cruise bar

ignored the reviews.... we took the time this weekend to review urbanspoon for our stay in the rocks. we wanted something with a pure 'tourist' friendly view as melbournians just visiting for the weekend.
cruise offered a great view but a more laid back price list.
we took the time to ring and make a reservation the night before but when we turned up there was security on the door and a private party in the dining room.
after asking around we found out that there was a private party (an engagement) that had been booked for a long time occurring upstairs. we're still not sure why our booking was accepted.
perhaps it's a staff communication issue?

we had a lovely dinner just around the corner which offered a lovely vantage point to boot; wolfies.

slow drinks service, amazing food and views.. i booked a reservation for 3 on a monday night. i had had drinks at the bar on the lower level on the saturday night previously and had a fantastic night that we decided to come back for dinner one night. the restaurant and views are spectacular. views of the opera house and the harbour bridge. quick tip: when you phone for your reservation, ask if there is a cruise ship docked. if there is, your view will be somewhat blocked.

upon viewing the menu we ordered our drinks and food and sat and waited for our drinks. and waited. and waited. and waited. and waited. and then watched 2 of our 3 drinks get poured and sit on the bartop. after another 5 minutes or so of gazing at the amazing harbour view we still didn't have our drinks. getting thirsty, i went to the bar and ordered a whisky on the rocks and asked if we were getting all 3 of our drinks soon. the bartender said it will be over soon and apologised for the wait. i drank my whisky at the dinner table and watched as she made the 3rd drink and place it next to the other 2 drinks. we watched and waited for one of the friendly waitresses to bring our drinks over. and we waited. and waited. one of my guests got the drinks from the bar and bought them to the table as we were a thirsty bunch. i made a complaint to the manager and she said she would look into it. i was told there was a function on for 20 people and that the service may be a bit slow due to this.

our food got to the table without a drama and it was amazing and delicious! we ordered 2 serves of the beef fillet medium rare and 1 serve of the pork belly. the beef was tender and tasty and the pork belly was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. one of the beef fillets was cooked a little too rare for one of the guests, so we shared it amongst the others - i prefer my steak rare and it was cooked perfectly for me. i cannot fault the food at all, props to the chef.

after speaking to the manager about our slow start, she compensated 2 of our drinks. i didn't want any compensation, i was just a little disappointed that such a fantastic venue and restaurant was falling just that little bit behind with service & just wanted to make the manager aware so it doesn't happen to other guests - especially on a slow monday night. other than the slow start, the drinks, food, waitresses, bartender and manager were delightful and friendly.

i would definitely come back next time i am in sydney.

worst meal ever very expensive small portions and cold....don't go!

fail for funtions. great iconic location and friendly bar staff but terrible reservations management and staff. such poor experience!! have your function elsewhere!!

great staff, ok food

great place for a couple of drinks in the late afternoon sun. friendly and quick service, relaxed atmosphere and delicious cocktails. think i'll be back again soon!

rip-off!. booked a table 3 months in advance -don't bother the place was empty-when i phoned to confirm the booking the lady who was supposed to be the manager very casually told me there was no booking in my name-also mentioned that a cruise boat was in dock & would block the view of the opera house,almost suggesting not to come-we went,food not up to standard for the price-no atmosphere,& guess what the cruise ship had left,so we did have a view-only good thing about it-i won't recommend this place

gd service and yummy food. was a bit sceptical after reading some reviews, but food was v tasty, and a bit dear but of course you are paying for the view!! worth a go

unimpressed. the food is nothing to rave about. dinner was quite bland and the meat was overcooked. there are better places around this area if you are looking for a good view.
we tried the bar downstairs afterward and it was pretty empty. we requested songs to the dj and he told us to go elsewhere!

everything great except the wait for service. we went to cruise last friday night, for a work meal for 7 diners.

the location, atmosphere, view, were all excellent, and the food and drink were very good. the only thing that was a bit embarrassing, was the prolonged wait for our orders to be taken, and for the first course to arrive. and for the bill. it felt like around 20 minutes for orders to be taken, then 30-45 minutes for meals to arrive.

it's a shame. either their kitchen is overworked, or they need to hire more staff!

service was great. food presentation was disappointing in particular the lamb. truffle risotto is the best i have ever had. unfortunately only ordered as an entree. view and atmosphere was up there

very very average. ordered lamb rump which was nice but very small serving and served in a casserole dish with a load of cous cous and stale pita bread.
also my wife had steak which was very rare (supposed to be medium rare) and chewy and fatty. for $40 mains i was expecting a lot better. maybe we were paying $20 per head for the view.

the best spot to have a drink during vivid festival. great atmosphere and good music. we didn't want to leave!

slick service!!!. great setting by the harbour, the service was really above my expectations which is always good. food was tasty & very well priced - my baby barramundi was divine & it looked pretty popular as there were quite a few leaving the open kitchen during our visit! my partner had the kangaroo dish which apparently they have only had on the menu for a month & is now their best selling dish (according to the manager lewis). yum yum

we simply snacked on dips, lamb cutlets and drinks. a brilliant setting with a lovely atmosphere