Gazebo Wine Garden

Now this is owned by the same mob that owns the Winery at Surry Hills. So the similarities are granted. Extensive wine list, funky uniforms and a swiftness that brings casualness to the service.

Food is a bit different, which is good but the main difference is the set up. The winery is huge, this is small comparatively.

Location-wise, its Kings Cross, with an Elizabeth Bay address. Sounds good. Better, I should say. Desserts sound well-thought and desirable. Food is not bad either. Price-wise, not too expensive, not cheap.

All in all, a good place to catch up with friends or hold work-related get-togethers.

Deus Ex Machina - Camperdown

This is a nice place. The look, the feel, the staff, all very busy, what you see is what you get. Don't go in expecting a suburban cafe-type service. The people working at this place are busy - and it shows. This is a place where you go in, order, sit and then eat and get out. That's lunch.

Dinner is different. The prices a touch shy from fine dining but the quality almost the same. It is a part of a motorcycle shop - that you need to keep in mind. A rather expensive motorcycle shop that has a cult following.

Also, this place is fully licensed and the wine list is adequate for a restaurant.

Warning: lunch time here is busy most days (which is a good thing), be prepared to wait a little.

All in all: good cafe, better diner.

Zacharys/Viva Bar Pizza - Kings Cross

Note: Zacharys is now known as Viva Bar

This is a nice place. It's so good, I, personally, want it to be in Leichardt! The pizzas are good - a lot of amazing flavors and combinations are available. The bar serves good beers and wine. The place is usually packed so its a good idea to book in advance. I'd like to add: This place is great for having group dinners/get-togethers. Parking is hard to find so public transport is your best bet.

As far as the pizzas go, do not miss the Tandoori Chicken pizza - it's a stunner. Most pizzas are great. As far as wine is concerned, buy a few bottles and that'll take care of the night for most small groups.

All in all: good for parties, 8-15 people groups. Make sure to book in advance.

Public Dining Room - Balmoral Beach, Lower North Shore

Lower north shore has been pretty dormant and below average for a long time as far as food is concerned. Hard to explain why. Its one of the most beautiful parts of Sydney. Places like Manly have been disappointing for far too long. Its good to see stuff happening here at last.

Pub Dining Room is today, what used to be the Watermark. Watermark was a place where you couldn't walk into if you weren't dressed for an occasion. PDR - sucks you in with the cool breeze that flows in and out of this open space. You can have a drink. Or you can have food. Staff are young and friendly. The Chef - stints at Icebergs and Flying Fish.

The wine list is good. Very good. I have a feeling Samuel & Smith have something to do with it - too many wines (both Aussie & international) come from their portfolio. Which is a good thing. You can get a glass of Scarborough Semillon for around 10 bucks. Good.

All in all, a good place for lunch or dinner, fantastic views and great service. Make the most of it while you're there.

The Winery - Surry Hills

Ok - the moment I see an Enomatic at any of the new wine bars, I feel good. I feel like I'm going into a place where Wine is cared for. With the new licensing laws in NSW, every little suburban cafe is trying to become a 'wine-bar'. Someone needs to tell them that having four bottles of McWilliams Inheritance and a few 'boutique' (read cleanskins) wines doesn't make them a wine bar.

Anyway, The Winery ticks all the boxes. Of course you'll have the usual 'we were not happy with the service' and 'it's too crowded' types but I can tell you, if you like wine, this place is good. You get to taste a lot, thanks to the Enomatic system. The wine list is quite comprehensive and very well-priced. The place looks and feels great. Also, the standout for me was the fact that they seem to have covered everything - there's the tasting area, the upstairs, the downstairs and the outdoor garden. Staff are great - they really look after you and know a lot about wine (Ryan, the one that serves us does!). The only thing that's bit out of the place is the staff uniform - its bit too casual/funky for a place like this. I can understand what they're trying to do but the decor dictates much more class.

All in all: great place to hangout for wine lovers. Food compliments wine.

Sumalee Thai @ Bank hotel Newtown

Be warned: portions are huge!

The menu clearly states that the portion sizes are big and meals are meant to be shared. I've seen people still grumbling about the price. That is not fare. Just get one dish between the two of you and you'll be fine. You'll end up saving money, actually.

The taste is great - I tried a few different things and they were all good. No complaints at all. The ambience is perfect for dinner. Bar is right next to you so that makes it easier to grab beers or cocktails - I do remember there being a problem with ordering cocktails though - the cocktail bar shuts down earlier or something and you can only order beers after that time.

All in all, good and worth a try.

OPERA KITCHEN - MISSCHU WITH A VIEW

This place has one of the most envied locations in Australia. It's right outside the Opera House and you can sit outside, enjoy the food and wine and take in the views. The buzz is almost always there.
Now, everything here comes with a rather high price tag but that includes the location and the views. Food is not bad either. The dumplings are very good - small portions though and very pricy. They should probably have options where you could order a platter or something. Wine is available by the glass and at a very nominal price, which is really good, as they could be charging more for wine and, trust me, they'd get away with it too.
I also ordered a burger, which was good. I mean, it was just like a chicken burger should be. Good to taste, filling and comes with chips. At $21, I did look out at the Harbour bridge after every bite.
All in all, good to have a lunch and a drink here on a bright sunny Sydney afternoon.

Manly Phoenix

This place has a stunning location. Great views, close to the water, you can smell the sea!
Food, to me, tasted a bit ordinary. The pork ribs that I ordered disappointed a great deal. The ribs were very dry, sauce was almost non-existent and the taste was pretty bad. I can confidently say that the ribs hadn't been done fresh, they had simply been reheated. Nothing wrong with that but should've been done better. The other people with had seafood which was Ok. So on a food front, this place failed to impress but the location is still great.
I've been back a few times and my impression of food at this place remains the same. Nothing to write home about, but its great place to sit down and catch up with friends or workmates.

Monal Wine Bar 163 Enmore Rd Enmore

5 Feb 2011: Just a quick update - the music they play at this place is really good, awesome. We went back and the quality of food has gone up. More seafood on the menu and a lot more wines on the wine list.

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I have a feeling that this is a place to watch out for. Most people might not have noticed but great things are happening here. A place like Enmore could use a few of these new food and wine conceptual bars. Monal has come a long way after chef and owner Vee took over a dead "Why Cafe', which, fortunately, not many people remember or miss. Monal, today, serves great food and wine that most people don't realize to be magnificent, way-ahead of time in Enmore. I ordered a bottle of red by Moppity Vineyards which I've seen at places like North Sydney Cellars wine bar. The biggest surprise was Jack Mattinson's Deluxe Red on the wine list. The only other place I've seen this one on the wine-list is Bentley Bar in Surry Hills. I dont think most of their customers are aware of the fact that they're ordering and consuming wine that not only is top-quality, but hard to find as well. In time, I guess, this place will become known for that reason alone.

Food is interesting. This is not a hatted restaurant. This is not even a famous place for food. Even so, they're pushing the boundaries. Curries are one of the best I've ever had. The fact that they're made fresh and in small quantities is the reason why. Food, overall, has a very fresh and home-made feel to it. But for me, wine is the real deal. I would love to see more finger-food/platters to be added to the menu so that people can enjoy the wonderful wine selection they have.