The Pan & Stone — Restaurant in Sydney

My partner and I were excited to go to Pan & Stone for brunch this morning as we wanted to try out something different than our usual spot in Kirrawee. Having read the great reviews on Google, looked at the cafe's Instagram and booked a table over the phone, our initial experience was very positive.

We were surprised to learn that there was no table service. It was a non-issue at first, however we expected the service to be more efficient and responsive if customers had to go up to the counter to pay for and order food and drinks. From the time that we ordered, the quality of our experience deteriorated quickly:

Our drinks (latte and tea) came to our table after 10-15 minutes. This was a long waiting period, but understandable as the cafe was busy. Unfortunately, they had given my partner a large when he'd ordered a regular latte, the quality of the coffee was disappointing and it became apparent towards the end of meal that there were too many tea leaves in the pot, resulting in a strong bitter taste.

Though my partner had asked for water to be delivered to our table, no one came. My partner had to go to the front, find a pitcher, fill it up with water and bring back two glasses to our table.

When our meals were delivered to us, the waitress misnamed my partner's meal (he'd ordered the cuban sandwich. she'd called it a club chicken sandwich). She'd apologised, but what was a moment of confusion became an awkward few minutes as she tried to give me the botanica lane bowl which she was holding. My partner had ordered me a breaky bowl.

When (another) waitress came to our table after about 5 to 10 minutes with the breaky bowl, she pinned the mistake on the staff member who took my partner's order. There was no apology.

The breaky bowl was unseasoned and featured unripe, undercooked vine tomatoes. It was nothing to write home about.

The cuban sandwich was far too sweet - the pickle relish tasted store bought and overpowered the sandwich. The bread was not structured enough to support a wet sandwich. It fell apart underneath. The pulled pork was tasty by itself but the rest of the sandwich fell short.

There was no opportunity to speak to a staff member about the issues with our food as, unless waiters were cleaning up tables or delivering food, they didn't visit tables to ensure that their patrons' experience was going smoothly. Whilst the service was busy, if you have removed the element of table service which allows staff to keep track of the progress of a table, it should be made up for by directing waiters to check on their tables.

The fact that we had paid at the counter before we ate resulted in two things: no one came to our table to table to check on how our experience was before we left (if we wanted to say anything we'd have had to queue at the counter), and we had inadvertently paid extra for things that we did not order (the large coffee and the price difference between the breaky bowl and the botanica lane bowl).

The only positives were the friendliness of the staff at the counter, the inclusivity of vegan options and the availability of parking right outside the cafe's door. It is disappointing to come to any business, especially a small family-owned business, with such great reviews and to have a mediocre experience. Having both had extensive experience in hospitality, we hope that the cafe takes our review into consideration. All the best to the owners, but we will...

Local restaurant build within an industrial Street. About 20 parking spots literally at the door, 1 BV disabled. Cool and well lit inside, a variety of chair around small and medium tables and a few benches around substantial tables, in a very Airey space. Staff are busy, take your order ASAP, but very understanding. Menu is short and to the point with half classics & half interesting specials.

I had the classic egg and bacon burger with a twist, being avocado, cheese, two types of sauce, etc, etc. It arrived within 5 min, hot from the grill with a huge skewer keep it all locked together. Eating it, even with two hands is nigh impossible as it's just got too many things in one bun. Cutting it in half gives you, just, a way to hold it and eat it. Cooked to a tee, with an awful lot of bacon buried inside, one was more than enough.

Portions are generous! We ordered a basket of chips to share. What arrived was a huge basket of handmade chips with about 10-15 McDonald chip portions in size, all for $6. And they were accompanied by a homemade dipping sauce.

Prices are cheap for what you get, wide week lunchtime saw ~20 patrons I saw, so you have plenty of choices and plenty of locals as customers. If you in the area, it's well worth a visit. I recommend the caramel milkshake, which was ice cold on warmish day. You don't need a zillion items on a menu if you do the choices you offer really well. There are different specials every day, but eating off the menu was enough to return when we're...

After I hastily organised Christmas drinks at my house, I quickly realised that I was not prepared to be hosting all the people that confirmed (seriously i was expecting less than half of the people i invited to show up, my plan was some sausages on the bbq). I asked my partner it was possible to get this catered at short notice. She said "I got this", and apparently visited you guys. We went over the menu you guys gave us, and I was like "sure, sounds good, whatever you think". Fast forward to the day of, and omg, she brought this lamb shoulder, fried chicken breast, some rice paper rolls, some sausage rolls for the kids, plus some salads and desserts. Omg, this was the best food. The lamb shoulder was to die for. The chicken was amazing. I, as a grown adult, was gaslighting the kids for the sausage rolls. Every guest complimented me on the food, and I took credit for each dish (sorry). I have no idea who or where you guys are, but I'm going to host another drinks night at my place and tell my partner to go to see you guys again, just so I can enjoy your food and take credit again.

Thank you for being so accommodating with such...