The Herring Room — Restaurant in Sydney

Overrated? Perhaps this is just 'sour grapes', but I'm feeling buyers remorse after having Valentine's dinner here last night. High priced restaurants really set themselves up for this kind of response: if I'm paying that much I expect to be wow'ed.

We've been here before and, due to the prices being 'well above my station in life' in the past we buy one entré, one main, and share both. Intending to do the same, my wife neglected to notice that there was a fixed menu for Valentines, nor did she note the price. Plus, there was a fee to cancel, so we couldn't walk out, yet we must leave the table by 7pm!? (5:30 booking).

The ambience was ok; somewhat cramped as all the tables were spaced out for couples, some nice mood lights, zero view, scene, aspect, or artworks to look at. Not loud which is a win for me. We were not actually asked to leave and walked out at about 7:20pm.

So $280.88 for dinner for two got us...

1 x beer (cold), 1 x gls white wine (hunter sav blanc. v. good), 3 x big scallops (good), 1 x tuna entré (awful!), 1 x snapper (as pictured-no sides-good not dry-hard work to pick over. I did get an unpleasant mouthful of scales as someone missed a 20c coin size bit!), 1 x kingfish ("nice" was the wife response. Looked small, a one inch wide fillet, with only a cylinder of potato mash and some overpowering green sauce to accompany it), 1 x pudding (meh, bottom of cake was burnt, and ice-cream was not up to the level of the ice creameries two blocks away), 1 x the wife's dessert was obviously forgettable-since I already have. No Tip.

On approach, we'd laughed about not ordering 'that fish' which comes as pictured, but standing vertical, since we'd had one in this form before. It has a crispy skin coating which is quite good, but creeps my wife out, and she is unable to pick around the bones. Alas, we mistakenly ordered it. More horrified laughs.

One star off for the price tag. One star off for not being amazing. One star retained for competent service. One star retained because we could hear each other speak. One star retained for being a meal that I would probably rate as 'really good!' at...

Dear team.

I would like to thank you ALL for a beautiful experience.

Rodney met us with a vibrant greeting, knowledge of our booking for Dougs 50th birthday celebration. Escorted us to our well situated table where we then indulged in various delicious dishes.

Management was very pleasant and attentive. Staff were knowledgeable and courteous.

Menu is limited and in saying that, they executed the meals to perfection 👌

We wanted to taste numerous dishes on the menu and chose our selections to share.

Starting off with a couple of drinks, the pink Herring cocktail and a bottle of owners choice to go along with our meals, Cordurov pinot noir. Great selection.

Yum Yum Yum

Starters to share, pan seared Hakkaido scallops and Grilled local baby octopus. A definite option. Flavours all worked so well.

Mains to share, crispy fried whole red baby snapper, baked snowy mountains rainbow trout fillet and Hibachi grilled wild northern NSW king prawns.

All 3 dishes were amazing and delicious! Favourite was the whole red baby snapper. Compliments to the Chef.

Staff were great at recommending dishes, they knew what they were suggesting and talking about. We loved how the owner explained about their business concept and interacted with our questions.

The whole night was a great experience, finishing off with dessert, halo halo and tiramisu cocktail. Yum! Along with some happy birthday singing. It was very endearing to have the staff take ownership without my initiation.

We sincerely thank you for such professionalism, courtesy, dedication and obviously knowledge of the hospitality industry.

The manager (apologies we didn't catch your name) took our order without a notepad or electronic device. It's when you truly appreciate these professionals for what they do and they do it great. Thank you!

We'll definitely be back as a couple and with groups.

Wishing you all well and...

An unforgettable dining experience - "Flawless from start to finish!"

We had the absolute pleasure of dining at The Herring Room and it was nothing short of spectacular. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warmth and professionalism by Angela and Rodney, whose outstanding service truly elevated the entire afternoon. Their attention to detail, genuine hospitality, and beautiful energy made us feel completely at home.

Now, the food.. wow!!! Every dish was a masterclass in flavour and presentation. We ordered plenty, such as the Braised & Hibachi TAS Octopus, which was tender, smoky, and perfectly balanced. The WA Rock Lobster & QLD Prawn Mafaldine was rich, indulgent, and bursting with fresh seafood goodness. The Banana Rum Baba was a delightful finish.. boozy, sweet, and just the right amount of decadent.

But the absolute standout of the day was the Crispy NZ Whole Baby Red Snapper with onion, ginger, and sweet soy glaze. It was hands-down one of the best fish dishes we have ever had (and my son Damien said "this dish changed my perspective of having fish now!!"). The crispy skin, succulent flesh, and a glaze tied everything together beautifully. We were still talking about it the next day! Thanks to the kitchen team, Danny, Henokh & others!

The ambience is relaxed yet refined, perfect for a special day or night out or a memorable celebration. Every element, from the service to the food to the atmosphere, was top class. We left feeling full, happy, and already planning our next visit.

Highly recommend The Herring Room to anyone who appreciates exceptional food and heartfelt service. A true gem in Sydney’s...