The Cottage Balmain — Restaurant in Sydney

The food is great and so is the atmosphere, but I was left disappointed with the service. I made a reservation for 2 people at 7pm, when I got there I was advised that my booking was at 6pm. I showed the person who greeted us my booking confirmation at 7pm to which she was surprised and said she will need to check their system.

When we were seated we were offered water but no menus, I waited for a bit and eventually had to ask for them. We placed our order and were asked if we wanted everything at once to which I replied No, we would like to receive our food as entrée and mains. After a while the waiter came and asked if everything was OK, I looked at our drinks on our table looked back at the waiter and replied "we are waiting for our food" the waiter said he will check on it. Then next thing I know a waitress brings both the entrée and the mains at the same time. I explained to the waitress that I specifically asked for the meals to be brought out separately and very politely said that she will bring the mains back later. I said I was worried that they would go dry and she reassured me that they will be made from scratch again, we had been waiting a while and figured we would eat the entrée pretty quickly and to just leave the mains at the table.

Not long after, my guest saw the waiter who had served us been given a dressing down from the waitress that delivered the food, this made my guest feel very uncomfortable. Not long after my guest saw the same waitress having a go again at the same waiter. He clearly had made some mistakes, but it's not appropriate for that to happen in front of your patrons, we both felt bad for the waiter. To his credit, the waiter who served us came and apologised for the food coming out all at once to which I thanked him for his apology and for admitting it, I was not going to be rude to him, he had already copped it from his colleague.

Will I go back again, yes, the food and atmosphere are definitely worth going back for and would like to think that the service on the night and how it was dealt with was...

When it comes to small bars, I think eclectic, a sense of character and modern menu with rustic if not bold choices. In the heart of Balmain with its village like sense of community, a Cottage with a large front courtyard and oak barrel stands out from the rest. Don’t imagine, there’s nothing like a few drinks under the stars, a place where locals can hang out, have a great meal and enjoy the regular live entertainment for lunch on weekends.

The Cottage offers different unique spaces to cater to all moods and sizes. The upstairs is great for dining for larger groups offering great packages for any special occasion. Setup is flexible with vintage lounges for a more casual affair, as well as proper dining for something a little more formal. The two courtyard areas are great for whether you’re catching up with a mate for a quick bite or having a few cocktails! In summer the front courtyard gets packed with people enjoying the sunshine, and in winter head indoors to feel warm and cosy.

From the menu I couldn’t resist but to try the stuffed mushrooms with dried fruit, almonds, herbs, barley, capers, Bulgarian fetta served with zucchini puree & pomegranates. Followed by golf-ball sized arancini’s with lemon, mint, pea & haloumi. Take note, we sat indoors by the window and with prying eyes looking to our every meal presented. We knew people had food envy. Several burst of flavours hit us and in such amazement, the chicken breast & wing with rice pilaf, dried fruit, yoghurt, pistachio was the prime favourite.

For something a bit quirky and can’t make up your mind on the sweet treats. I recommend giving the fairgound plate a go. The sweet maple candied popcorn, house made orange marshmallows, fairy floss, mini ice-cream cones, mini toffee apples & peanut brittle. Warning: will bring back kept memories of being a child – an explosion of sugar.

End of the day, The Cottage Bar and Kitchen is a great looking venue, buzzing atmosphere, substantial eats and a passionate group of people who enjoy working there.

#cityexperts #travelwithraf...

From a glance, a gorgeous restaurant with a stylish and thematic interior design that really exudes a casual, yet dear atmosphere. We were seated quickly upon entering and welcomed with fantastic hospitality from the staff. We had the burrata and beets, sourdough w/ butter, oysters for sides, and a steak and schnitzel as mains. The burrata was served with sliced beetroot and greens- a better word would be overwhelmed instead of served tbh. The burrata was really nice though, i dont know how chefs do it but it was just as good as I remembered it elsewhere. The oysters were also great, as per her words since she ate it. The sourdough though, gosh, that was probably the tastiest chunky slice of bread ive ever had. It was soft and fluffy and just… great, so great. And paired with butter? Good heavens. The highlight for me was certainly the schnitzel, it was cooked to a perfect crisp, flavour, delivered in such a manner I cant even explain. The mash was hidden underneath it, and it was an interesting blend of flavours, it was a slightly runny mash, and tasted a lot like ranch, though I didn’t realise until she told me. The steak was unfortunately quite lacking, it was bland and terribly dry, even after being drenched with sauce, it was remarkably hard to ingest it after having such good food. The chips were really nice though.

It totalled over a hundred, but it was a...