time, your time, and your manager's time—was wasted on this exchange, which could have been avoided with a more thoughtful initial reply to my email.

Lack of Transparency vs. Customer "Misunderstanding" You claim the promotion's conditions were "transparent across all our channels." I simply wanted an explanation of why the à la carte items were ineligible for the discount. A clear explanation, and an apology if there had been a misunderstanding, would have ended the matter.

This is not a matter of a customer "not reading the terms and conditions." This was not my first time using a promotion at a restaurant. I even put your menu, promotion, and email text into an AI to logically analyze them, and the AI's conclusion was the same as mine. My inquiry was not an attempt to get a few dollars off my bill, but a genuine effort to understand the ambiguity.

Communication and Accountability You criticize me for not taking your offer to "call to discuss this properly" and instead writing a review. Do you believe that if your team offers a phone call, I am obligated to accept? I just wanted a logical and transparent answer, not an unofficial phone call to be convinced of your policy's validity. Despite my preference, I even attempted to call, only to find the restaurant was closed that day. This is why I sent the second email, meticulously outlining each menu item to provide all the necessary information. You may find phone calls more convenient, but it would be convenient for you to acknowledge that some customers, like me, prefer a clear, written record of communication.

Industry Hardship and Personal Attacks Your response is a misguided attempt to use the struggles of the Sydney hospitality industry to deflect from a specific customer service failure. I have been spending at restaurants and cafés in Australia is likely well over $400K, a sum that I believe has contributed significantly to the industry. I respect all hospitality workers, and many of my acquaintances are restaurant owners as well. This is the first time I have ever written a review like this. The claim that one review is "hurting real people's livelihoods" is emotionally manipulative and unprofessional—a lesson I learned in business school. All diners have a right to share their honest experiences, and they should not be accused of destroying a business or discouraging world-class talent, but I understand that such criticism is not welcome at your restaurants. My 'average' assessment of the food is a subjective opinion and should not be conflated with a personal attack on your talented chef.

What is truly regrettable is that I now feel apprehensive about dining and leaving a review at your venues. I used to enjoy buying bread from Lou Lou, but now I'm afraid to go there. Your response, which criticizes a dissatisfied customer and uses industry hardship as a shield to evade responsibility, makes me feel this way.

I regret not my review, but the experience that made it necessary. I regret the time spent trying to get a straight answer, and I regret that your response has made it abundantly clear that my initial disappointment was well-founded. As you suggested, I will be dining elsewhere...

Edit** After my initial visit, I shared some honest feedback about a disappointing experience. To their credit, the vm reached out and invited us back- and I’m glad he did. Our second visit was a completely different experience! Such attentive, friendly and professional service and delicious food! It’s clear they took the feedback sincerely, and I truly appreciate the effort to make things right. This experience showed me what this venue can be at its best, and I’m happy to update my review to reflect that. Thank you so much Gionata & The Poetica Team :)

We were really looking forward to dining here, especially given its hat status and strong reputation, but unfortunately, the experience fell well short of expectations. From the outset, the service felt cold and impersonal. I have a dairy allergy, and while our server initially asked about it, there was no effort to help me navigate the menu or suggest suitable options. Instead, she simply said “okay” and walked away. Not long after, I overheard her telling a colleague she wanted to swap sections, which only added to the uncomfortable atmosphere after a rather cold welcome. After spending several minutes reviewing the menu ourselves, she returned and asked if we’d like suggestions — but by then, it was too late. It would’ve been far more helpful to have been offered guidance earlier. The entrees were pleasant, but things went downhill with the mains. We ordered the sirloin on the bone to share, and it was frankly one of the most disappointing steaks I’ve had — chewy, gristly, and completely lacking in flavour. At no point during the mains were we checked on, nor were we asked how anything was when our plates were cleared — for a $110 dish, this level of disengagement is unacceptable. Dessert brought more issues. I specifically asked which options were dairy-free and was recommended one. My guest double-check when it was served and the server admitted they didn’t know, took it back, and returned a few minutes later with a fresh dish that was actually dairy free. If we hadn’t double checked, I could’ve had a serious reaction. Lastly, I ordered a glass of wine and wasn’t asked about the pour size. Only when we received the bill did I realise I had been served and charged for the larger size without being given a choice. Overall, the experience was underwhelming at best, with mediocre food and inattentive service that did not come close to justifying the price. For a restaurant of this calibre, the lack of care — particularly around allergies — was not just disappointing, but concerning. Sadly, we won’t...

I selected Poetica as I had a friend visiting from Perth who recently celebrated her 50th birthday and the restaurant is easily accessible for me. Having flown across to Sydney that morning, I wanted to treat her to a special dinner.

We arrived a little early and were happy to enjoy some cocktails in the bar area while we awaited our reservation time. As we arrived, one of the staff wished my friend a happy birthday which was nice. We sat down in the bar area and ordered drinks however, we were informed our table was ready so we moved to the dining area. The restaurant has a great atmosphere with an open kitchen.

We tried the ricotta doughnut as a small starter, one each, and then enjoyed a lovely steak with sides. A side order of carrots arrived which were not part of what we ordered. They were returned to the kitchen but then reappeared with compliments, alongside the side dishes we did order (mash and house leaves).

I requested guidance on the wines as there were many I was unfamiliar with. It seemed an issue to speak to a sommelier. With some other guidance we ordered a bottle of red. I would have appreciated more informed guidance to try something I hadn't tried before.

With no room for dessert, we asked for the bill. I am fortunate I checked the bill details - we had been charged for the carrot side dish which we had not ordered (and having had a conversation with our server around this) and a second bottle of wine had been added to the bill when we only shared one bottle during our meal.

This just left a funny feel to the end of an enjoyable meal...the service was not what I expected. I would hope the bill is reviewed before presenting it to us. Alongside the lack of wine guidance, the service...