Sotto on Ryde — Restaurant in Sydney

Would have been a 5 for Atmosphere but Ibis birds wandered through the cafe and at times hopped onto vacant tables. My companion is quite scared of these birds as they are quite aggressive and far from hygenic! They were strutting past us on the outside wall, virtually shoulder to shoulder with us .. so lots of Shooing needed. It spoiled the peacefulness, interrupting to constantly .

However, the cafe is very pretty, the setting really beautiful , parking easy. You can even take a walk after lunch!

We turned over our glasses to pour water and they were both... no other word .. filthy. Grit and debris in both. Replaced with a brief ... 'sorry'. Hmmmm

Young lady serving us very sweet, friendly, but somewhat new at the job. Whatever we asked for we received pleasantly. Adequate not attentive .. but very sweet young lady. Its a cafe ... so it was fine.

The food was good. We both had The American Burger. I asked for mine very well done, it was. Not dry but cooked through. I asked for fries cooked extra crispy, they were. Most enjoyable. My friend had a chocolate milkshake she said was really good but served in a jar !!?? I know this is a fashion but ... a milk shake? So a much smaller serve and misses the retro pleasure of a milk shake served like a milk shake . Then again I am a stickler for presentation. My friend also had a Brownie. Not made on premises but a 10 out of 10.

We watched who was served what and the food looked very good.

Would we go again ... the birds and the dirty glasses turned us off. A shame as the position and...

I have given one star because I can’t give zero. The girl exclaimed as owner is so rude. We have ordered drinks for takeaway, after we have been waiting long time and noticed customers behind us got their orders except us. We have requested to cancel the order as the toddler in my arm became upset. We have requested as least five times to cancel the order and staff was ignored us. This leave no choice to me to increase my voice volume to get attention. The owner shouted at us and requested the receipt to refund. We haven’t been give an tax invoice. Then I have to walk back to the car park on the end of the road with holding an upset baby to get the phone with bank’s app to approve the transaction to get refund. The owner gave the attitude and asked me whether I’m working in the hospitality industry and should know it’s hard to do it. While we all know the COVID effect all the industry but it doesn’t give the excuse for treating others without respect. We understand you are busy but keep waiting for when you have time to cancel the order is right thing to do? If you are short of staff, then you shouldn’t be so greedy to accept all the orders, you shouldn’t run the business over your business’s capacity. For your exclamation of arguments in front of kids, So I should shut up and let you shouting at us??? Stand out for ourselves and say NO to the wrong thing is the way I teach my children. No one has apologized for the long waiting and inconvenience. We won’t come back but I guess the arrogant owner doesn’t care for our small order customer....

After attending this cafe many times, and providing over 2 years worth of patronage, I can honestly say the rudeness I was shown in simply asking whether or not there was any oranges for a fresh squeezed juice is almost unbelievable.

After originally asking for an “apple, orange, pineapple” juice, I was advised there was no pineapple, and was then recited a specific menu item “Apple, ginger, celery, cucumber” (or something to that effect). I enquire about oranges, and was told “I will repeat again: Apple, ginger, celery, cucumber”. I politely asked to clarify if he was trying to advise me if they were the only options available for juice, at which point I was told “maybe I can read the menu” in an extremely condescending and fed up tone.

God forbid a customer actually has a problem with their order or a food allergy to be addressed, because if this is the level of disrespect, rudeness and arrogance that someone gets when simply (and politely) enquiring about whether or not there are oranges for a juice (which I should also point out, are listed on their menu as a juice option), then I pity the next customer to dare have any sort of enquiry.

Extremely disappointing. I’d say they’d lost a customer (and family of customers) of over 2 years, but considering the attitude I’d received, I’d be surprised...